00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 As Tashi said, we're in the middle of a series at the moment, preaching through the book of 1 Samuel.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:14 So, so far, just to fill you in if you haven't been around, Israel has made it to the promised land that God was giving to them.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 But basically, once it got into this land, things started going badly.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 It struggled.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:25 They'd have little flashes of goodness where they'd be powerful or prosperous, but it keeps going wrong.
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 And they are asking the question when we get to the book of 1 Samuel,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 does God still care for us?
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 And is he still with us?
00:00:33 --> 00:00:34 Are we still his people?
00:00:34 --> 00:00:41 So chapter 1, we had a bit of encouragement when God affirms his presence and care by blessing Hannah,
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 a barren woman, with a child that she desperately wants.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:48 And we do begin to get a sense from Hannah's prayer in the beginning of chapter 2
00:00:48 --> 00:00:52 that God's working in a new way through Hannah and through Israel.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 But tonight it feels like we hit a brick wall.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:02 The problems that were obviously there before, for them to be asking if God was even still around,
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 are even deeper than we might have thought.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 And so that's what we're going to walk into tonight.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 And I want to pray for us that God will give us ears to hear,
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 because some of the stuff we're going to talk about tonight is not the funnest stuff to talk about.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 But I'm going to ask that God lets us hear it anyway, because it's important.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Father God, we want to thank you for your word.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 And we want to thank you for the chance to gather tonight.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:26 And Lord, we ask that as we reflect on what it is you have to say here,
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 that you give us soft hearts, that we would be teachable,
00:01:29 --> 00:01:34 that we would be willing to recognize things that are in our lives that are wrong,
00:01:34 --> 00:01:38 and that we would be thankful for the opportunity to confess those
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 and have you deal with that part of our life.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:42 Amen.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:48 We have a natural cynicism towards leaders in our culture.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 We are just a week past an election,
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 and I'm sure you can reflect on conversations that you've had in the past fortnight,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 or maybe even a bit further,
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 on the hopelessness of the various candidates that they were to vote for.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 Clive Palmer is probably an indictment on what we think a leader is.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:13 We basically get frustrated because these people get thrown up as taking responsibility for our state,
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 our nation, whatever it is, our local government area.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:20 And almost always we run into stories in the media of how they've fallen,
00:02:21 --> 00:02:25 whether it's morally fallen, whether it's they've just failed to keep their promises.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:31 There is this kind of constant cycle of dodginess in the leadership that we have in our society today.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 And sadly, church is not immune to that.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 There is also a cycle of dodgy church leaders that we hear about.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 And so there is this cycle of leadership.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 Good leadership would tend to hang around, but there is this constant change.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 Even in our fantastic political structure,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:51 you tend to go one party for a little bit with all this hope, and then they fail.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 So we go back to the other side for a little while, then they fail, and then we go back.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 And there is almost a constant pattern,
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 if you look back through Australian government history,
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 of one major party, then the next.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Because we're not happy, they're not delivering.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 Now the problem with that for us is,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 when we open a passage like this,
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 we think, yep, fair enough,
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 the leaders of Israel are dodgy.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:11 No big deal.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 But, we need to stop for a second
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 and understand who it is we're looking at
00:03:17 --> 00:03:18 in this passage of Scripture.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 You've got to remember that this is Israel.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 God picked this one nation
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 out of all of the peoples on earth.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 At this point,
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 they are in the promised land that He led them to.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 Spectacularly,
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 when He rescued them out of Egypt.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 This story is at Shiloh,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 which is like the capital city when it comes to worshipping God
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 for the people of God in the country,
00:03:41 --> 00:03:42 the land that God had given them.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 And these people that we're talking about are the priests.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 From within this chosen people,
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 God chose a specific tribe
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 and separated them out and said,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 you will be the priests,
00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 you will be my representatives,
00:03:55 --> 00:03:56 you will be the leaders
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 to serve the people
00:03:58 --> 00:04:02 and we find them completely and utterly corrupt.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 And that's even more significant
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 if you look back just a couple of verses
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 to verse 10 of chapter 2,
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 which we looked at last week,
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 where Hannah tells us in her prayer
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 that those who oppose the Lord
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 will be broken.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:21 This situation should shock us.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:22 Last week,
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 we celebrated that God is sovereign
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 and that God will bring low those who are full of pride
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 and He will raise up the humble
00:04:28 --> 00:04:29 and then we come here
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 and His leadership in His people
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 is corrupt
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 and seems to be flourishing as they're doing it.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 This should shock us.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:41 God doesn't tolerate it.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 God will not tolerate it.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 If we stopped even just at verse 12,
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 if we didn't read anywhere beyond that,
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 we would have a major problem.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 Have a look at it.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:49 Verse 12,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 Eli's sons were scoundrels.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 They had no regard for the Lord.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 They don't know God.
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 They're priests.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 That means they're God's representatives.
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 They kind of stand in between God and His people
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 to make sure that this relationship can work
00:05:06 --> 00:05:07 because you've got a holy God
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 and unholy people
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 and so God appoints priests as the go-between
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 and the people in the middle don't even know God.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 They have no regard for Him.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 He's not important to them.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 Now, it's not that they don't know about Him.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 Obviously, they're priests.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 They spend all day, every day,
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 doing things that God told the people to do.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 They've heard the stories about the parting of the sea,
00:05:28 --> 00:05:29 the wandering around the desert.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 They've heard about it,
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 but they don't know Him.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 They don't have the relationship with Him,
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 at least not in the way that Hannah did last week
00:05:36 --> 00:05:37 or two weeks ago.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 However, their knowing about Him
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 has no impact on their life.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 It doesn't make any difference
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 to the way they make decisions,
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 to the things that are important to them,
00:05:47 --> 00:05:48 to the things that are precious.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 And so their ignorance,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 or maybe more accurately,
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 their rejection of God,
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 starts to flow out in their actions.
