ICHABOD! THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED PT 1: 1 Samuel 4

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ICHABOD! THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED PT 1: 1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel 4

October 16, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Samuel 4

CONTEXT. 1 Samuel chapters 1-7 are focussed on Samuel, who God raised up to be a Prophet, speaking God’s word to His people. This is after the Exodus, after the Conquest of Canaan, toward the end of the period of the Judges, and before there is a King in Israel, about the year 1120 B.C.. God used Samuel to lead His people and even anoint the first two Kings.

However, Samuel is not mentioned from Chapter 4 verse 1 until chapter 7 verse 3. Instead, the Ark of the Covenant takes center stage in chapters 4-6. Why? Because God is showing us how badly we need a faithful Prophet and how badly we need to listen to Him! He is also showing how miserable of a condition the people were in at this time.

DOCTRINE. God may judge a people for their contempt of Him, and for a time remove His presence and gospel ordinances from them, so that all that is left to say is, “Ichabod! The glory has departed.”

I. WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR THE ARK TO BE CAPTURED, AND ICHABOD PRONOUNCED.

The Word of God would be gone (God spoke from the mercy-seat); The Law would be gone (the tablets of stone were contained within); The Gospel of God would be gone (The Day of Atonement could not be observed); Communion with God in worship would be gone (God communed with His people from the mercy-seat, and the chief means of their ceremonial worship was tied up with the Ark).

Can you see what it would mean for us today if, so to speak, the Ark of God were captured and Ichabod pronounced? Christ is that ship on which we sail to heaven. Each one of these—the Word, the Law, the Gospel, the preaching of Christ crucified, the Lord’s Supper, communion with God in worship—is like a rope that secures you to the mast of the ship in the everyday storms of the Christian life. How terrible would it be if these holy ropes were taken away through providence or neglect!

II. FOR WHAT GROSS SINS GOD ALLOWED THE ARK TO BE CAPTURED, AND ICHABOD PRONOUNCED.

I) Consider the grievous sins of Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas, who were the spiritual leaders of God’s people.

(i) The spiritual leaders knew about the Lord but did not know the Lord in a saving way (1 Samuel 2:12). George Whitefield once said, “The greatest curse that God can possibly send upon a people in this world, is to give them over to blind, unregenerate, carnal, lukewarm, and unskilled guides.“

(ii) The spiritual leaders ignored the Law of God and set up man-made customs in its place (1 Samuel 2:13-14; Jeremiah 6:19). Jeremiah 6:19: “Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.”

(iii) The spiritual leaders disrespected the Lord’s Sacrifice (1 Samuel 2:13-14). Eli’s sons showed contempt for the Lord’s sacrifice, and Eli as well by allowing them to continue in their wicked way.

(iv) The spiritual leaders insisted on their own way and hated reproof (1 Samuel 2:15-16). When Eli’s sons were offered correction they insisted on their own way and hated the reproof of faithful men.

(v) The leaders were guilty of sexual immorality, which went unchecked and unrepented of (1 Samuel 2:22). Consider the worthless sons of Eli.

(vi) The spiritual leaders left sin alone without serious rebuke or necessary discipline (1 Samuel 2:22-25). Consider Eli and his sons.

II) Consider now the grievous sins of the people in general.

(i) The people gave themselves to superstition and mere formality, rather than trusting in the Lord their God (1 Samuel 4:3). They thought merely bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the midst of the army would, as it were, twist God’s arm into saving them.

(ii) The people looked to God not as glorious and worthy of worship, but rather they looked to God as useful and convenient to their lives (1 Samuel 4:3). Is this not why they brought the Ark into the camp? The people, and their leaders (elders) wanted not to worship God, nor hear from God, nor obey God; they wanted to use God to fulfill their own desires. God is not useful; God is glorious!

(iii) The people disregarded the Word of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:30, 4:1, 3). The Lord put His words into the mouth of Samuel (3:20) and the word of Samuel came to all Israel (4:1), yet the people did not inquire of the Word of the Lord even when the Philistines defeated them in battle (4:3). Instead, the called for the Ark of the Covenant.

(iv) The people did not cry out to the Lord in prayer (1 Samuel 4:3). What did Joshua do when God’s people were defeated at Ai, in Joshua 7? Joshua 7:6-7 “6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why…?”

