Bible Studies
The Glory Has Departed (1 Sam. 2:12-17, 22-25)
Series: Studies in First SamuelIntroduction:
1. The Book of Judges asks, “Who will lead the people of God?” 2. Leadership among the people of God should originate with God Himself, for each leader of God’s people should act as His deputy. 3. But the period of the judges is marked by every man doing what is right in his own eyes. The Book of Judges closes with the posts of leadership largely abandoned. 4. Priests among the people of God were supposed to lead the people both by their example and through their teaching of the word of God. Perhaps here in this office there would be those operating as deputies of God, the King. 5. The Book of First Samuel visits the office of priest only to find corruption, greed and sexual immorality, and these were not sins of the occasional variety where people are weak and give in to their temptations. They were not sins committed inadvertently through error or mistake, but through high-handed disregard for the things of God. 6. Read with me beginning in 1 Sam. 2:12ff.Discussion:
I. The sons of Eli were worthless men.A. The word used here to describe them is the same word used in Judges 19:22 and 20:13 to describe those men in Gibeah who wanted to homosexually gang rape the Levite and finally raped his concubine to death.
1. The term literally means “sons of Belial.”
2. Its etymology is uncertain, but is most likely a combination of a negative participle with a noun meaning “worth” thus the translation “worthless.”
3. It occurs 27 times in the O.T. regularly with reference to people of bad character. See Deut. 13:13; 15:9; 1 Sam. 1:16; 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; 30:22; 2 Sam. 16:7; 20:1; 23:6; Nah. 1:11, 15; Psa. 101:3; Job 34:18; Prov. 6:12; 16:27; 19:28; 2 Chron. 13:7.
4. In the N.T. the Greek form of the word occurs once as a name of Satan (2 Cor. 6:15).
5. In our vernacular these men might be described as “sons of the devil.” They are religious in that they are in a religious role, but they are not genuine.
B. They did not know the Lord and the custom of the priests with the people.
1. It is not simple ignorance that is the problem. That could have been remedied by study.
2. The priests were to be provided for from the sacrifices (Lev. 2:3, 10; 7:31-36; Num. 18:8), but these men “despised the offering of the Lord” (2:17).
3. They acted greedily and threatened the worshipers saying they would take what they wanted by force if the worshiper did not give it to them. Note the way they misused their power.
C. In addition it was public knowledge that “they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting” (2:22).
1. Their father, Eli, asked them “Why do you do such evil things?”
2. They would not listen to him.
II. Their sin is of the variety described in Num. 15:30-31.A. Num. 15 distinguishes between two types of sin: that which is committed unwittingly and that which is defiant.
B. Unwitting sin is described in verses 22-29.
1. It is unwitting failure (22).
2. Unintentional (24, 27, 28, 29), without the knowledge of the congregation (24).
3. An error (25, 26).
C. With sins of this type offerings were to be made and forgiveness would be granted. The priest was to make atonement with a sin offering for the person who was guilty and he would be forgiven.
D. Defiant sin is described in verses 30-31 and stands in contrast to unwitting sin.
1. It is blaspheming the Lord (30).
2. It involves despising the word of the Lord (31), breaking His commandment (31).
3. No offering is prescribed and no forgiveness is promised. Instead “that person shall be completely cut off from among his people; his guilt will be on him” (31). Being completely cut off is interpreted in the example in Num. 15:32ff.
E. The sin of Hophni and Phinehas meets the criteria for defiant sin.
1. They despised the offering of the Lord. God said Eli (along with his family) had despised Him (1 Sam. 2:30).
2. Instead of repenting and seeking forgiveness Hophni and Phinehas would not listen to the voice of their father when he asked, “Why do you do such evil things?” (23)
3. “The Lord desired to put them to death” (25).
F. Theirs is sin of blatant rebellion. There is no repentance, no soft heart, instead they despise the things of God. And they are priests!!!
III. The consequencesare far-reaching, affecting coming generations of the family of Eli (2:30-36).A. The consequences spoken through “a man of God” (30-36).
B. The consequences spoken through Samuel (3:11-18).
C. The consequences realized in battle with the Philistines (4:1ff).
1. Israel was defeated (10).
2. Hophni and Phinehas are killed (11).
3. The Ark of the Covenant is taken captive (11).
4. Eli dies when he hears what has happened (14ff).
5. Phinehas’s wife dies in childbirth (19ff) naming her child “Ichabod” meaning “no glory.”
D. She concludes: “The glory has departed from Israel.”
Conclusion:
1. When God’s people are led by evil men the consequences are often devastatingly felt for multiple generations. 2. We must give our hearts to the Lord. We must instruct, rebuke and in every way instill in our children and grandchildren respect for the Lord. 3. We do not want the glory of the Lord to depart from us. 4. Let us lead through our instruction and let us lead through our example as deputies of God, the King.
