Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
The verse speaks of Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, who were wicked, selfish and irreverent men doomed to destruction. They knew not the LORD because they had no true knowledge of or love for Him, His law and His worship, though brought up around the sanctuary and taught His commandments. While holding holy priestly office as God's representatives at the tabernacle, they treated sacred service as means to satisfy their own covetous and gluttonous desires, demanding more than their share of the offerings and seizing it by threats. Eli indulged them and failed to restrain, correct and remove them from office as his duty as father, priest and judge required, and he was held accountable for the evil he might have checked. Their sin was therefore unpardonable by sacrifice, bringing death to themselves and Eli, capture of the ark, slaughter in Israel, and widespread corruption of worship and family life. Yet amid their evil example Samuel kept his integrity by loving God and keeping close to Heaven, showing the warning to parents and leaders to govern their households and restrain evil rather than excuse it.
Words and Identity
The verse names Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, calling them sons of Belial who did not know the LORD and who were doomed to destruction. They followed their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority, presumptuously bearing the ark in confident expectation of blessings that God alone could bestow. The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence vouchsafed to an obedient and believing people, not a source of blessing to the disobedient while they carried it. Their bearing of it stands in wide contrast to Israel's former condition when walking in obedience, when the ark was borne by holy men according to express command and the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law and His arm brought deliverance. The law beneath the mercy-seat they now carried condemned them and disobedient Israel to defeat, disaster and death.
Sons of Belial means wicked, vile, ungodly, selfish, irreverent and licentious men. They did not fear God or honor their father, and they did not know or serve the LORD despite holding holy office. They were wicked and rebellious, and their unfitness and dishonoring of God followed Eli's neglect in indulging them and failing to restrain their wrong practices with promptness and decision. Although Eli gave them right instruction and a good example, he failed to restrain their inclination to do evil, feared their displeasure, suffered them to go on in rebellion until they became a curse to Israel, and by his lax discipline and holy standing allowed their sin to exert a corrupting influence upon the whole nation.
They knew not the LORD in that they had no true knowledge of God and no relationship with Him. Although they had grown up around the sanctuary and had been taught God's commandments and ordinances, their knowledge was only intellectual, their hearts had not yielded to divine grace, and they did not love God's character, requirements, law, or the holiness of His sanctuary service. They lacked true appreciation of His character and treated sacred duties as ordinary, while their irreverence and rebellion grew unchecked because Eli failed to correct and restrain them. Their wickedness without relationship with God grew from Eli's following human wisdom as if wiser than the Creator instead of God's word as the only safe guide for managing children, producing indulgent and unrestrained upbringing that confirmed them in forward, selfish and disagreeable habits.
Not knowing God while performing religious duties, they rejected what was true, pure and holy and became servants of Satan and of the prince of darkness, controlled by him and serving their own desires rather than God. Their religious office concealed depravity and a pious appearance covered self-serving, showing that false shepherds may perform sacred acts while ruining souls and damaging confidence in religion. Their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them, tempted Israel, tested the people's faith and devotion, and especially led those already cherishing sin to follow them and to use the leaders' transgressions as excuse for their own. Set against Samuel as servant of the Prince of Light, they represent the two parties dividing humanity since Adam's fall, showing that virtue brings happiness while vice brings woe and misery, and that in nations righteousness produces union, peace and prosperity while greed, selfishness and irreligion lead to weakness, decline and corruption.
Despite this condition they held holy priestly office as God's representatives and mediators for repentant sinners. Eli had exalted them to the priesthood to minister at the door of the tabernacle in slaying the beasts and at the altar of sacrifice, and they continually abused that sacred office. Though serving as priests, their irreverence and corrupt conduct profaned the tabernacle, made the people abhor the Lord's offering, helped worship to be neglected, and emboldened others in sin.
Corrupt Conduct in Office
They set aside God's directions for the sacrifices and turned sacred service into a means of gratifying themselves. In the peace offerings the fat was to be burned to God, a portion was assigned to the priests, and most was returned to the worshiper for a shared sacrificial meal. Those offerings expressed thanksgiving and directed faith to Christ's death as the sacrifice that would take away sin. Yet they demanded more than their allotted share, refused to wait until the fat had been offered to God, and seized whatever they wanted by threats of violence.
