1 Samuel 2:18-36 | Part 6
1 Samuel 2:18-36 CSB
18 Samuel served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.
Hebrew word: “na’ar” can be translated as:
Boy – (2:11, 2:18, 2:21, 2:26; 3:1, 3:8)
Servant – (2:13, 2:15)
Young man – (2:17)
These boys of Eli are wicked young men
They have no regard for the LORD
They have no regard for the things of the LORD
How do we compare with Eli’s boys?
Do you have a high regard for the LORD?
Psalm 24:1 NLT
The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
Do we have a high regard for the things of God?
18 Samuel served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.
The linen ephod is a simple, priestly garment
Indicates Samuel is a priest
19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
PAY ATTENTION…every time the word “robe” appears in 1st & 2nd Samuel
The robe is symbolic
Hannah makes a special robe every year for Samuel, her precious son
Jesus tells of another Father Who gives another robe to another son
Luke 15:22-24 CSB
22 “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
Our heavenly Father has a special robe for His sons and His daughters
Our heavenly Father longs to be with his kids
Hannah loved Samel
But, even her love is nothing compared to the love that God has for us
Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV
4 [And] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she[e] has given to the LORD.” Then they would go home.
Contrast between Eli & his sons
Eli is blessing people
Eli’s sons were taking advantage of people & harassing people/abusing people
21 The LORD paid attention to Hannah’s need, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
Abundant suffering is often followed by abundant blessing & abundant favor
Job
Joseph
Daniel
David
Hannah
Romans 5:3 ESV
…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…
22 Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Eli’s sons are beyond repentance & repair
23 He [Eli] said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. 24 No, my sons, the news I hear the LORD’s people spreading is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to kill them.
This “will” or “intention” has to do with a verdict that the LORD has rendered
The LORD is judging them
God is sovereign, AND we are held accountable for our actions
26 By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.
Eli’s house…his legacy…his dynasty is DONE
Samuel keeps rising:
v11 “…the boy served the LORD in the presence of the priest Eli.”
v18 “Samuel served in the LORD’s presence…”
v21 “...the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.”
v26 “...the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.”
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s family[f] when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace? 28 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your house[g] to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings.
29 Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship? You have honored your sons more than me, by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’
The Hebrew word for honor is “kavod”
This word “kavod” means honor, glory, weighty, heavy
Lemme read that last sentence again
V29 – “You have [given more weight…more honor…more glory…more kavod] to your sons than to me, by making yourselves [heavy/weighty] with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.”
No one is more glorious than God
No one is more deserving of honor
30 “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever. But now,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘no longer!
It’s over for Eli. It’s over for his sons.
For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.
This might be the theme statement for all of the book of Samuel
This will play out in the life of Eli, Samuel, Saul, and David
Let’s read it again:
For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.
31 Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age. 32 You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age. 33 Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief[h] and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.[i][j] 34 This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on the same day.
No more strength
No more vitality
Distress
Grief
Sadness
Death
For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.
The LORD’s judgment is not the final word here
The chapter ends with a word of hope
35 “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him, and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.
God will raise up this faithful priest.
God will establish a [faithful house].
What will this faithful priest do?
He will do whatever is in the heart & mind of God.
Why?
Because God is going to raise up this faithful priest FOR HIMSELF
Because a king is coming…
An anointed one
Remember the end of Hannah’s song?
1 Samuel 2:9-10 CSB
He guards the steps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;[c]
he will thunder in the heavens against them.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.[d]
36 Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”
Incredibly ironic
These wicked men that had grown heavy by gorging themselves on the meat & the fatty portions of the sacrifices of the LORD…will now be begging for bread.
Don’t steal God’s glory
Give to God the glory that He alone is due
SONG: “Build My Life”
Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for you