1 Samuel 2:12-3:21 "Know the LORD!" Behold the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Thus spoke Jeremiah the prophet (Jer 31:31-34) concerning the coming of a new covenant a day when all the people of God would "know the LORD." The implication is clear. In Jeremiah's day, the people of God did not all "know the LORD." Indeed, in Jeremiah's day "from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely" (Jer. 8:10) Even the prophets and priests were corrupt and self-seeking. The problems of Jeremiah's day were not new. More than 500 years before the same problems were found within the high priestly family of Eli. 1. Samuel and the Sons of Eli (2:12-26) Verses 12-26 contrast the sons of Eli and Samuel. It opens by explaining how Eli's worthless sons desecrated the sacrifices (12-17), then turns to the focus to Eli's blessing of Samuel family (18-21), and his cursing of his own sons (2:22-25), before concluding with Samuel growth in stature and favor with God and man (2:26). The Faithless Sons Desecrate the Sacrifices (2:12-17) Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. The sons of Eli were "sons of beliar"-- this is the same phrase used in Judges 19 to refer to the "worthless fellows" who sought to rape the Levite from Ephraim, and who did rape and murder his concubine. This is also the phrase used in 1 Samuel 1:16 when Hannah insists "I am not a worthless woman" literally, "I am not a daughter of Beliar" Later this word "Beliar" will be applied to the devil, but at that time, the phrase means "son/or daughter of worthlessness." They did not know the LORD. This is the phrase used in Judges 2:10 to refer to a generation that did not remember the LORD's redemptive works. To "know" Yahweh includes both the intellectual aspect of remembering his works, as well as the moral aspect of doing his will. To know the LORD is to love him. When you truly understand his works in redemption, you desire to live in a manner that is pleasing to him. But for many in the era of the judges, they did not remember his mighty deeds, and they neither knew him nor loved him, but walked in their own selfish ways "In those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did was right in his own eyes." The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw." And if the man said to him, "Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish," he would say, "No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force." The word for the priest's "servant" is the word "young man." The young man of the priest is probably the way that the author of Samuel is distinguishing between Eli and his sons. It does not appear to be the servants of Hophni and Phineas, but Hophni and Phineas themselves the young men of the priests who were demanding the meat from the people. In Leviticus 3 & 7 we hear about the proper procedure. God had commanded that the priests were to receive a portion from the sacrifice. But God was to receive the first portion the fat. Hophni and Phineas, however, insisted that the priest should receive the first portion. They were putting the priesthood above God, and indulging their own appetites rather than serving the LORD and his people. Our author does not always provide commentary on sin in his book, but in this case, he points out: Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt (2:17). Eli Blesses Elkanah and Hannah (2:18-21) We do not immediate hear how Eli handles this. First we hear the contrast with Hannah. Because Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, "May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD." So then they would return to their home. Indeed, the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The contrast in this passage is between the worthless sons and the faithful Hannah. So far, we still do not know how Samuel will turn out. He is ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli, but as we discover in 3:7, Samuel did not yet know the LORD. Eli's blessing here is for Elkanah and Hannah. In contrast to the worthless sons the sons of Beliar, Hannah is not the worthless woman the daughter of Beliar that Eli had thought he to be. Whereas Hannah had partaken faithfully of the peace offering, content with the Word of the LORD spoken by Eli, Hophni and Phineas are not content with the LORD's portion, but seek to satisfy themselves with the honor that was due to God alone. And so Eli blesses Elkanah and Hannah, and once again the blessing of Eli the priest is not an empty blessing, but is full of life and promise; and so Hannah conceives and bears three more sons and two daughters for Elkanah. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD. We keep getting these one-liners! 1:28 "he worshiped the LORD there" 2:11 "the boy ministered to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest" 2:18 "Samuel was ministering before the LORD" 2:21 "and the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD." 1 Samuel is building the anticipation that this Samuel is going to be someone important! Samuel is identified as a "na'ar" a young man in 2:11, 2:18, and 2:21 the same designation that was given to Hophni and Phineas in verses 12-17. Unfortunately the ESV translates 2:11 and 2:18 "boy" and 2:21 "young man" suggesting that Samuel has grown up in the meantime, but the text uses the same word in all these cases, plainly suggesting that Samuel is being compared to the sons of Eli. They appear to have been much older, but the word "na'ar" can refer to anyone from roughly the age of 4-30. Samuel would be at the lower end of this range, and the sons of Eli at the upper end, but in the eyes of 1 Samuel, they are both na'ar. Eli Curses His Sons (2:22-25) We often focus on Eli's failure as a father. Certainly the fact that his sons turned out so poorly does not reflect well upon him. We often hear the claim that if he had been a good father, either they would not have turned out this way, or at least he would have removed them from the priesthood. Is it true that good fathers always produce good sons? Jacob is considered a good father. His sons established the twelve tribes of Israel. But Reuben slept with his father's concubine, ten of his sons sold his favorite son into slavery, and Simeon and Levi slaughtered Shechem and his people, contrary to Jacob's orders. God is the greatest father in all of history, but his son, Adam, sinned the most grievous sin in human history. So it is not true that good fathers always produce good sons. What about the second claim, that Eli should have removed his sons from the priesthood? What had God said about removing