They were selfish, covetous, gluttonous, profligate and extortionate, defrauding Israel in the offerings and boldly transgressing with violent conduct marked by profligacy and sacrilege. Their extortion was sin before God. Their sin was not as one person sinning against another, for whom an officiating priest could atone, but priests themselves sinning against God with open contempt for His authority, leaving no one to atone for them. By such irreverence and corrupt conduct they profaned God's house and made the people abhor the Lord's offering. They rejected what was true, pure and holy.
They followed their own plans against divine counsel by presumptuously bearing the ark into battle. The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence vouchsafed to an obedient and believing people. They confidently looked to it for blessings that God alone could bestow, while the law beneath its mercy seat condemned the disobedient to defeat, disaster and death.
Eli's Neglect and Guilt
Eli indulged his sons and failed to restrain, govern, correct and subdue them promptly, firmly and according to God's rules for family government. Though they held holy office, their unfitness and dishonoring of God followed this neglect, for he rebuked them but did not remove them from office, bringing God's displeasure upon his household. Their evil ways were thus allowed to strengthen as they grew older into corrupt morals and defiance of both human and divine authority. The disastrous result of this failure to restrain them was ruin to his sons and to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself.
His neglect came from following his own judgment and human wisdom as if wiser than the Creator, instead of God's commands in training his children. As a fond father he overlooked their faults and sins in childhood, flattering himself that they would outgrow evil tendencies and waiting until they were older to be reasoned with. He feared their displeasure and suffered them to go on in rebellion, and through indulgence, indolence, lack of interest and lack of moral courage he failed to remove them from positions of trust or restrain their evil. Although he gave them right instruction and a good example, he failed with promptness and decision to restrain their inclination to do evil.
He knew of their wrongdoing and set its enormity before them, but when they disregarded his counsel he did not act to restrain them. He should first have attempted to restrain evil by mild measures, and if these did not avail should have subdued the wrong by the severest means. He should at once have removed them from the priesthood and judged them as their case deserved, even with death for their abominable example, for he was responsible before God to educate his children to obey and not to permit disobedience that trained them to disobey their Heavenly Father.
As priest, judge and high priest he was held accountable for their conduct and for the moral and religious standing of his people, and in a special sense for the character of his sons. Those who through too little courage to reprove wrong, or through indolence or lack of interest, make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God are held accountable for the evil that results from neglect of duty. They are just as responsible for evils they might have checked in others by parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been their own. Great as parental unfaithfulness is under any circumstances, it is tenfold greater in families of those appointed as teachers of the people, for when they fail to control their households they mislead many by wrong example and their guilt is as much greater as their position is more responsible.
Ruin and National Corruption
Because Eli did not restrain his sons, a curse was pronounced that their sins should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. That message was made known to the boy Samuel, and when Samuel told him, Eli submitted that the LORD should do what seemed good to Him. Such permitted disobedience leads to transgression and death and makes children candidates for perdition.
The curse soon followed in calamity, for his wicked sons were slain in battle, the ark of God was taken by enemies, thirty thousand Israelites were killed, and when Eli heard the ark was taken he fell backward and died. Eli knew of their evil but through indulgence and lack of moral courage failed to remove them from their positions of trust or restrain them, and he recognized that his failure to stand for the right had deprived Israel of strength and glory. Ruin came to his sons and to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself, because he treated their sin lightly and let it flourish unrebuked and unchecked.
Their example profaned the tabernacle and made the people abhor the Lord's offering, while their conduct dishonored God and led the people to transgress. Though they held sacred office as representatives of God and mediators for repentant sinners, they rejected what was true, pure and holy and became servants of Satan, and their wicked conduct tempted Israel and tested the people's faith and devotion. Those already cherishing sin were especially prone to follow them, and many used the leaders' transgressions to excuse their own, so that worship was neglected and others were emboldened in sin. Their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them, and by permitting men loaded with guilt to remain priests Eli led the people to lightly regard crime and despise the sacrificial offerings.
