![]() ![]() Eli’s priestly reign was about to end, and his sons would die on the same day (verses 27-36). ![]() Finally, God’s patience reached a breaking point and the entire priestly line of Eli faced divine judgment. As if this were not enough, they also sexually violated the women who served as temple aides (1 Samuel 2:22).Įli knew about his sons’ wicked behavior, and even confronted them (verses 22-23), but he did not remove them from their duties. This was against God’s law (Leviticus 3:3-5). Not only did they take the sacrifices before they were offered to God, but they also ate the meat before the fat was burned. Verses 12-17 describe their scandalous behavior. Although Hophni and Phinehas were priests, they treated God’s offerings with contempt. In this passage, Samuel’s faithfulness and rapid rise into God’s favor contrast sharply with the wickedness and ultimate demise of Eli’s two sons. ![]() ![]() The fact that Samuel wore a linen ephod - a garment worn only by priests - shows that he was a priest in training (verse 18). Elkanah and Hannah returned home to Ramah (1 Samuel 2:11), but Samuel remained at Shiloh to assist Eli in the Lord’s sanctuary. Centuries later, Mary, the mother of Jesus, would model her own song of praise - called the Magnificat - after Hannah’s prayer (Luke 1:46-55). In a prayer of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2:1-10), Hannah praised God for giving her a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him'” (1 Samuel 1:19-20). So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |