RESULTS OF ELI'S NEGLECT

When Eli was the high priest, he honored his sons by making them priests. Eli alone was permitted to enter the most holy place once a year. His sons served at the door of the sanctuary and at the altar of sacrifice. They constantly used their sacred work to make a profit for themselves. Eli's sons were selfish, envious, greedy, and not pure.SRme 1.796

God disciplined Eli for not training his sons to obey. Eli disciplined his sons, but he did not stop them from doing evil. After the sons became priests, Eli heard of their wickedness. The sons of EliSRme 1.797

made themselves rich by cheating the Israelites of their offerings. Eli's sons boldly sinned against the law of God. Their wicked actions caused Israel to sin also.SRme 1.798

One night the Lord talked to the child Samuel. God told Samuel that He would bring judgment upon Eli's house. Israel must know that Eli's neglect was wrong. "The Lord said to him, 'Someday I am going to do something to the people of Israel that is so terrible that everyone who hears about it will be stunned. On that day I will carry out all my threats against Eli's family, from beginning to end. I [God] have already told him [Eli] that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they [his sons] were doing this [evil], but he did not stop them. So I solemnly declare to the family of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever be able to remove the consequences of this terrible sin'" (1 Sam. 3:11-14).SRme 1.799

The sins of Eli's sons were bold and insulting to a holy God. No sacrifice could pay for that wickedness. Eli's sons dishonored the sacrifices that pointed to the death of God's Son. The wicked actions of Eli's sons dishonored the blood of atonement that represented Christ's redeeming blood and gave value to all the sacrifices.SRme 1.800

Samuel told Eli what the Lord had said to him. And Eli answered, "He is the Lord; He will do whatever seems best to Him" (1 Sam. 3:18). Eli knew his sons had dishonored God. Eli also felt that he had sinned. Eli felt sure God was punishing him for his sinful neglect. Eli told Israel what the Lord had said to Samuel. In telling Israel, Eli tried to correct his past sinful neglect. But the evil that God spoke of would happen soon.SRme 1.801

The Israelites made war with the Philistines but lost a big battle. Four thousand Israelites were killed. The Israelites were afraid. Other nations might hear of their defeat and be encouraged to fight them. The Israelite leaders decided that they lost the battle because the ark of God was not with them. They remembered that they had the ark when they crossed the Jordan River. The ark also had been with them when they conquered Jericho. The Israelites thought they needed to bring the ark to battle and then they would win the battle. The Israelites did not realize that their strength came from obeying God's law. The law, kept in the ark, represented God Himself.SRme 1.802

Eli's sons were wicked priests. They were with the sacred ark, sinning against the laws of God. These sinful priests took the ark to the camp of Israel. The ark gave the army of Israel courage, and the soldiers now felt confident of success.SRme 1.803