Because of Eli's position his influence was more extended than an ordinary man's, his ill-regulated family life was imitated throughout Israel, and the baleful results of his negligent ease-loving ways were seen in thousands of homes. The influence of an ill-regulated family spreads in a tide of evil affecting families, communities and governments, and the corruption caused by his sons threatened Israel's moral and spiritual welfare. Samuel established the schools of the prophets as a barrier against that corruption to promote righteousness which exalts a nation and to furnish men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors. Yet the people were more troubled by dangers to their temporal interests than by this wickedness of profligacy and sacrilege.
Israel vainly thought that notwithstanding their sinful practices the presence of the ark would insure them victory over the Philistines. In the same way the inhabitants of Judah in Jeremiah's days believed strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from just punishment for their wicked course.
Contrast with the Faithful
Samuel lived in the tabernacle amid the bad example of Eli's sons, who did not fear God or honor their father, yet he did not join them or follow their ways. Their conduct was an evil influence even inside the house devoted to worship, but his early training led him to avoid their company and keep his integrity. He did not seek their company and did not follow their evil ways, but constantly endeavored to become what God would have him to be.
He remained untainted amid their corrupting influence because he loved God and kept close to Heaven, while they were controlled by Satan and their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them. He resisted because his mother had carefully taught him from his earliest years to distinguish good from evil before she gave him to Eli in fulfillment of her vow. Because Eli neglected his solemn sacred charge and failed to train his children in the right way, God passed by the aged priest and accepted Samuel when his mother dedicated him to God's service, communicating a solemn message to the boy. God thus honors the young when parents cooperate with Him in training and educating children according to His instruction, and He will do a great work for children so trained.
Eli's sons served the prince of darkness in contrast to Samuel, who served the Prince of Light, and their opposing characters represent the two parties into which humanity has been divided since Adam's fall, servants of Christ and servants of Satan. That contrast shows that virtue brings happiness while vice brings woe and misery. In nations, righteousness produces union, peace and prosperity, while greed, selfishness and irreligion lead to weakness, decline and corruption. Samuel himself was a righteous and impartial judge from his youth and faithful in all his work, but his sons did not follow his footsteps, being dishonest and double-minded and letting love of reward lead them to favor the cause of the unrighteous while they aided their aging father in his laborious work. Yet they were not vile like Eli's sons, whose vileness was worse than their fault. The wicked men whose conduct God watched are also set against Joseph's integrity under trial, each being rewarded according to deeds even before heaven's universe.
Warning for Parents and Leaders
The history is a warning to parents, and especially to parents in holy office, not to trust their own wisdom, self-confidence and learning in training children, but to study carefully and obey faithfully God's word as the only safe guide. That word alone fully knows children's needs and values their welfare as those bought with Christ's own blood. Eli believed himself wiser than his Creator and followed human wisdom instead of God's commands, and indulgent, unrestrained upbringing confirmed his sons in forward, selfish, disagreeable habits until they grew up wicked and without relationship with God. The result was ruin to his wicked sons and ruin to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself.
Parents are required to lead, govern, restrain, correct and guide their children rather than be led by them or let them rule the household and have their own way. They must not tolerate rebellion and wrongdoing as though unavoidable, nor excuse or support children's sin through neglect or misplaced tenderness and fondness. Mistaken love that indulges children harms them, nourishes pride, breeds contempt for parental authority and disrespect for parental and divine authority, and by permitting disobedience trains them to disobey their Heavenly Father. The salvation of children depends very much upon the course pursued by parents, and neglect in training that leaves them without restraint brings sorrow to parents and accountability before God. Because Eli restrained them not, the curse was declared that their sins should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever, made known to Samuel, and when told Eli submitted that the Lord should do what seemed good to Him, and the curse soon followed when the wicked priests were slain and thirty thousand of Israel slain and the ark taken and Eli fell backward and died on hearing it.
Every parent must not only teach and exemplify what is right but with promptness and decision firmly restrain the inclination to do evil. Although Eli gave right instruction and good example, his lax discipline produced selfish, irreverent, licentious, wicked men who knew not the Lord. Parents who fail to recognize and address defects in home management make Eli's sin their own. Eli neglected his solemn sacred charge and failed to train his children in the right way, so God passed by the aged priest and accepted Samuel when his mother dedicated him, communicating a solemn message to the boy. God honors the young when parents cooperate with Him in training according to His instruction, and He will do a great work for children so trained.
