The Story Of Eli Reminds Us Of The Responsibility Parents Have To Teach Their Children The Word Of God
Eli Was Held Responsible For Neglecting To Teach His Sons The Word Of God.
The bible refers to Eli’s two sons as wicked. Their evil behavior and actions were a direct reflection of Eli’s negligence in teaching his sons the word of God diligently and accurately.
This case study is part of the Bible Study On Fathers & Sons.
1 Samuel 2:12
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD 13 or for the custom of the priests with the people.
When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”
17 Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
22 Now Eli was very old, and 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.
23 “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
Eli does not seem to be teaching his children accurately, since he does not go into actual detail about the kind of sins his sons were committing and how they are wrong. Eli is not doing an accurate job as in showing care and attentive effort. He is not going into detail as to what the word of the Lord says concerning these matters. He seems to not care or be bothered about it.
25 If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?”
Eli is explaining that once you twist and compromise God’s word, there is no longer any way to receive forgiveness and salvation.
For example, if you hate someone and you know it is wrong and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you. If however, you twist God’s words to justify hating someone, you subsequently will not ask for forgiveness because you will not acknowledge your hate as being wrong. God cannot and will not forgive you in this instance.
This kind of compromise is considered blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Eli Did Not Love His Sons By Diligently And Persistently Disciplining Them
1 Samuel 2:25 continued…25 But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.
Even though what Eli told his sons in verse 25 is biblically sound, it is too little too late.
Eli was not diligent in teaching his sons God’s ways and he turned a blind eye to their sinful ways. As we can see in the scriptures below, this shows that Eli did not care for his sons. He did not love them by diligently and persistently disciplining his sons:
Proverbs 13:24 says “whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
Deuteronomy 6:7 says “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
The definition of diligence is: having or showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties. Constant effort to accomplish something, attentive and persistent, careful using a lot of effort.
Through a lack of diligent discipline, Eli taught his children compromise
As a result, Eli was also held responsible for the sins of his sons. Through a lack of diligent discipline, Eli taught his children compromise, just as he himself compromised the precept of God to diligently discipline one’s children.
Proverbs 3:12 says “for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
Proverbs 19:18 says “Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.”
Proverbs 22:15 says “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”
Proverbs 23:13-14 says “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.”
Proverbs 29:15 & 17 says “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother…17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”
A Prophecy against the House of Eli
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house? 28And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.
29 Why then do you scorn My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’
Other translations say:
“for you and they have become fat” NLT
“by making yourselves fat” NASB
“to make yourselves fat” NKJV
God Includes Eli In The Punishment Of His Sons
Eli was allowing his sons to do wrong because he was benefiting from the food his sons stole. All the while thinking that only his sons would pay for the sin, since he did not actually steal the food. However, when God says to Eli ‘making yourselves fat’, God is including Eli in this statement.
This shows no love for his sons. God did not allow this to happen. God includes Eli in the punishment of the sons’ sins because Eli did not discipline and correct them diligently and accurately.
Eli allowed his sons to do as they wished instead of disciplining them according to the word of God. This is how Eli honored his sons more than God.
However, when you step back and look at the big picture, Eli did not love his sons or God. He only loved himself. He got fat on the sins of his sons which he thought only they would be responsible for.
1 Samuel 2 cont’d
30 Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no older man will be left in your house. 32 You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age. 33 And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, your eyes will fail and your heart will grieve.f All your descendants will die by the sword of men.
34 And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
God declares that he will punish Eli’s entire family due to his sons’ sins and Eli’s lack of administering discipline to them.
1 Samuel 3
11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end. 13I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed Goda and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”
Eli And His Sons Were Guilty Of Blasphemy
They knew the truth but had compromised it. This is the sin that Eli had passed on to his sons. It was the sin of twisting God’s word which is blasphemy. This is why God calls it the iniquity that he knows. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. This sin cannot be atoned for by any sacrifice or offering. Even the sacrifice of Jesus cannot cover the sin of blasphemy. See the scriptures below for more detail:
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
Hebrews 10:26 “26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”
In doing so, Eli passed on his sin to his sons and they all had to be punished. In short, Eli blasphemed by compromising the precepts of God regarding diligently and accurately disciplining and teaching his sons. His sons learned this compromise from their father, Eli, making them all guilty of blasphemy.
1 Samuel 3 continued…
Samuel Shares the Vision
15 Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
18So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him.
“He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
When Eli Heard About God’s Anger, He Remained Unrepentant
Eli was unwilling to change his philosophies and ways of thinking. Repentance would have been the only thing that could have saved him at this point as we see in the case study of King Ahab.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says “14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
1 Samuel 4:1 Continued…
The Philistines Capture the Ark
At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek. 2 The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men. 3 After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it[a] will save us from our enemies.”
4 So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. 5 When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!
6 “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, 7 they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before! 8 Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness. 9 Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents. 11 The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.
Eli’s sons were killed due to their blasphemy as God had spoken about through the prophet, Samuel.
The Death of Eli
12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. 13 Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God.
Eli was only concerned about the safety of the Ark and not for the safety of his sons.
When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.
14 “What is all the noise about?” Eli asked.
The messenger rushed over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and blind. 16 He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.”
“What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.
17 “Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”
18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.
Once again, this scripture shows us that Eli did not care about or love his sons. He only reacted when he found out that the Ark of God had been captured and not upon hearing that his two sons were killed. This is the reason why he did not diligently and accurately discipline and teach them.
Proverbs 13:24 says “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”
Additionally, the scriptures reveal that Eli was overweight, which confirms
1 Samuel 2:29 “…for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!”
Negligent Parents Are Responsible For The Iniquity Of Their Children
A father is responsible and punished for the iniquity of his children if he does not correctly and accurately teach them with diligence, according to the word of God. By not following the precepts of the Lord regarding teaching our children about God correctly, accurately and diligently, we become responsible for the iniquity of our children.
Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 1:8-9 says “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.”
3 John 1:4 says “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
Deuteronomy 5:29 says “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!”
Ephesians 6:4 says “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says “6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
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