“As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
A couple of things stand out here to me. This verse is an indictment of Eli as well as a commentary on how tragic his family situation was. Both of these are things we want to avoid being said about us. Read the rest…
“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Hearing and recognizing the voice of the Lord does not come naturally. It is a learned skill. Let me offer one key application of this for you this morning. Read the rest…
“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Have you ever tried to talk to someone who wasn’t really listening? Let me rephrase that: When was the last time you tried to talk to someone who wasn’t really listening? I have three boys at home under the age of 10. In our household that’s a daily exercise, and it will probably continue to be that way for the next 15 years or so. Joy… Read the rest…
“‘If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?’ But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is one of those verses that’s hard to get our minds around at first read. And second read. And third too. The Lord willed to put them to death? What happened to mercy and compassion and grace? Who can survive if the Lord deigns to destroy them? Read the rest…
“Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Religious sin is disgusting. Are you with me? There’s something about seeing people use religion as a means of committing some kind of sin that is particularly repulsive. We may not be able to give precise wording to it, but something inside of us recoils with especial revulsion when we see it. There’s just something rotten about it. Do you know what? God feels the same way. Read the rest…