Those who minister in sacred things must in a pre-eminent degree make their families patterns of good works and perfect Christian households and examples to the flock. They must govern their own families and have them in good subjection, with order at home first, for he who fails to direct wisely his own household is not qualified to guide the church of God or to judge and decide in matters of the church. As priest and judge Eli was held accountable for the moral and religious standing of his people and in a special sense for the character of his sons, and he should first have attempted to restrain evil by mild measures and if these did not avail have subdued the wrong by the severest means. Instead through indulgence, indolence, lack of interest and lack of moral courage he knew of their wrongdoing yet treated their sin lightly, failed to reprove and restrain them and to remove them from positions of trust, and let them profane God's house. Those who through lack of courage to reprove wrong or through neglect of duty fail to purify family or church are held accountable for the evil that results and are as responsible for evils they might have checked by parental or pastoral authority as if the acts were their own. Church leaders must faithfully remove wrongdoing that dishonors the cause of truth, for unfaithfulness is tenfold greater in teachers of the people because position and wrong example mislead many and guilt is greater as responsibility is greater.
Failure to rule the house well and to restrain corrupt children promptly and firmly brings God's frown, curse, displeasure and judgment upon the father. Eli was cursed because he permitted disobedience instead of correcting its cause, and permitted disobedience leads to transgression and death and makes children candidates for perdition. Such children become corrupt and a proverb of reproach, exert a corrupting influence where they live, disgust unbelievers, and bring reproach upon the cause of truth. Allowing children to continue in wrongdoing rather than correcting them brings serious consequences, with sorrow to parents and accountability before God. God was so particular to notice such neglect anciently and is no less particular in these last days, and in the day of His fierce anger He will surely destroy ungoverned children and the parents who did not govern them will not be blameless.
Their extortion was sin before God, and their greed illustrates the selfishness of workers who take high pay while failing to show Christ's self-denial and self-sacrifice.
The verse speaks of Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, who were wicked, selfish and irreverent men doomed to destruction. They knew not the LORD because they had no true knowledge of or love for Him, His law and His worship, though brought up around the sanctuary and taught His commandments. While holding holy priestly office as God's representatives at the tabernacle, they treated sacred service as means to satisfy their own covetous and gluttonous desires, demanding more than their share of the offerings and seizing it by threats. Eli indulged them and failed to restrain, correct and remove them from office as his duty as father, priest and judge required, and he was held accountable for the evil he might have checked. Their sin was therefore unpardonable by sacrifice, bringing death to themselves and Eli, capture of the ark, slaughter in Israel, and widespread corruption of worship and family life. Yet amid their evil example Samuel kept his integrity by loving God and keeping close to Heaven, showing the warning to parents and leaders to govern their households and restrain evil rather than excuse it.
Words and Identity
The verse names Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, calling them sons of Belial who did not know the LORD and who were doomed to destruction. They followed their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority, presumptuously bearing the ark in confident expectation of blessings that God alone could bestow. The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence vouchsafed to an obedient and believing people, not a source of blessing to the disobedient while they carried it. Their bearing of it stands in wide contrast to Israel's former condition when walking in obedience, when the ark was borne by holy men according to express command and the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law and His arm brought deliverance. The law beneath the mercy-seat they now carried condemned them and disobedient Israel to defeat, disaster and death.
Sons of Belial means wicked, vile, ungodly, selfish, irreverent and licentious men. They did not fear God or honor their father, and they did not know or serve the LORD despite holding holy office. They were wicked and rebellious, and their unfitness and dishonoring of God followed Eli's neglect in indulging them and failing to restrain their wrong practices with promptness and decision. Although Eli gave them right instruction and a good example, he failed to restrain their inclination to do evil, feared their displeasure, suffered them to go on in rebellion until they became a curse to Israel, and by his lax discipline and holy standing allowed their sin to exert a corrupting influence upon the whole nation.
