This Congregation meets at: Sunday Bible Class at 10:00 am. Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am.

1. This Congregation meets at: Sunday Bible Class at 10:00 am. Sunday Worship Service at 11:00 am. Sunday Night Worship service at 6:00 pm. Wednesday Night Bible Class at 7:00 pm. Please be so kind to turn off your cell phone. Let’s be reverent. We are worshipping God.

2. The Reading 1 Samuel 4:1-22

3. 1 Corinthians 11:24

4. March 11 2007 Lesson # 27

5. We already studied: • Adam 7. Isaac. 13.Joseph 22. Phinehas • 2. Cain 8. Jacob. 14. Aaron 23. Barak • 3. Abel 9. Esau. 15. Nadab and 24. Balaam • 4. Enoch 10. Reuben. 16. Moses 25 Achan • 5. Noah 11. Simeon. 17. Joshua 26 Samuel • 6. Abraham 12. Judah 18. Caleb 27?? • 19. Gideon • 20. Samson • 21. Jephthah

6. Let’s Talk about Eli

7. Who was Eli? • The meaning of his name: Jehovah is mighty or My God. • The he was the father of Hophni and Phinehas. • His job: Priest and Judge of Israel • He was from the house of Ithamar. • Key words in his life: Did not rule his House well.

8. Was Eli a man of faith? • Yes he was. • He was serving God in the temple and this is more than enough to say that he was a man of faith.

9. The man who lacked parental authority. There are few Bible men in whose character we cannot find some great and glaring fault. Eli was a good man whose life was very pure. He loved and delighted in the law of God, there is no question about that. He loved to serve God but he was faulty in one aspect. God will judge every Christian for the same reason if we are not in the position of showing parental authority unto our children. We have the responsibility of leading our own homes and not leaving our children alone. Have you seen children ruling in their homes? I have. They fight with their parents as if they were their siblings and they do not respect their parents. The reason is that we are acting like Eli. We don’t want any trouble and we leave it like that.

10. He failed to exercise the proper authority of a parent over his children. 1 Samuel 2:22-25… “ 22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.

11. He failed to exercise the proper authority of a parent over his children. • 1 Samuel 2:29… “29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?‘ • 1 Samuel 3:11-14… “11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."

12. Eli belonged to the tribe of Levi, and for years acted as a judge and as a high priest in Israel. He lived in Shiloh in a dwelling adjoining to the temple for the greater portion of his life. We know little about Eli until he was well advanced in age. The first mention of Eli is when Hannah pours out her heart to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:13-16… "13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!" 15 And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

13. Eli’s fault which brought sorrow upon his declining years was the conduct of his own two sons, Phinehas and Hophni. They both lacked their father’s character and qualities, but were still put into the priests’ office. Sometimes the Lord does not see us but he sees our families and he can see how they are acting. It is then when the reproach falls upon us. Their conduct disgraced their high calling and shocked the people so much that they “abhorred the offering of the Lord”. This is what happens when we who preside in something do not take care of our own homes and lives. While Eli warned them of their shameful ways, he did not rebuke them with the severity their evil deeds merited. The Bible warns every Christian to use the rod every time our children are not acting according to the Lord.

14. Proverbs 10:13… “13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. • Proverbs 13:24… “24 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Eli did not use severity towards his evil children, and then the Lord would use severity towards him. He should have exercised the stern authority of a father and rebuked them as a judge. Listen please, to the way that Eli reasons with his sons… • 1 Samuel 2:23… “23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. • If we don’t rebuke our own kids, God will and if God does it for you, then that will be tragic…

15. God would take care of Phinehas and Hophni. The Lord has provided us with all of the material that we need to educate and rear our children but if we don’t do it, don’t worry brother, God will. When a child is abusive, disobedient and delinquent, God will make sure that he doesn’t continue in those ways. Eli fails like many parents now days. Many say: But they don’t listen. I talk, talk and talk and they don’t listen to me. Then brother if you are a Christian, use the Bible. The Bible will correct them… • Proverbs 22:15… “15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. • Proverbs 23:14-15… “13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.

16. Eli didn’t have the power anymore. Instead, he just heard of the atrocities that his kids were doing at the temple. 1 Samuel 2:22… “22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. • They were having sex with the women who served at the temple and they profaned the house of the Lord. All Eli said was: No my sons, that’s not good. • Eli, that’s not enough. No wonder God didn’t want to talk to him any more. God was burning from heaven; he was looking for somebody to tell him of the sins and the sinful ways of Phinehas and Hophni.

17. 1 Samuel 3:11-14… “11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." • Proverbs 26:3… “3 A whip for the horse, A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool's back. • Proverbs 29:15… “15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

18. 1 Samuel 4:4-11… 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. 6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. 8 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. 9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!" 10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. The ark of the Lord was being held by two fornicators. They were idolaters and profane men. There is no way that they would defeat the Philistines. God will not protect any body that is living in sin.

19. For Hophni and Phinehas the time had come and God would not spare his rod. On this occasion, the Philistines were the rod that was used to punish the disobedient kids. Will you? Will you spare the rod from your kid? Don’t do it. Or God will take care of them. 1 Samuel 4:12-22… “12 Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 13 Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the sound of this tumult mean?" And the man came quickly and told Eli. 15 Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see. 16 Then the man said to Eli, "I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line." And he said, "What happened, my son?" 17 So the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured." 18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

20. I want you to notice something please before we continue with the reading: Did his heart tremble for Hophni and Phinehas? No. It didn’t. Instead, it trembled for the Ark of the Lord. He knew that his children were a “finished case”. The trembling occurred when they made mention of the ark of God. It was not Hophni and Phinehas, but the ark of God. He knew that the consequences of his two sons for their sin was death. He did not cry for them, but instead cried for what is more important… he cried for the Word of the Lord. He cried for the Word of the Lord

21. Phinehas’ wife also delivered a son without due time when she heard the news about the ark of God. Not about her husband. She also knew that her husband was a finished case. So please, listen again. 1 Samuel 4:19-22… “19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not fear, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer, nor did she regard it. 21 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." Not because my husband is dead or because my father in law is dead but because: “The ark of the Lord has been captured”. Am I capturing your attention with the lesson this evening? I Hope that I am because those around you right now will grow and they will make you happy or unhappy. They will bring you glory or shame. They will go to heaven or to hell depending on how much you have admonished them with the word of the Lord.

22. The Lesson this evening has been very obvious: Do not take care of your spiritual life only, but also take care of the life of those who surround you. Do not grow spiritually only for yourself, but also for those who you decide to bring into this world. In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of "malpractice of parenting." Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment in order to be ok again. You know what? Based on this lesson this evening, I would say that if Hophni and Phinehas were here today and they decided to launch a legal suit against Eli, it would be well so. They died because of the fact that their father did not rebuke or admonish them in order for them to stay away from their evil deeds. May the Lord bless us this evening.