APPLY THIS TO LOCAL CHURCHES. What can be said of a Church that only gives lip service to the Word of God? What can be said of a Church who disregards God’s Law? What can be said of a Church that does not faithfully proclaim Christ crucified in preaching and the Lord’s Supper? What can be said of a Church who does not worship the Lord in the ways He has prescribed and thereby enjoy sweet communion with Him in worship? Some church buildings would do better to have “ICHABOD!” written on the entrance rather than the name of their assembly. What would Phinehas’ wife say about our Church?

APPLY THIS TO YOUR FAMILIES. What can be said of a home that only gives lip service to the Word of God? What can be said of a home who disregards God’s Law? What can be said of a home that does not faithfully proclaim Christ crucified in teaching? What can be said of a Home that does not worship the Lord in the ways He has prescribed and thereby enjoy sweet communion with Him in Family Worship? I think many Christian homes would have ICHABOD! written on them. May it not be so with yours.

APPLY THIS TO YOUR OWN SOUL. What can be said of a soul that only gives lip service to the Word of God? What can be said of a soul who disregards God’s Law? What can be said of a soul that does not faithfully delight in Christ crucified in preaching and the Lord’s Supper? What can be said of a soul that does not worship the Lord in the ways He has prescribed and thereby enjoy sweet communion with Him in Worship? I fear to think how many Christian deserve to have ICHABOD! written on their foreheads, because of their gross negligence of the ordinary means of grace. May it not be so with your soul, beloved.

III. HOW SHOULD THE PEOPLE OF GOD FEEL WHEN IT IS THREATENED THAT THE ARK OF GOD MAY BE CAPTURED, AND ICHABOD PRONOUNCED. You and I should tremble at that thought like Eli in 1 Samuel 4:13.

IV. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR US IF GOD ALLOWED HIS ARK TO BE CAPTURED, AND ICHABOD PRONOUNCED ON THE CHURCH. It would be death to us, shown forth in both Eli and Phinehas’ wife’s death.

