One unique aspect of the Bible is that the inspired
writers pointed out the weak characteristics as well as the strong in
various
individuals. It is revealed that Peter, a pillar of the early church,
denied the
Lord (Matthew 27:69-75). David, a man after God’s own heart,
committed adultery
and had a man killed (2 Samuel 11:1-5, 14-21). Even the great man of
faith,
Abraham, spoke a falsehood regarding his wife Sarah (Genesis 12:13).
Thus, it
is not strange that the Holy Scriptures reveal to us the faults of Eli,
a high
priest of God, as well as his good points. Let us now consider the
positive
side and strengths of this great man.
First, Eli was a descendant of Aaron through Ithamar,
the youngest of his sons (compare Leviticus
10:1, 2, 12 with 1 Kings 2:27; 2
Samuel 8:17 and 1 Chronicles
24:3).
He was the first of the line of Ithamar who held the office of high
priest. Besides
being a high priest, he was also a judge. In this capacity, he judged Israel
for forty years (1 Samuel 4:18). He took a genuine interest in the
training of
the young boy Samuel. It was Eli who told Hannah that her petition for
a male
child had been granted by the Lord God (1 Samuel 1:17). His submissive
attitude
toward the judgment of God against him must also be noted. When
informed by
Samuel, he simply stated, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what
seems good to Him”
(1 Samuel 3:18). In so many ways, Eli was a very good man; however,
there was
an area in which he was a failure, and that was as a father.
The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, brought shame and
ruin to their father and sin to a degenerate priesthood. They knew not
the Lord
(1 Samuel 2:12). Legally, they had the right to take a portion of meat
from the
people, but they went beyond this and even extracted meat that was to
be
offered as a sacrifice to God (See Leviticus 7:31-35; 8:31; 2
Chronicles 35:13). Their legal due as priests was the right shoulder
and the
wave breast, consecrated to God by the burning of fat upon the altar
(Leviticus
3:5; 7:31, 34). Such action by these sons of Eli distressed the people.
Their
sin was flagrant and vile, calculated to awaken the intense disgust and
abhorrence of every pure and reverent mind. They were the basest of
sinners in
that they, as priests, committed adultery with the women who served in
the
house of God (1 Samuel 2:22). In their sinful ways, they encouraged
others to
do the same (1 Samuel 2:24).
Eli was a failure as a father. The primary
responsibility of rearing children in the way of the Lord is in the
home. Actually,
Paul places the duty on the shoulders of the father who is the head of
the home
(Ephesians 6:4). A great fault today is that many fathers do not
fulfill this
obligation. Children often associate with evil companions who influence
them in
a worldly and sinful manner (1 Corinthians 15:33). Eli’s sons
were not strong
enough to counteract the evil tendencies of the age, and their father
erred in
not taking precautions adequate to the occasion. Many children of good
men
sometimes become godless because of the absorption of parents in public
affairs
and business. Children learn more of Christianity from what they
observe of
their parents probably more than any other source. On the other hand,
there is
no greater encouragement for a child to despise Christianity than a
discovery
of insincerity and hypocrisy in the lives of his parents.
An outstanding weakness of Eli was that while knowing
the sins of his sons, he did not restrain them (1 Samuel 3:13). A man
may
possess many amiable qualities and be on the whole a good man, and yet,
be
mocked by some defect that mars his character, prevents his usefulness
and
makes him the unintentional cause of much mischief. Eli’s
reproof was not
administered in proper time. Early childhood is the time to teach and
to train.
A little plant may be easily rooted up, but when it has grown into a
tree, it
can only be removed by extraordinary effort. Eli was weak, gentle and
easy-going. He should have disciplined his sons before it became
impossible to
do so. It was said of Adonijah, the son of Haggith, that “his
father had not
rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done
so’” (1 Kings 1:6)? It
would seem that the reproof Eli gave his sons was not given with
sufficient
earnestness. After learning of their terrible sins, he said to them,
“Why do
you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the
people. ‘No,
my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the
Lord’s people
transgress’” (1 Samuel 2:23-24). His reproof was
not pointed enough and
specific. It was too general and in indefinite terms, just those things
he had
heard that his sons had done. There seemed to be no real, sufficient
determination to correct the evil ways of Hophni and Phinehas. Someone
has
said, “Indulgence never produces gratitude or love in the
heart of a child.”
Another observation of the reproof given by Eli was
that it was not followed by adequate chastisement. It was specifically
stated
that his sons “did not heed the voice of their
father” (1 Samuel 2:25). The Law
of Moses in the case of disobedient children was very severe
(Deuteronomy
21:18-21). Eli seemingly made no effort to prevent the continuance of
their
evil ways. Eli as a father, high priest and judge was guilty of
disobedience (1
Samuel 3:13). Hophni and Phinehas were hardened in heart and rebellious
in
spirit. Solomon wrote that “Harsh discipline is for him who
forsakes the way,
And he who hates correction will die” (Proverbs 15:10).
The ultimate end for Eli and his sons is recorded in 1 Samuel 4:10-18. Hophni
and Phinehas were killed
in battle. Eli, being an old man, fell and broke his neck and died when
he
heard about their deaths. In addition, the ark of God was taken by the
Philistines. There was shame, degradation and ruin for all. Eventually,
the
priesthood was taken away from the house of Eli (1 Samuel 2:27-31; 1 Kings 2:27).
Parents can save themselves from many heartaches and
sorrows in later life by following God’s instruction to bring
up their children
in the way of the Lord. May God abundantly and richly bless all those
parents
who are endeavoring to this very thing in this crooked and perverse
generation.
