Eli - A Failure
Just because we are past the Book of Judges does not mean that we are past the era of the judges. The Book of First Samuel still continues with the morally bankrupt society of Israel. However, with the birth of Samuel, we can see the first rays of morning sunlight dawning on a new, revitalized Israel. But, sunrise happens slowly.
Eli, judged Israel forty years. 1 Sam. 4:18.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.1:3. The sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord. 2:12. Here the KJV has, Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial. The story goes on to tell how the priests would, by force, take the meat that the worshipper meant to use as a burnt offering.
This would be akin to stealing an offering from the church; but how much more disgusting it would be if a preacher or a priest would steal the offering. The wickedness of the priests had turned worshipers away from following the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 2:17. Much like some televangelists have turned many from following Christ.
This would be akin to stealing an offering from the church; but how much more disgusting it would be if a preacher or a priest would steal the offering. The wickedness of the priests had turned worshipers away from following the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 2:17. Much like some televangelists have turned many from following Christ.
That, however, was not the depth of the degradation of the sons of Eli. It was not even safe for the women to come and serve at the tabernacle because they (the priests) lay with (some Bibles have seduced) ... the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 2:22.
The Believers Study Bible suggests that the sin of cultic prostitution being committed was particularly heinous because of its clear association with Canaanite religious prostitution. I have a bit of a problem accepting this viewpoint because Jewish women were fully entitled to serve, with honour, at the tabernacle, so it would not seem that they came there as religious prostitutes.
Nevertheless, they, the sons of Eli, did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them. 2:25. These words tell us that a person can continue living a sinful lifestyle until Jehovah's extreme patience has come to an end. Then, when that has happened, Jehovah will take action! His sons had already gone too far, and God had determined to judge them. KJV Bible Study.
It is time for Eli "to face the music". A man of God came to Eli and said, Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father (the Levites, Moses was a Levite) when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? ‘Did I not choose him (Levi) out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest? And did I not give to the house of your father (the Levites) all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
The Levites did not need to do manual labour to earn a living, they served in the tabernacle. Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering ... and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people? 2:27-29.
The statement, make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings, should be taken literally because, we read that Eli, at the time of his death, was old and heavy. 4:18.
Jehovah is very patient, but when His cup of fury finally is full He will exact severe payment. Behold, the days are coming that ... there will not be an old man in your house. "And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place. All the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age." "Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them." 2:31-34.
The Israelites were tired of being servants to the Philistines so Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. 4:1. In the first day of battle, the Israelites lost 4,000 soldiers, including the two sons of Eli. A man of God had predicted that their death would happen on the same day.
For the next day of battle, they resorted to superstition; they brought the Ark of the Covenant, which they thought of as a "magic" box. However, their defence was not in the box, it was in Jehovah, but they had neglected Him; they had turned their back on Him, and consequently lost the battle and the "magic" box to the Philistines. That day they lost 30,000 soldiers.
The Philistines were also superstitious. When they saw the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant they said, "God has come into the camp!” ... “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. “Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness." 1 Sam. 4:7-8.
It is interesting that they should say, struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. The plagues struck the Egyptians in Egypt, not in the wilderness.
The Philistines treated the Ark of the Covenant lightly; they nonchalantly placed it into the temple of Dagon and set it by Dagon. The first morning after that, Dagon had fallen off his pedestal and there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth. The next morning, not only did Dagon fall off again but he was totally smashed into pieces.
Depending on which version one uses, after that, the people of that town began getting tumours (cancers) or haemorrhoids.
Medical science has shown that Exposing our skin to ultra violet radiation (UVR) can result in a wide variety of skin conditions from premature aging to cancer. A person’s cumulative exposure to UVR along with the number of severe sunburns and their skin type, increases their risk of developing skin cancer. www.sickamongthepure.com.
It is time for Eli "to face the music". A man of God came to Eli and said, Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father (the Levites, Moses was a Levite) when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? ‘Did I not choose him (Levi) out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest? And did I not give to the house of your father (the Levites) all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
The Levites did not need to do manual labour to earn a living, they served in the tabernacle. Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering ... and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people? 2:27-29.
The statement, make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings, should be taken literally because, we read that Eli, at the time of his death, was old and heavy. 4:18.
The "Magic Box" is not Magic
Jehovah is very patient, but when His cup of fury finally is full He will exact severe payment. Behold, the days are coming that ... there will not be an old man in your house. "And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place. All the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age." "Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them." 2:31-34.
The Israelites were tired of being servants to the Philistines so Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. 4:1. In the first day of battle, the Israelites lost 4,000 soldiers, including the two sons of Eli. A man of God had predicted that their death would happen on the same day.
For the next day of battle, they resorted to superstition; they brought the Ark of the Covenant, which they thought of as a "magic" box. However, their defence was not in the box, it was in Jehovah, but they had neglected Him; they had turned their back on Him, and consequently lost the battle and the "magic" box to the Philistines. That day they lost 30,000 soldiers.
The Philistines were also superstitious. When they saw the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant they said, "God has come into the camp!” ... “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. “Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness." 1 Sam. 4:7-8.
It is interesting that they should say, struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. The plagues struck the Egyptians in Egypt, not in the wilderness.
The Philistines treated the Ark of the Covenant lightly; they nonchalantly placed it into the temple of Dagon and set it by Dagon. The first morning after that, Dagon had fallen off his pedestal and there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth. The next morning, not only did Dagon fall off again but he was totally smashed into pieces.
Depending on which version one uses, after that, the people of that town began getting tumours (cancers) or haemorrhoids.
Medical science has shown that Exposing our skin to ultra violet radiation (UVR) can result in a wide variety of skin conditions from premature aging to cancer. A person’s cumulative exposure to UVR along with the number of severe sunburns and their skin type, increases their risk of developing skin cancer. www.sickamongthepure.com.
The reason that this is interesting in this connotation is that some modern Bible scholars say that the Ark of the Covenant was an electrically charged box which the Lord used to communicate with the Jewish priests.
Perhaps we could modernize that thought a bit and change the idea from being AC or DC current to being something, somehow associated with UVR. This could at least help to explain why the Philistines got cancer when they were close to the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible tells us that even the high priest was to go into the most holy place, where the ark normally was kept, only once a year. Was that because too much radiation, too often, is dangerous.
When they finally learned some respect for the Ark of the Covenant they moved it to Gath. Then the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. From there it was sent to another city and the people of that city said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people. 1 Sam. 5: 1-12. It was not a magical box! It was to be in the most holy place in the tabernacle and it was there that Jehovah had hoped to meet with his people.
With Eli and his sons gone, Samuel was the next priest in line. However, he was more than a priest, he was also a judge and a prophet.
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