WHAT A GRACIOUS MOTHER LOOKS LIKE: 1 Samuel 1:21-28

August 28, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Samuel 1:21–28

BIG IDEA: What a gracious mother looks like. A WORD TO EACH OF YOU IN YOUR DIFFERENT SEASONS AND SITUATIONS: Girls and young women, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can aim to be one someday. Boys and young men, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can aim to marry one someday. Would-be mothers, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can pray and prepare now for the day when you have children. Physical Mothers, you with those in your physical care, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can examine yourself, be exhorted to faithfulness, and so be comforted by the Scriptures. Spiritual Mothers, you with those in your spiritual care, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can examine yourself, be exhorted to faithfulness, and so be comforted by the Scriptures. Would-be husbands, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you choose a godly woman to marry who will aim to be a gracious mother. Would-be fathers, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can pray and help your wife prepare to be a gracious mother. Fathers, you need to know what a gracious mother looks like so you can help your wife examine yourself, help exhort her to faithfulness, and help comfort her by the Scriptures. I. A GRACIOUS MOTHER WORKS AS THE HELPMATE OF HER HUSBAND TO SEE THAT THEIR CHILDREN LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD (1 Samuel 1:21-23a) “The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, ‘As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.’ Elkanah her husband said to her, ‘Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.’” Elkanah it seems had also made a vow, possibly before Hannah, but it is more likely he ratified her vow, even making his own. If he would have been so inclined, he could have vetoed his wife’s vow, but he did not (Numbers 30). By the way, Matthew Henry has an encouraging word for mothers concerning this passage: “Those that are detained from public ordinances by the nursing and tending of little children may take comfort from this instance, and believe that, if they do that with an eye to God, he will graciously accept them therein.” II. A GRACIOUS MOTHER DOES ALL SHE CAN TO SEE THAT HER CHILDREN LOVE AND SERVE THE LORD (1 Samuel 1:22). “But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, ‘As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.’” Matthew Poole notes, “‘[As soon as the child be weaned]’ not only from the breast and the milk, which was done within two or three years at most, but also from the mother's knee and care, and from childish food; till the child be something grown up, and fit to do some service in the tabernacle, for, it seems, that as soon as he was brought up, he worshipped God, 1 Samuel 1:28, and presently after ministered to Eli, 1 Samuel 2:11. And this may further appear from the very nature of the vow, which must needs design a service and an advantage to the tabernacle, and not a burden and encumbrance, as it would have been if a young child had been brought up to it, and left upon it.” I think Poole is correct, but either way we know Hannah was committed to doing all she could to see that Samuel loved and served the Lord. Spurgeon preached, “You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God's fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.” III. A GRACIOUS MOTHER WILL NOT WILLINGLY LET ANOTHER BRING UP HER CHILDREN; SHE TAKES UP THAT DUTY HERSELF (1 Samuel 1:23b) “So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.” Matthew Henry said, “The close attendance Hannah gave to the nursing of him, not only because he was dear to her, but because he was devoted unto God, and for [God] she nursed him. She therefore nursed him herself, and did not the hang him on another's breast. . . This sanctifies the nursing of them, when it is done as unto the Lord.” C.S. Lewis wrote, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” He is right. Mothers and would-be mothers, as your husbands helpmate, it is your duty to train your children up in: I) Personal Stewardship, by buffeting your body and making it your slave. II) Bodily Stewardship, by using the body God has given you, fueling, exerting, and resting it for His glory; III) Familial Stewardship, by proving and protecting; IV) Financial Stewardship, by earning, budgeting, staying free from debt, saving, and investing; V) Creational Stewardship, by being fruitful and taking dominion; VI) Vocational Stewardship, on how to glorify the Lord in vocation whether as a man outside the home or a women in the home; VII) Marital Stewardship, by boys being