1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verses 13 – 15

 The sons of Eli were taking their portion before giving to the Lord His

portion. It’s a wildly offensive thought to the Spirit-filled Christian! If

we aren’t willing to give to God first and of our first fruits then how is

it that we believe we actually trust Him? How is it that we believe we

actually live a life of worship!? We have been given much. Each of

us… And there is a requirement, whether you call it the tithe or not,

there is an underlying truth that as we have been given so much, each

of us, it is natural that we give to the Lord!

 And if we give to the Lord, how is it that some do not give first unto

the Lord before giving to themselves? This is the indictment and proof

text used to reveal that these are unusually wicked men…

 Jesus healed ten lepers once and sent them away to see the high priest

and the Bible says on the way one of them perceiving the power of

God and that he was healed, turned back and ran back to Jesus and

simply thanked him, before making it to the priest to take care of

himself!

 Check this out, Jesus said to him, Luke 17:17-19, “Were there not ten

cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who

returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? And He said to

him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you complete.”

 That day 10 were healed of their infirmity but only one, (interestingly

enough 10%), was healed completely. Spiritually, emotionally,

physically, completely… Also, check this out, only one enjoyed a

personal experience with Jesus. The other nine enjoyed a group

experience… One got one on one with Him…

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verses 16 – 17

 No, they didn’t! Someone says that’s not what it says! It just says that

they didn’t give to God first but made sure they themselves were taken

care of! They paid their Hulu bill and T-Mobile bill and gym

membership bill and cable bill and refilled their Starbucks card and

then with what they had left, they honored the Lord! I get it…

However, to not love the offering and honor God in it is to abhor the

offering… You and I may just not see it that way… God does…

 The wickedness of these two is truly horrible. They are in the position

of serving the Lord and in that they are to perfectly serve the people.

That’s the calling and the standard and that is the instruction laid out

with clarity in black and white text in the law… And instead of

serving them with perfection unto the Lord they threaten the people. I

can’t wait for God to deal with them!

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 18

 This is the environment of example Samuel has to serve in and yet we

never hear of him serving Belial. A testament to the fact that as

Christians we are not to be thermometers but we are to be

thermostats. We aren’t shaped by the temp of the room or situation.

We are to set it… And if folks around you aren’t serving the Lord, you

serve Him all the more…

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verses 19 – 25

 It’s an interesting statement Eli makes here about the difference

between sinning against a brother and sinning against the Lord.

Sinning against a brother can be subjective in some circumstances.

Such as the example Paul gave in Romans 14 of eating meat in front

of someone who is offended by that… Perhaps you didn’t know that

would offend them… And then there is the work of the Holy Spirit to

reconcile the offender to the offended.

 However, in the case of sinning against God, there’s an element of

awareness of wrong. And one of the dangers here is that if you know

something is wrong and yet you do it anyway, doing it again and again

just becomes all the easier. There’s a sort of hardening of heart that

takes place… And the idea here is that Eli is broken-hearted because

its not that his sons are dumb, its that they are given over to evil.

 Now, the statement he makes, “who will intercede for him?,” we have

a very present answer to that question. Romans 8:34 tells us, “It is

Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right

hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” There are several

implications here but one is that Jesus is the cure for someone given

over to evil. Stuck in their ways. Hardened in their hearts. They need

to be given, shown, reminded of and taught of Jesus! He is the cure.

And He typically comes through consequence… Once the sin

destroys something major in the life of the sinner, then it’s, “Oh Jesus

help me… I’m at rock bottom…” Ok… But pray for them…, and

continue to show them the righteousness and holiness and grace and

Person of Jesus Christ that they may awake before its too late.

 Bottom line though is the answer isn’t reasoning… They’re beyond

that. Hardened to it. The answer isn’t sharing with them how much

they are hurting you and hurting themselves. They’ve already resolved

that’s not enough for them not to serve themselves… It’s only Jesus

now but when its only Jesus that is FAR more than enough… And we

pray in hope!

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 26

 Now that’s interesting. Was there anyone else in scripture that was said

about? Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in

favor with God and men.” This certainly casts Samuel as a type of the

coming Christ. One that would save his people from their sins. And in

both circumstances, it was their (Samuel’s and Jesus’) personal

integrity of righteousness that caused this result of growing.

Knowledge alone can’t do it. Spiritual growth is not what you know,

it’s the wisdom of God that you apply which leads you into maturity

AND favor even with men…

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verses 27 – 30

 This is a great example of taking the whole counsel of God’s Word.

Yes, God has made statement promises to the house of Levi in terms

of the administration of the priesthood…, AND…., God had also

made statement promises concerning the blessings for trusting Him

and the consequences for rejecting Him, rejecting His ways. Neither

promise carries more weight than the other, they are equal, and they

are not contradictory, they are complimentary. Just like each and

every truth given to us in scripture. This is why we need to personally

search out the entirety of scripture and not just park on one verse or

one topic!

 The fulfillment of this was in Solomon removing Abiathar from being

priest (as a punishment for Abiathar supporting Adonijah’s attempt to

take the throne) and replacing him with Zadok, a man from another

family yet still stemming from Aaron. We see that in 1 Kings 2:27,

“So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he

might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the

house of Eli at Shiloh.”

1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verses 31 – 36

 Ok, some things to take from this…, while in the formal service of the

Lord, the ministry, kicking at the sacrifice, a forsaking of the sacrifice

God has called for, these things will bring about sure consequence.

With that truth being foundational, we ought to know what are the

sacrifices God has called for… Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of

God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, these, O God,

You will not despise.” Humility, meekness and bowed heart and spirit

to God. Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and

what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and

to walk humbly with your God?”

 Matthew 9:13, “But go and learn what this means, I desire mercy and

not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to

repentance.” 1 Samuel 15:22, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to

obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”

 These are the sacrifices that God has prescribed to His priests and to

deprioritize them (forsake them) is sure to bring hardship of

consequence. Now, in the New Covenant, who are the priests of God?

Yes, absolutely the ministers in the church! I’d say especially the

ministers in the church. Anyone who takes a role of leadership and

service in the Body of Christ. But…, AND…, Revelation 1:5-6, “To

Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and

has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…” If you are

saved today, this is sacrificially what is required of you…

 And these things aren’t directives…; If you’re saved today this is

what your heart wants to do and its just going to come forth. Psalm

40:8, “I delight to do your will, O my God, and Your law is within my

heart…” The chorus of the saved!

 So, for the true believer, the desire of the heart, (I didn’t say the ability

of the heart…, the desire) is to seek and show mercy, to seek and

show humility, to operate in meekness with a heart bowed to the King

of kings, and to obey the voice of the Lord. These are now the priestly

sacrifices of God! Forsake them to your own peril…

 And the second part of the indictment is giving honor first to anything

else, even yourself, before God. A faithful priest honors the Lord…, a

faithful Christian, really a true believer, filled and overpowered by the

Holy Spirit, honors the Lord…, BEFORE honoring themselves!

 And the promise is given of a coming faithful priest who will hold to

these with perfection. Chart the path, make the way, for us to be

redeemed unto the Father and restored unto original design. Original

factory settings! And when you see Him, when you encounter Him,

these are the words you find yourself saying, “Make me one of Yours.

I want what it is you serve unto the hearts of men…” The bread speaks

of sustenance, it speaks of understanding, it speaks of strength, it

speaks of sufficiency…, and yet at the same time…, it speaks of

sacrifice.