They knew not the LORD in that they had no true knowledge of God and no relationship with Him. Although they had grown up around the sanctuary and had been taught God's commandments and ordinances, their knowledge was only intellectual, their hearts had not yielded to divine grace, and they did not love God's character, requirements, law, or the holiness of His sanctuary service. They lacked true appreciation of His character and treated sacred duties as ordinary, while their irreverence and rebellion grew unchecked because Eli failed to correct and restrain them. Their wickedness without relationship with God grew from Eli's following human wisdom as if wiser than the Creator instead of God's word as the only safe guide for managing children, producing indulgent and unrestrained upbringing that confirmed them in forward, selfish and disagreeable habits.
Not knowing God while performing religious duties, they rejected what was true, pure and holy and became servants of Satan and of the prince of darkness, controlled by him and serving their own desires rather than God. Their religious office concealed depravity and a pious appearance covered self-serving, showing that false shepherds may perform sacred acts while ruining souls and damaging confidence in religion. Their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them, tempted Israel, tested the people's faith and devotion, and especially led those already cherishing sin to follow them and to use the leaders' transgressions as excuse for their own. Set against Samuel as servant of the Prince of Light, they represent the two parties dividing humanity since Adam's fall, showing that virtue brings happiness while vice brings woe and misery, and that in nations righteousness produces union, peace and prosperity while greed, selfishness and irreligion lead to weakness, decline and corruption.
Despite this condition they held holy priestly office as God's representatives and mediators for repentant sinners. Eli had exalted them to the priesthood to minister at the door of the tabernacle in slaying the beasts and at the altar of sacrifice, and they continually abused that sacred office. Though serving as priests, their irreverence and corrupt conduct profaned the tabernacle, made the people abhor the Lord's offering, helped worship to be neglected, and emboldened others in sin.
Corrupt Conduct in Office
They set aside God's directions for the sacrifices and turned sacred service into a means of gratifying themselves. In the peace offerings the fat was to be burned to God, a portion was assigned to the priests, and most was returned to the worshiper for a shared sacrificial meal. Those offerings expressed thanksgiving and directed faith to Christ's death as the sacrifice that would take away sin. Yet they demanded more than their allotted share, refused to wait until the fat had been offered to God, and seized whatever they wanted by threats of violence.
They were selfish, covetous, gluttonous, profligate and extortionate, defrauding Israel in the offerings and boldly transgressing with violent conduct marked by profligacy and sacrilege. Their extortion was sin before God. Their sin was not as one person sinning against another, for whom an officiating priest could atone, but priests themselves sinning against God with open contempt for His authority, leaving no one to atone for them. By such irreverence and corrupt conduct they profaned God's house and made the people abhor the Lord's offering. They rejected what was true, pure and holy.
They followed their own plans against divine counsel by presumptuously bearing the ark into battle. The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence vouchsafed to an obedient and believing people. They confidently looked to it for blessings that God alone could bestow, while the law beneath its mercy seat condemned the disobedient to defeat, disaster and death.
Eli's Neglect and Guilt
Eli indulged his sons and failed to restrain, govern, correct and subdue them promptly, firmly and according to God's rules for family government. Though they held holy office, their unfitness and dishonoring of God followed this neglect, for he rebuked them but did not remove them from office, bringing God's displeasure upon his household. Their evil ways were thus allowed to strengthen as they grew older into corrupt morals and defiance of both human and divine authority. The disastrous result of this failure to restrain them was ruin to his sons and to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself.
His neglect came from following his own judgment and human wisdom as if wiser than the Creator, instead of God's commands in training his children. As a fond father he overlooked their faults and sins in childhood, flattering himself that they would outgrow evil tendencies and waiting until they were older to be reasoned with. He feared their displeasure and suffered them to go on in rebellion, and through indulgence, indolence, lack of interest and lack of moral courage he failed to remove them from positions of trust or restrain their evil. Although he gave them right instruction and a good example, he failed with promptness and decision to restrain their inclination to do evil.
He knew of their wrongdoing and set its enormity before them, but when they disregarded his counsel he did not act to restrain them. He should first have attempted to restrain evil by mild measures, and if these did not avail should have subdued the wrong by the severest means. He should at once have removed them from the priesthood and judged them as their case deserved, even with death for their abominable example, for he was responsible before God to educate his children to obey and not to permit disobedience that trained them to disobey their Heavenly Father.