trained how to be men who love their wives, and by girls being trained how to be women who submit to the husbands, loving their husband and their children; VIII) Chronological Stewardship, on how to make the best use of the time; IX) Relational Stewardship, on how to treat older men, younger men, younger women, and older women; and, finally, X) Spiritual Stewardship, on private, family, and public worship. IV. A GRACIOUS MOTHER OFFERS HER CHILDREN TO THE LORD BY FAITH IN THE LORD’S SACRIFICE (1 Samuel 1:24-25). “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.” Matthew Henry said, “So far was she from thinking that, by presenting her son to God, she made God her debtor, that she thought it requisite by these slain offerings to seek God's acceptance of her living sacrifice. All our covenants with God for ourselves and ours must be made by sacrifice, the great sacrifice.” V. A GRACIOUS MOTHER KNOWS THAT HER CHILDREN ARE A GIFT FROM THE LORD, THEREFORE SHE OFFERS THEM BACK TO HIM FOR HIS GLORY (1 Samuel 1:26-28a). “And she said, ‘Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." VI. A GRACIOUS MOTHER’S GREATEST DESIRE FOR HER CHILDREN IS THAT THEY WORSHIP THE LORD FOR HIS GLORY AND THEIR GOOD (1 Samuel 1:28b). “And he worshiped the LORD there.” APPLICATION I) USE THESE TRUTHS FOR EXAMINATION. Mothers, are you a gracious mother? What ways do you need to repent? In what ways do you need to press on? Children, do you have a gracious mother? Then thank God for her, and tell her how thankful you are for her. “Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28a). Fathers, is your wife a gracious mother? Then thank God for her, and tell her how thankful you are for her. “Her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:28b). Fathers, is your wife a not gracious mother? Then pray and get to work for God’s glory. You are responsible. You are the head. Girls, young women, and grown women, do you or did you not have a gracious mother? Then earnestly seek out a spiritual mother in the church. Seek out a godly woman who can be a gracious spiritual mother to you. You women who are not new or immature in the faith, who can you be a gracious mother to, spiritually speaking? II) USE THESE TRUTHS FOR EXHORTATION. Mothers and would-be mothers, I) work as the helpmate of your husband to see that your children love and serve the Lord (vv. 21-23a), II) do all you can to see that your children love and serve the Lord (v. 22), III) do not willingly let another bring up your children; do whatever you must to take up that duty yourself (v. 23b), IV) offer your children to the Lord by faith in the Lord’s sacrifice—do all that you do by faith in Christ, and depending on Him for His help by the Holy Spirit (v. 24-25), V) realize your children are a gift from the LORD, therefore offer them back to Him for His glory (vv. 26-28a), and VI) remember your greatest desire for your children should be that they worship the Lord for His glory and their good (v. 28b). If that is not your true desire, but you would rather see them successful as the world deems it, or desirable as culture dictates, or something else, confess that to God now and ask Him to change your desires for your children. III) USE THESE TRUTHS FOR COMFORT. Mothers, Do you see these desires Hannah has for Samuel? I know you most likely feel that you fail repeatedly, but are your desires the desires of a gracious mother? Are you aiming at bringing up your children to love and serve the Lord, though you stumble in many ways? Take heart. These desires and aims are signs of God’s abundant grace toward you in Christ. All of you believers, see the love a gracious mother has for her children; see Hannah nursing Samuel with tender care, see her presenting her son to the Lord by sacrifice, see her taking pleasure in him as he worships the Lord! Then look at Christ Jesus and see that he has done all of this for you. Believers, Christ loves you with a tender love, like that of a nursing mother. “Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah‬ 49:14-16). Saints, Christ presents you to the LORD by sacrifice. “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, [Christ] has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (Colossians 1:21-22). Beloved, Christ takes pleasure in his people especially as they worship him. “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds” (Psalm 149:4-5). All unbelievers and fake believers, go to Jesus Christ by repentance and faith and you will be received by him with this kind of tender compassion. We want you to be saved! Come and talk to any of us. You need to be baptized, showing your faith is in Christ Jesus alone to save you and rule you. “All who believe in Him will never be put to shame” (Romans 10:11).

