1 Samuel 2:27-36--The LORD Rejects Eli's Household

1 Samuel 2:27-36
English Standard Version

The LORD Rejects Eli's Household
27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 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. 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ 30 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. 31 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. 32 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. 33 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. 34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35 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. 36 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.”’”

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We saw Eli condemn and warn his sons last time, but it was too little, too late.  The LORD had already made up His mind that Eli's sons were to die for their sin and rebellion.  The LORD sends a prophet to Eli (probably not Samuel, as Samuel is not yet familiar with the voice of the LORD yet as we'll see soon), and the prophet told Eli that to make a mockery of the priesthood is to make a mockery of the LORD who chose the tribe of Levi by election to serve Him and minister before the people all the days of their lives.  The goal of the priesthood was not to make the priests rich and fat (that's what pagan priests did as they told people to offer sacrifices to their gods so that they could take the sacrifices for themselves).

The LORD then says that the time is coming when the tribe of Levi and specifically the household of Aaron will be judges and cut off so that there will be no old men who can serve as priest or high priest.  All of them will die by the sword and those that are left will look at the prosperity of all the other tribes of Israel and be envious of it, but it will be obvious that the LORD has judged them because it will be as if there is but one mature male left to weep for those that are lost (the LORD will not let the entire tribe die off, but he will execute judgment on even the priests for their wickedness and rebellion).

Then Eli is told that the LORD would give him a sign that this will surely happen for it will start in his own house when his two sons will die on the same day.  However, the LORD promises that he will raise up a faithful priest (Samuel) who will do according to all that is within the heart and mind of God.  I mentioned yesterday that this seems to point to Samuel, yet there are points of this prophecy that seem to point so someone even greater than Samuel.  For instance, the next line talks about a sure house where he (and probably referring to his descendants) would go in and out before the LORD's anointed forever.  We already mentioned that we know that Samuel's sons didn't follow in his footsteps (see 1 Samuel 8:1-3).  So it seems hard to believe that LORD is going to make Samuel's sons priests as they are not that different than the sons of Eli.  No, there must be someone even greater than Samuel that the LORD has in mind, probably a reference to Jesus Himself.  He would definitely do al within the heart and mind of God and His children (all the Christians) would definitely serve as priests for the LORD for we are holy priesthood that is "Holy unto the LORD."

Whoever this new priest is, all those left from the house of Eli will be beggars that will turn to this man for food and money and will try to once again become members of the priesthood so that they can once again take advantage of the benefits of being a priest to take their share of the sacrifices and the tithes.  We must watch out for any who use their ministry as a means for their own enrichment.  Paul also warns the Corinthian church and others about these kinds of men that cloak themselves in the guise of being shepherds, but they are out to fleece the sheep for themselves and to sacrifice the flock they are sworn to protect and serve for their own gain.  This is not to say that all people that take on the role of pastor or minister are to be distrusted, but examine them carefully and see if their primary interest is in glorifying the LORD, or in using the fruits of the ministry to satisfy their own lusts and make themselves wealthy according to the world's standards.  It should be fairly easy to spot such person who is a wolf in shepherd's clothing.