As priest, judge and high priest he was held accountable for their conduct and for the moral and religious standing of his people, and in a special sense for the character of his sons. Those who through too little courage to reprove wrong, or through indolence or lack of interest, make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God are held accountable for the evil that results from neglect of duty. They are just as responsible for evils they might have checked in others by parental or pastoral authority as if the acts had been their own. Great as parental unfaithfulness is under any circumstances, it is tenfold greater in families of those appointed as teachers of the people, for when they fail to control their households they mislead many by wrong example and their guilt is as much greater as their position is more responsible.
Ruin and National Corruption
Because Eli did not restrain his sons, a curse was pronounced that their sins should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. That message was made known to the boy Samuel, and when Samuel told him, Eli submitted that the LORD should do what seemed good to Him. Such permitted disobedience leads to transgression and death and makes children candidates for perdition.
The curse soon followed in calamity, for his wicked sons were slain in battle, the ark of God was taken by enemies, thirty thousand Israelites were killed, and when Eli heard the ark was taken he fell backward and died. Eli knew of their evil but through indulgence and lack of moral courage failed to remove them from their positions of trust or restrain them, and he recognized that his failure to stand for the right had deprived Israel of strength and glory. Ruin came to his sons and to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself, because he treated their sin lightly and let it flourish unrebuked and unchecked.
Their example profaned the tabernacle and made the people abhor the Lord's offering, while their conduct dishonored God and led the people to transgress. Though they held sacred office as representatives of God and mediators for repentant sinners, they rejected what was true, pure and holy and became servants of Satan, and their wicked conduct tempted Israel and tested the people's faith and devotion. Those already cherishing sin were especially prone to follow them, and many used the leaders' transgressions to excuse their own, so that worship was neglected and others were emboldened in sin. Their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them, and by permitting men loaded with guilt to remain priests Eli led the people to lightly regard crime and despise the sacrificial offerings.
Because of Eli's position his influence was more extended than an ordinary man's, his ill-regulated family life was imitated throughout Israel, and the baleful results of his negligent ease-loving ways were seen in thousands of homes. The influence of an ill-regulated family spreads in a tide of evil affecting families, communities and governments, and the corruption caused by his sons threatened Israel's moral and spiritual welfare. Samuel established the schools of the prophets as a barrier against that corruption to promote righteousness which exalts a nation and to furnish men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors. Yet the people were more troubled by dangers to their temporal interests than by this wickedness of profligacy and sacrilege.
Israel vainly thought that notwithstanding their sinful practices the presence of the ark would insure them victory over the Philistines. In the same way the inhabitants of Judah in Jeremiah's days believed strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from just punishment for their wicked course.
Contrast with the Faithful
Samuel lived in the tabernacle amid the bad example of Eli's sons, who did not fear God or honor their father, yet he did not join them or follow their ways. Their conduct was an evil influence even inside the house devoted to worship, but his early training led him to avoid their company and keep his integrity. He did not seek their company and did not follow their evil ways, but constantly endeavored to become what God would have him to be.
He remained untainted amid their corrupting influence because he loved God and kept close to Heaven, while they were controlled by Satan and their sins polluted the people and the atmosphere around them. He resisted because his mother had carefully taught him from his earliest years to distinguish good from evil before she gave him to Eli in fulfillment of her vow. Because Eli neglected his solemn sacred charge and failed to train his children in the right way, God passed by the aged priest and accepted Samuel when his mother dedicated him to God's service, communicating a solemn message to the boy. God thus honors the young when parents cooperate with Him in training and educating children according to His instruction, and He will do a great work for children so trained.
Eli's sons served the prince of darkness in contrast to Samuel, who served the Prince of Light, and their opposing characters represent the two parties into which humanity has been divided since Adam's fall, servants of Christ and servants of Satan. That contrast shows that virtue brings happiness while vice brings woe and misery. In nations, righteousness produces union, peace and prosperity, while greed, selfishness and irreligion lead to weakness, decline and corruption. Samuel himself was a righteous and impartial judge from his youth and faithful in all his work, but his sons did not follow his footsteps, being dishonest and double-minded and letting love of reward lead them to favor the cause of the unrighteous while they aided their aging father in his laborious work. Yet they were not vile like Eli's sons, whose vileness was worse than their fault. The wicked men whose conduct God watched are also set against Joseph's integrity under trial, each being rewarded according to deeds even before heaven's universe.