WHAT A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN LOOKS LIKE: 1 Samuel 2:1-10

September 4, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Samuel 2:1–10

BIG IDEA: What a theological woman looks like. I. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS THE LORD, THEREFORE SHE REJOICES IN HIM (1 Samuel 2:1a). “And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD.’” Think, believer, of all the reasons you have to rejoice in the LORD. You have been given to Christ before the foundation of the world in election; you have been given a flawless Bible which makes God’s will known to us. You have been given a perfect Christ; a tender Christ to cherish you, a strong Christ to defend you, a suffering Christ to cleanse you, a raised Christ to resurrect you, an interceding Christ to plead for you, a ruling Christ to lead you, a reigning Christ to defend you, a returning Christ to perfect you. You have been given a comforter in the Holy Spirit; a sealing Holy Spirit, an empowering Holy Spirit, a fruit-producing Holy Spirit, a sustaining Holy Spirit. You have been given a perfect righteousness, forgiveness of sins, precious promises, a perfect Law, a future and a hope. You have been given a fellowship of believers; saints who love you, and pastors who care for you. You have been given the most precious promise of all: “I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). If you and I would think, saints, we would have great reasons to rejoice in the Lord! Now look at Hannah again and test yourself by what we learn from her. Are you like Hannah or are you like the nine lepers who did not thank Christ? “Then Jesus answered, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?’” (Luke 17:17). II. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS THE LORD, THEREFORE SHE CAN LAUGH IN THE FACE OF HER ENEMIES (1 Samuel 2:1b). “My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.” III. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS THE THRICE HOLY LORD AND SHE RESTS IN HIM AS HER ROCK (1 Samuel 2:2). “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” What does Hannah mean when she says “There is not holy like the LORD”? She means what the means in 1 John 1:5: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” John MacArthur rightly points out, “God’s holiness is His inherent and absolute greatness, in which He is perfectly distinct above everything outside Himself and is absolutely morally separate from sin.” Edward Leigh says, “Holiness is the beauty of all God’s attributes, without which his wisdom would be but subtlety, his justice cruelty, his Sovereignty tyranny, his mercy foolish pity.” The Hebrew and Greek words for holy mean “altogether separate.” The Scriptures continually bear witness to the holiness of God. “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’” (Is. 6:3). “Day and night [the angels] never cease to say, ’Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’” (Rev. 4:8). Commenting on these passages, R.C. Sproul wrote, “Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love; or mercy, mercy, mercy; or wrath, wrath, wrath; or justice, justice, justice. It does say that he is holy, holy, holy, that the whole earth is full of His glory.” In A Body of Divinity, Thomas Watson points out four specifics concerning God’s holiness: “I. God is intrinsically holy... his very being is made up of holiness, as light is of the essence of the sun.... II. God is primarily holy. He is the original and pattern of holiness. Holiness began with him who is the Ancient of Days. III. God is efficiently holy. He is the cause of all that is holiness in others. . .All the holiness we have, is but a crystal stream from this fountain. . . IV. God is transcendently holy. . . No angel in heaven can measure the dimensions of God's holiness. The highest seraphim is too low of stature to measure these pyramids.” God the Father is holy. “Holy Father” (John 17:11). God the Spirit is holy. “The Holy Spirit” (John 14:26). God the Son is holy. “You will not let your Holy One see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; Acts 13:35). Thomas Brooks rightly said, “Holiness in angels and saints is but a quality, but in God it is His essence.” Because He is holy in essence, everything that proceeds from God is holy. God’s works are holy (Ex. 15:11; Ps. 145:17); God’s written word is holy (Rom. 1:2); God’s commands are holy (Rom. 7:2); God’s promises are holy (Ps. 105:42); and God’s covenant is holy (Luke 1:72). IV. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD IS ALL-KNOWING, AND SHE HUMBLES HERSELF UNDER HIS JUDGEMENTS (1 Samuel 2:3). “Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” V. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD OPPOSES THE PROUD BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE (1 Samuel 2:4-5). “The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” VI. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD IS SOVEREIGN OVER DEATH AND LIFE (1 Samuel 2:6). “The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.” VII. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE STATIONS OF MEN (1 Samuel 2:7-8a). “The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor.” VIII. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD IS PROVIDENTIALLY WORKING IN ALL THINGS FOR HIS GLORY (1 Samuel 2:8b). “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world.” IX. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD WILL PRESERVE HIS SAINTS (1 Samuel 2:9a). “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones.” X. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD WILL CUT OFF THE WICKED, BREAKING IN PIECES HIS ADVERSARIES (1 Samuel 2:9b-10a). “but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven.” Oh! see why you and I need a bleeding Savior. Christ was cut off in darkness and broken to pieces for sinners, so that we who believe would be safe in the light of the LORD’s face. XI. A THEOLOGICAL WOMAN KNOWS HER LORD WILL ESTABLISH JUSTICE IN THE EARTH THROUGH HIS STRONG AND ANOINTED KING (1 Samuel 2:10b). “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” CONCLUSION: Press on to know the LORD! Know the Lord through reading, hearing, and understanding the Scriptures; through prayer; through meditation on the Word; through memorizing the Word; through obeying the Word; through proclaiming the Word to others. Press on to know the Lord through the Scriptures and you will be a theological person, stable and steadfast.