priests? Is there anything in Leviticus that tells you how to do it? There are few things in Leviticus that would seem to warrant removal of a priest. The priests are commanded not to marry unclean women, they are commanded not to engage in idolatrous practices. But what happens if they do? An idolater should be put to death. But what about a priest who violates the rules of the sanctuary? There are no provisions for removal. Rather, the error should be corrected, guilt offerings should be offered, and the offending priest brought into conformity to the Word of God. You have to remember, the priesthood was a hereditary office. The house of Aaron were priests, not because of their own goodness or special fitness for office, but simply because they were descended from Aaron. There are no moral qualifications necessary to become a priest. Now, the priests were supposed to live exemplary lives, but that was not necessary for them to serve as priests. So what was the problem with Eli? Now Eli was very old and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Did you know that women served at the entrance to the tent of meeting? It is a frequently forgotten thing! But in Exodus 38:8 we hear that the basin of bronze was made "from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting." We do not know all that these women did, but they served at entrance to the tabernacle. And Eli said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him? This looks like a good start: When Eli hears of the evil dealings of his sons, he goes to them and rebukes them. He does what the high priest should do. He brings the charges of the people against them, and condemns them. Indeed, he warns them that if they continue in their path, they will die. He does not have the authority to remove them from office, but he warns them that even he as high priest cannot intercede for them. They have sinned against the LORD (and the LORD's people). They have nothing to stand between them and the wrath of God. But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death. In other words, God himself is the one hardening their hearts. Samuel Grows in Favor with the LORD and Man (2:26) Now the young man (na'ar) Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man. Again, the contrast between Samuel and the sons of Eli could not be more clear. He is called a na'ar just like them. But he is growing in stature and favor both with God and man. Luke will speak of Jesus as the one like Samuel... 2. The LORD Curses the House of Eli (2:27-36) What was the problem with Eli? He did not have the authority to remove Hophni and Phineas, but as the high priest he did have the authority to require conformity to the law of God. And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, Thus the LORD has said, Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar; to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel. What was Eli's fault? He honored his sons over God by allowing them to continue their wickedness. And indeed, it appears that he himself was eating the meat that they stole. Eli rebuked them. Eli warned them of the curse of God that would come upon them. But as high priest he was responsible for their conduct. Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever, but now the LORD declares: Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread. Eli's failure was that he had preferred his sons to his God. His judgment was that the very thing he most loved would be removed from him. His sons would not remain long in the priesthood. The day would come when the house of Eli would be removed from the priesthood, and God would establish a faithful priest. This day came after the death of David, when Solomon removed Abiathar, the last priest of the house of Eli (1 Kings 2:27), and the house of Zadok was established as the high priestly family throughout the era of the kings. 3. The LORD Calls Samuel (3:1-21) Now the young man (na'ar) Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. The coming of the man of God at the end of chapter 2 was unusual. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. The Word of the LORD was rare, there was no frequent vision, Eli's eyesight is growing dim, the ark of God is in the temple, and the lamp of God has not yet gone out. Remember this! Because Eli's eyesight is linked together with the Word of the LORD and the presence of the ark in the tabernacle. As Eli grows blind, Israel will follow its priest! But the lamp of God has not yet gone out. This may be a reference to the lamp in the holy place that the priests were to keep lit. This may suggest that with the death of Eli and his sons, and the exile of the ark, the lamp also will go out. But before all this happens, the LORD called Samuel. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark was. The ark is about to be exiled, but before God brings judgment upon his people, he calls a prophet! (Read 3:4-9) At the first call, Eli and Samuel both assume that there was simply a mistake. At the second call, we are told that Samuel did not yet know the LORD (3:7). This was said of Eli's sons as well. But the difference between Eli's sons and Samuel is that Eli's sons are not even open to hearing the Word of the LORD; but Samuel is humble and willing. To "know the LORD" in Samuel is to be a prophet to hear the Word of the LORD, and do it. At the third call, Eli realizes what is going on. This is why I am reluctant to condemn Eli. Certainly Eli is judged for putting his sons first. His house bears the blame and is brought under judgment. But although nearly blind, Eli still sees well enough to teach Samuel the way of righteousness. (Read 3:10-14) Eli's fault is that he did not restrain his sons. And the real problem with that is that this is the priestly family! There is no atonement for the wickedness of Eli's house. There is no sacrifice that can remove their guilt. (Read 3:15-18) Eli's response is to submit to the word of the LORD. (Read 3:19-21) The LORD here establishes Samuel as a faithful prophet. Conclusion: It is easy to see the problems of Eli's household in our own day: pastors who ignore the word of the LORD in order to line their own pockets and pursue their own selfish lusts. But as we started with Jeremiah 31, and the promise that God would establish a new covenant in which all God's people would "know the Lord," so now we must conclude with Hebrews 8 and the remarkable statement that in Jesus Christ the new covenant has been established. Jesus is the faithful priest just as he is the anointed king and the prophet whose word never falls to the ground.