Warning for Parents and Leaders
The history is a warning to parents, and especially to parents in holy office, not to trust their own wisdom, self-confidence and learning in training children, but to study carefully and obey faithfully God's word as the only safe guide. That word alone fully knows children's needs and values their welfare as those bought with Christ's own blood. Eli believed himself wiser than his Creator and followed human wisdom instead of God's commands, and indulgent, unrestrained upbringing confirmed his sons in forward, selfish, disagreeable habits until they grew up wicked and without relationship with God. The result was ruin to his wicked sons and ruin to thousands in Israel, with disaster and death to Eli himself.
Parents are required to lead, govern, restrain, correct and guide their children rather than be led by them or let them rule the household and have their own way. They must not tolerate rebellion and wrongdoing as though unavoidable, nor excuse or support children's sin through neglect or misplaced tenderness and fondness. Mistaken love that indulges children harms them, nourishes pride, breeds contempt for parental authority and disrespect for parental and divine authority, and by permitting disobedience trains them to disobey their Heavenly Father. The salvation of children depends very much upon the course pursued by parents, and neglect in training that leaves them without restraint brings sorrow to parents and accountability before God. Because Eli restrained them not, the curse was declared that their sins should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever, made known to Samuel, and when told Eli submitted that the Lord should do what seemed good to Him, and the curse soon followed when the wicked priests were slain and thirty thousand of Israel slain and the ark taken and Eli fell backward and died on hearing it.
Every parent must not only teach and exemplify what is right but with promptness and decision firmly restrain the inclination to do evil. Although Eli gave right instruction and good example, his lax discipline produced selfish, irreverent, licentious, wicked men who knew not the Lord. Parents who fail to recognize and address defects in home management make Eli's sin their own. Eli neglected his solemn sacred charge and failed to train his children in the right way, so God passed by the aged priest and accepted Samuel when his mother dedicated him, communicating a solemn message to the boy. God honors the young when parents cooperate with Him in training according to His instruction, and He will do a great work for children so trained.
Those who minister in sacred things must in a pre-eminent degree make their families patterns of good works and perfect Christian households and examples to the flock. They must govern their own families and have them in good subjection, with order at home first, for he who fails to direct wisely his own household is not qualified to guide the church of God or to judge and decide in matters of the church. As priest and judge Eli was held accountable for the moral and religious standing of his people and in a special sense for the character of his sons, and he should first have attempted to restrain evil by mild measures and if these did not avail have subdued the wrong by the severest means. Instead through indulgence, indolence, lack of interest and lack of moral courage he knew of their wrongdoing yet treated their sin lightly, failed to reprove and restrain them and to remove them from positions of trust, and let them profane God's house. Those who through lack of courage to reprove wrong or through neglect of duty fail to purify family or church are held accountable for the evil that results and are as responsible for evils they might have checked by parental or pastoral authority as if the acts were their own. Church leaders must faithfully remove wrongdoing that dishonors the cause of truth, for unfaithfulness is tenfold greater in teachers of the people because position and wrong example mislead many and guilt is greater as responsibility is greater.
Failure to rule the house well and to restrain corrupt children promptly and firmly brings God's frown, curse, displeasure and judgment upon the father. Eli was cursed because he permitted disobedience instead of correcting its cause, and permitted disobedience leads to transgression and death and makes children candidates for perdition. Such children become corrupt and a proverb of reproach, exert a corrupting influence where they live, disgust unbelievers, and bring reproach upon the cause of truth. Allowing children to continue in wrongdoing rather than correcting them brings serious consequences, with sorrow to parents and accountability before God. God was so particular to notice such neglect anciently and is no less particular in these last days, and in the day of His fierce anger He will surely destroy ungoverned children and the parents who did not govern them will not be blameless.
Their extortion was sin before God, and their greed illustrates the selfishness of workers who take high pay while failing to show Christ's self-denial and self-sacrifice.