The Presence Is Not Present

While the issues with Eli’s sons were happening, Samuel was a young child growing up and had a firsthand experience to all the sins they committed. Samuel was entrusted to the care of Eli after his parents, Elkanah and Hannah, gave him back to the Lord. Hannah was barren and it was Eli who blessed her and she conceived. Hannah had promised the Lord that if she was able to have a male child she would give him back to the Lord. She kept her promise and Samuel was sent to serve in the Tabernacle. Samuel was a Levite (who also happened to be of Kohath decent) thus making him able to minister in the Tabernacle. As with all the others, Samuel was under the mentorship of Eli. I Samuel 2:26 says “and the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.” This was not being said about Eli’s sons. It was just concluded that Eli was not a good father figure. How could this happen? The Bible did not speak of corruption from any of the other Levites serving in the Tabernacle. It only spoke of the corruption pertaining to Eli’s house. Eli was more than capable to direct other people’s children, but his own house he could not control. He was not surprised when God no longer spoke to him and chose to speak to Samuel instead. He knew it was the voice of the Lord calling Samuel; he remembered the prophecy. Eli wanted to secure his lineage and he was willing to see this happen at the greatest expense – the expense of Israel.

Eli was ninety-eight years old, his eyes were so dim that he could not see and he was heavy. His physical conditions symbolically represented his spiritual condition. He was old: Eli served in the capacity of both high priest and judge for many years. The Bible does not mention how long he was the high priest, but it does mention that he judged Israel for forty years. With age, weariness sets in. If his sons did not take over it would mean that he would have to continue in office and he was tired and did not have the desire for it anymore. He completed years of service and was ready to sit back and let his sons take over. He could not see: He could not discern as effectively as before, his spiritual vision was blurred between what was right and what was wrong. Important things that he should have noticed, such as, the Tabernacle lamp going out, was missed. He was heavy: He became lazy. Since his sons were in full operation, Eli had less to do in the Tabernacle so he was able to sit down and relax. He was also burdened down with cares. His sons were on his mind, the priesthood was on his mind, Israel was on his mind and all the feelings that came along with those roles. He was spending more time sitting and thinking rather than working. He was so heavy he could not hear from God.

Not following the rules started with the high priest, then filtered through the priesthood, trickled down to the elders, and then made its way down to the congregation. In the end poor decisions cost Eli, Hophni and Phinehas their lives, and their collective carelessness caused thirty four thousand men to lose their lives. When you look back was it all worth it? Israel adapted the mentality that you can do wrong and not be punished because of what they saw being done, or not done, in leadership. Now it is not a surprise that Israel thought they did not need God’s help to fight the Philistines. The Eli’s have to step up and make the hard decisions regardless of who the lot falls on. The Hophni’s and Phinehas’ have to be brought to order or be excused from office. The elders have to speak up and stop joining in with the flow. The lives of the people are depending on it When Eli was told about the death of his sons he was not shocked. It was already prophesied that he would lose his sons on the same day so he had already geared up his mind for that news. He was more concerned about the welfare of the Ark because he sat on a chair on the wayside watching and waiting in fear. Eli knew sending the Ark of the Covenant to the battle under those conditions was dangerous yet he said nothing. He allowed the Ark to go and he allowed his unholy sons to bring it. Now he was sitting down in silent remorse. To have the Ark captured under his tenure was just unthinkable. It would be an embarrassment he could never escape. Once he heard that the Ark was captured he was shocked, fell backwards off his chair, broke his neck and died.

Sin is just sin and no matter how you pretend, or close your eyes to it does not mean it will go away. You are not doing any favours by shielding your children. They will not learn any lessons and will only continue deeper in the sins you are rewarding. The people will see the examples you are setting and will want to do as they see being done. They will become confused and rebellious when their sins are not overlooked like your children’s were. Let’s not forget to mention that you pay a price for your silent participation. If you know bringing the Ark to the battle is a bad decision, you need to say something. You cannot sit quietly and hope someone will bring good news. You know in your spirit there will not be any good news. After forty years in ministry how sad would it be to know the most memorable aspects of your life were: your wayward sons, your lack of discernment, and your embarrassing death. What a way to be remembered!

The spirit of Eli is a serious detriment to the body of Christ because they have been given governing authority. They are the leaders and have the power to ensure things remain in order or break down. Once this spirit has decided that it will fold arms and wait to die, it will let everything come in and take over. This spirit is blind to the things pertaining to God and cannot discern that a shift has taken place. This spirit has overindulged in the physical man and is burdened down with the cares of life.