WHAT WORTHLESS MEN LOOK LIKE: 1 Samuel 2:11-26

September 11, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 Samuel 2:11–26

I. Worthless men may know about the Lord, but they do not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12b). II. Worthless men create customs according to their own desires rather than submitting to the Law of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:13-14). III. Worthless men insist on their own way and hate reproof (1 Samuel 2:15-16). IV. Worthless men disrespect the sacrifice of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:17). V. Worthless men use women, rather than honor them for the Lord’s glory and their good (1 Samuel 2:22). VI. Worthless men may find themselves eventually handed over to hardness of heart and to destruction (1 Samuel 2:25). INTRODUCTION: All of Scripture is profitable. This passage of Scripture, 1 Samuel 2:11-26, is profitable as a negative example. It is helpful in seeing what to avoid. CONTEXT: Look at 1 Samuel 2:11-12a: “Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were worthless men.” In this chapter, the sons of Eli are the main focus but the writer keeps interjecting little summaries about the boy Samuel, whom God is going to raise up as a Prophet and Judge for His people. You have seen it already in verses 11-12, but look at verse 18: “Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.” Now look at the end of verse 21: “And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.” Look again at verse 26: “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.” We are meant to compare and contrast the worthless sons of Eli with the godly boy Samuel. Lord willing we will focus on the sons of Eli today, Samuel next Lord’s Day, and Eli the week after that. BIG IDEA: What worthless men look like. MEN, these are the character traits and actions you and I are to watch out for in ourselves and repent of if any of these hit close to home. Even in Christ, the old man still rages in your flesh for now. You will see a worthless man inside of your chest until your glorification, therefore you must put him continually to death. If these marks of Worthless Men hit you, men, I) Flee to Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of sins and cleansing through His blood, and II) Run to to God in praying, petitioning Him for help, so that you may put these worthless ways to death by the Spirit. GIRLS, YOUNG WOMEN, AND UNMARRIED WOMEN, these are the character traits and actions of men who are not worth your time. Avoid these kinds of men. BOYS AND YOUNG MEN, these sons of Eli are worthless men—you should not want to be like them. Learn from them how not to act. MARRIED WOMEN, if you find yourself married to a worthless man, pray. Pray and continue to serve the Lord faithfully, and may the Lord God mercifully change his heart. Why does this matter? Because eternal life and death is at stake. Worthless men, if they do not repent and go to Christ in faith, will be put to death by the Lord and suffer under his righteous judgement and wrath forever in hell. On their way to hell, worthless men falsely portray Christ, pervert the worship of God, disrespect Christ crucified, use women, and dishonor their parents, wreaking havoc on all who are around them. I. WORTHLESS MEN MAY KNOW ABOUT THE LORD, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW THE LORD (1 Samuel 2:12b). “They did not know the LORD.” Almost every time God points out a worthless man in the Scriptures, they are professed believers. Why? Because the worst kind of wicked man is the kind who professes to be righteous. The worst kind of worthless man is the one who outwardly seems to serve the Lord but inwardly serves himself. The worst kind of fruit is the kind that looks delightful to the eyes but inside it is full of maggots. Take notice: Worthless men, like the sons of Eli, may know about the Lord, they may even be ministers, but they do not know the Lord. They may be able to speak about the light, but their is no light in them. A worthless man may be able to tell you every petition of the Lord’s Prayer, but he does not want to pray himself because he does not love the Lord nor think he needs His mercy. A worthless man may be able to tell you every one of the Ten Commandments, but he does not want to obey a single one of them out of love for God, because he does not know the Lord. A worthless man may be able to tell you all there is to know from the Scriptures about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but he has no child-like love for the Father, no trust in Christ’s righteousness and sacrifice, no sealing or strength from the Holy Spirit because he knows about the Lord but does not know the Lord by grace through faith. A worthless man may be knowledgeable in the doctrines of the gospel, but he does not rest in those promises; they may know of Christ’s passive and active obedience, but they are not clothed in His righteousness nor forgiven of their sin by faith in Him; they may know of the reliability of Christ’s resurrection, but they have no resurrection power in them; they may know of Christ’ ascension, but He is not their Advocate; they may know of Christ’s conquering of the nations through His gospel, but they do not submit to His merciful rule; they may know of Christ’s eminent return to judge the living and the dead, but that day will be a sad day for them. Are you like a worthless man in this regard? Experience must never be divorced from knowledge, but knowledge also must never be divorced from experience. USE THIS TRUTH FOR INSTRUCTION: It is not enough to know about the Lord! You must come to know the Lord personally by faith in Jesus Christ. You must not only know of God the Father; you must be adopted by Him and know Him as your Father through Christ. You cannot merely know Christ is the Savior and King; you must come to know Him by trusting Him as your Savior and submitting to Him as your King. You need to make sure you do not settle for knowing about what God the Holy Spirit does and does not do; you need to press on to know by experience who God the Holy Spirit in His sealing, strengthening, sustaining, savoring, and fruit-bringing grace. Worthless men may know about the Lord, but godly men and women and boys and girls know the Lord God Himself by faith in Christ Jesus, and they press on to know Him more in all of His excellencies. USE THIS TRUTH FOR EXHORTATION: You and I must press on to commune with God through prayer, reading the Word, hearing the Word, the Lord’s Supper, Christian fellowship, obedience, grateful worship, and all the other ordinary means of grace! Labor and pray to get a heart like the Bride in Song of Solomon, who says, “The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills” (Song. 2:8). II. WORTHLESS MEN