Eli’s Wicked Sons
Introduction
In this lesson Samuel’s behavior is compared to the behavior of Eli’s sons.
1 Samuel 2:11-26 NLT
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.
16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 2:11-26 NLT
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 1:24 NLT
24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh.
- As a Levite, the boy Samuel performed services that assisted Eli, the high priest.
The Levite Clans
1 Chronicles 6:27 NLT
27 Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah, and Samuel.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels
Worthless (ESV)
Despicable (CEB)
who had no respect for the Lord
“They did not know the Lord.” (ESV)
“Did not know the Lord”.
13 or for their duties as priests.
Although they were priests among God’s people, they did not acknowledge God or seek to abide by His will.
Eli’s sons were not the only wicked priests.
Jeremiah 2:8 NLT
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my word ignored me,
the rulers turned against me,
and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
wasting their time on worthless idols.
Judges 21:25 NLT
25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
- The sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests.
Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons.
Deuteronomy 18:3 NLT
3 “These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.
All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way.
Repeated offences.
15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.
Leviticus 3 NLT
3 “If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the Lord, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. … 3 The priest must present part of this peace offering as a special gift to the Lord. This includes all the fat around the internal organs … 5 and Aaron’s sons will burn them on top of the burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
… 9 The priest must present the fat of this peace offering as a special gift to the Lord. … and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, 11 and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food presented to the Lord.
14 The priest must present part of this offering as a special gift to the Lord. This includes all the fat around the internal organs … 16 and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.
17 “You must never eat any fat or blood. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation, wherever you live.”
Leviticus 7:31 NLT
31 Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants.
16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.”
“I’ll take it by force.” The wishes of the people offering the sacrifices were ignored.
17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
- The sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
- Eli’s sons disregarded God’s instructions.
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord.
In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli.
- Samuel went above and beyond the expectations of the Levites.
The Levites, members of the same tribe, but who were not descendants of Aaron, served as aides to the priests, doing things like helping to prepare the sacrifices. They took care of the temple, making repairs when needed, and served as musicians, singers, doorkeepers.
The Levites lived for the greater part of the year in their own cities and came up at fixed periods of time to take their turn of work.
Numbers 8:24-25 NLT
24 “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, 25 and they must retire at the age of fifty.
Deuteronomy 18:6-7 NLT
6 “Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship. 7 He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there.
- In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli, Samuel served the Lord.
He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.
Samuel dressed like a priest.
Samuel functioned as a priest.
Samuel makes sacrifices on behalf of the people, and offers intercessory prayers to God for them.
1 Samuel 7:9 NLT
9 So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.
All priests were Levites.
Not all Levites were priests.
Was Samuel a Priest? (Support your answer.)
19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice.
- Hannah would visit Samuel on a yearly basis to help with some of his material needs.
20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.”
Blessing was one of the functions of a priest.
Review:
It was the duty and privilege of the priests to bless the people in the name of the Lord.
Numbers 6:22-27 NLT
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:
24 ‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”
Lev 9:22-23 NLT
22 After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. 23 Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.
- A blessing from God’s high priest was an assurance that Hannah’s prayer would be answered.
21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
- The Lord blessed Hannah, giving her three sons and two daughters, more than what she asked for.
Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.
- Eli was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.
- Eli lacked good parental skills.
1 Timothy 3:4 NLT
4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.
Titus 1:6 NLT
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
Religious prostitution was common among Israel’s Canaanite neighbors.
Deuteronomy 23:17-18 NLT
17 “No Israelite, whether man or woman, may become a temple prostitute. 18 When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the Lord your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the Lord your God.
This verse may not apply directly to this situation, but we do know that this behavior was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house.
- Seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle was behavior that was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house.
23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons!
Eli rebuked his sons but did not remove them from office.
- Eli’s discipline was too little, too late.
Proverbs 22:6 NLT
6 Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Deuteronomy 6:4-8 NLT
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.
The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good.
25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?”
These are serious offenses by priests against God.
Psalm 145:20 NLT
20 The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
Nahum 1:3 NLT3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
Psalm 51:4 NLT
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
- God never lets the guilty go unpunished.
But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.
- Eli’s sons had persisted in their evil ways so long that God’s judgment on them was already determined.
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.
In contrast to Eli’s sons, Samuel was maturing both spiritually and socially.
Luke 2:52 NLT
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
- Scripture includes Samuel’s name in a list of men of faith. (Hebrews 11:32)
Hebrews 11:32 NLT
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
********************************
- As a Levite, the boy Samuel performed services that assisted Eli, the high priest.
- The sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests.
- The sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
- Eli’s sons disregarded God’s instructions.
- Samuel went above and beyond the expectations of the Levites.
- In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli, Samuel served the Lord.
- Hannah would visit Samuel on a yearly basis to help with some of his material needs.
- A blessing from God’s high priest was an assurance that Hannah’s prayer would be answered.
- The Lord blessed Hannah, giving her three sons and two daughters, more than what she asked for.
- Eli was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.
- Eli lacked good parental skills.
- Seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle was behavior that was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house.
- Eli’s discipline was too little, too late.
- God never lets the guilty go unpunished.
- Eli’s sons had persisted in their evil ways so long that God’s judgment on them was already determined.
- Scripture includes Samuel’s name in a list of men of faith. (Hebrews 11:32)