CREATE CUSTOMS ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DESIRES RATHER THAN SUBMITTING TO THE LAW OF THE LORD (1 Samuel 2:13-14). “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.” “There was no such rule or regulation given by God; but these sons of Eli had made rules for themselves” (Charles Spurgeon). Worthless men turn off the pure light of God’s commandments, so that they may be in the darkness of their own desires. Christ, in His earthly ministry, encountered worthless men and he speaks about them in Matthew 15:6-9: Christ says to them, “For the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Do you have traditions or customs in your own life that are, in reality, in opposition to the Law of God? Paul encountered worthless men, and he speaks of them in Philippians 3:18-19: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” Is your god your belly? Do you glory in your shame? Is your mind set on earthly things? Worthless men create customs and traditions according to their own desires, but godly men and women and boys and girls try their best to submit to the perfect commandments and desires of the Lord. The godly want to submit to Christ Jesus, because He loves us and gave Himself up for the us the cross! “[Christ] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:15). III. WORTHLESS MEN INSIST ON THEIR OWN WAY, AND HATE REPOOF (1 Samuel 2:15-16). “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.’” This is not love for God nor love for neighbor. “Love does not insist on its own way” (1 Cor. 13:5). The sons of Eli should have rejoiced at the reproof of the worshippers, who said, “Let them burn the fat first” (1 Sam. 2:16), but they hated reproof and continued to insist on their own way, further revealing their worthlessness and stupidity. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Prov. 12:1). Worthless men hate reproof and knowledge because they are wise in their own eyes, like a blind man who hates the idea of seeing because he thinks it better to be ignorant and stumbling. Worthless men insist on their own way and hate reproof, but godly men and women and boys and girls insist on the Lord’s way. When the godly hear reproof, though it may sting, they love discipline so that they may live holy lives for God’s glory. How about you? Do you insist on your own way? Do you hate reproof? Remember how the sons of Eli end up because they insisted on their own way and would not listen when the people corrected them. IV. WORTHLESS MEN DISRESPECT THE SACRIFICE OF THE LORD (1 Sam. 2:17). “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.” All the sacrifices were shadows of Christ and him crucified, they all pointed to the Savior. The sons of Eli disrespected the sacrifices of shadow, and their sin was very great in the eyes of the LORD. Since God hated their disrespecting of the shadow of Christ’s sacrifice, what do you think he thinks of you and I if we disrespect the body of Christ’s sacrifice? “Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:28-31). USE THIS TRUTH FOR EXAMINATION. Do you disrespect the cross of Christ or do you strive to glory in Christ crucified for sinners like you and me? Do you take your sin lightly because you think something like, “It is not a big deal! Jesus died for sinners, so I can never be condemned for this that I am about to do”? Thomas Watson rightly said, “To sin because mercy abounds is the devil’s logic.” One way to see if you disrespect the offering of the Lord is to examine how you treat the Lord’s Supper. Do you examine yourself before coming? Do you confess and repent of any known sin? Do you think about Christ crucified and exercise faith in Him? Do you delight to partake of the bread and the cup because Christ instituted this for our good and His glory? Do you rejoice that we get to proclaim Christ’s death in this way? Worthless men disrespect the sacrifice of the Lord, but godly men and women and boys and girls boast in nothing but Christ and Him crucified! Because Christ and Him crucified is our only hope and our greatest joy! V. WORTHLESS MEN USE WOMEN, RATHER THAN HONOR THEM FOR THE LORD’S GLORY AND THEIR GOOD (1 Sam. 2:22). “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.” QUESTION. How do worthless men use women? ANSWER. Some worthless men use women physically, some mentally, some emotionally. Worthless men use women, but godly men honor them for the Lord’s glory and their good. How about you? VI. WORTHLESS MEN MAY FIND THEMSELVES EVENTUALLY HANDED OVER TO HARDNESS OF HEART AND TO DESTRUCTION (1 Sam. 2:25). “If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.” “They had gone so far in their sin that the Lord permitted them to go further still, and to bring punishment upon themselves for their evil deeds” (Charles Spurgeon). “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. . . Therefore God gave them up” (Rom. 1:21, 24). Worthless men harden their heart against God, and there comes a point when God Himself will give them what they want and complete the hardening. It is a fearful thing for God to give the ungodly what they want! Fearful, but just. USE THIS TRUTH FOR WARNING. If you reject Christ today, you may never get another chance. If you harden your heart against the Lord, He may give you what you want and complete the hardening. Go to Christ today! Repent. Trust Christ. Submit to Him. Be baptized. Become a part of the Church. Look at the sons of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:11-26 and let that warn you to flee to Christ before it is too late. USE THIS TRUTH, BELIEVER, FOR COMFORT. Look at the first part of verse 25 again. Know this and be comforted: If you are united to Christ by faith in Him, you have a better priest than Eli! You have the perfect God-man, the Son of God Himself, as your High Priest who makes peace between you and God. “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:33-35). USE THIS TRUTH, CHRISTIAN, FOR THANKSGIVING. Look again at the end of verse 25: “it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.” This is what I deserve. This is what you deserve. But now, belonging to Christ, we know this not what we received from the Lord. “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). Beloved, the sons of Eli could never again repent, but you and I who believe can never again fall away. No matter what you are suffering, if you belong to Christ, “God has not destined you for wrath, but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). Oh how thankful we believers should be that God did not hand us over to our worthlessness, but made us alive together with Christ for now and eternity! If you are not united to Christ, repent, believe, be baptized. If you are in Christ, show your thankfulness now in holy worship, feasting, and fellowship!