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 Have a look with me at verse 13.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 It says,
00:06:00 --> 00:06:21 Now, let's be really clear.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 It says it's the practice,
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 but it doesn't say it's a good practice.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 This isn't the instruction that God gave them
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 when He set this up.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 These guys were just feeling hungry.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 And the hopelessness of this is
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 God had actually designed this sacrificial system
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 so that people sacrificing
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 would actually keep a portion
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 to go to the priests
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 as like payment for their job.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 So God had already designed it
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 to make sure these guys would get looked after.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:48 They would have food.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 They would be well fed.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:49 They would have strength.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 But they just decide,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:51 you know what,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 I'm a little bit hungrier.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 And so they would strut up to you
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 while you're making your sacrifice,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:56 meats they're cooking,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 you're getting ready,
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 following the specific instructions
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 that God has given.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 And they bring in this novelty fork
00:07:02 --> 00:07:03 that's going to collect everything
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 that's in your pot
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 and wander off and go,
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 look, I've got it.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 And in fact,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 these priests are so lazy
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 that they send their servants to do it.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 Not only are they being greedy,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 they're being lazy
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 and sitting on their butts
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 and sending someone else
00:07:15 --> 00:07:15 to do the dirty work.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 But it gets even worse.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 It says,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 verse 15,
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 And even before the fat was burned,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 the priest's servant would come
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 and say to the person
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 who was sacrificing,
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 give the priest some meat to roast.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 He won't accept boiled meat from you,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:29 but only raw.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 And if the person said to him,
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 let the fat be burned first,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 which is what God instructed them to do,
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 this is how they would respond.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 The servant would answer,
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 no, hand it over now.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 If you don't,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 I'll take it by force.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:48 So not only would they steal the meat
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 from the boiling pot,
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 they would come and remove
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 and steal the portion
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 that was reserved for God himself.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 They would presume to take the place
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 of the God who had rescued them out of Egypt.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 And then there is a significant verse there
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 in verse 17,
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 The sin of the young men
00:08:04 --> 00:08:08 was very great in the Lord's sight,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 for they were treating the Lord's offering
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 with contempt.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:15 Now, the funny thing is
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 that these priests
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 are technically going through the motions.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 They're living at the tent
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 where God has told them to live.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 There is sacrifices happening
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 like there was supposed to be.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 And so they're kind of presenting like priests.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 I'm sure that Israel
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 didn't particularly like them,
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 but there was probably some sense
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 of they're the priests,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 what can we do?
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 That's where we have to do our sacrifices.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 But even though they're kind of
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 going through the motions,
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 the motions actually don't hold any weight.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 Because the whole system,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 the sacrifices, the tent,
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 this place was all about relating to God.
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 That was the whole point.
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 And these guys don't know him.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 So it doesn't matter
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 if they were even doing
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 the correct sacrifices at this point,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 because verse 12 tells us
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 they had no regard for the Lord.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 There's a little warning for you there
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 that you can actually look
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 a lot like somebody
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 who is following Jesus,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 but just be spinning the wheels.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 Following Jesus is about
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 having a relationship with him.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 And it's possible to look
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 exactly like a Christian,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 but not know the God
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 who Christians follow.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 I remember when I was younger,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 a fair bit younger,
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 I'm a child of the 80s.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 And in the 80s,
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 it was okay for white guys to dance.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 Thank you, Vanilla Rice,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 and I guess MC Hammer's
00:09:38 --> 00:09:38 kind of somewhere in the middle
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 of white and black.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 And I remember that
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 when I say it was okay,
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 not everyone could do it,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:45 but it was just,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 there was a permission.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 And I remember my older brother
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 and my cousin,
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 who was also older,
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 took street funk dancing classes,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 and I was so jealous.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 There's some really embarrassing photos of them
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 with no shirts on
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 and happy pants,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 and it's fantastic.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 But in my absence
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 at the actual classes,
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 I still had aspirations
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 to be a dancer.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 And so I convinced my parents
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 to get me
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 the fluoro puffy happy pants,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 and I think I got
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 some imitation Nike high tops
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 as well and everything.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 And I had the muscle tee,
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 which was fairly unnecessary
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 for the eight-year-old version of me.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 But the problem was,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 I couldn't,
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 and I still cannot,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 dance at all.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 If music comes on,
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 I can do the awkward shuffle thing,
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 but that's about it.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 It's not exactly street funk.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 I was all show and no go.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:33 And look,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 entertaining story,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 but there is the scary possibility
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 that we could be that as Christians.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 I've got a Bible.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 I don't get drunk.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:46 I don't swear.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 I make sure that I get to church
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 at least two out of four Sundays.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 But if there's not actually
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 a relationship with God,
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 if there's not a joy in God,
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 if there's not a knowledge
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 of the God who made you
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 and loves you,
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 could it be that you're just
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 going through the motions?
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 The sin that is great for God here
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 is the issue that they don't know Him.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 That's what makes them so stupid
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 when it comes to the sacrifices.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:22 That's what makes them so willing
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 to put themselves in the place of God.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 It's that their heart doesn't know God.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 Even though they're in the right place,
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 they're wearing the right clothes,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 they're at the right ceremony,
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 but the issue in verse 12
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 is they have no regard for the Lord.
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 He's just some guy
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 they've heard stories about.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 He's not their God.
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 He's not their Lord.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 He doesn't matter to them.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 But it gets worse again.
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 Come down with me to verse 22.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 Now Eli, who was very old,
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 heard about everything
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 his sons were doing to all Israel
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 and how they slept with the women
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 who served at the entrance
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 to the tent of meeting.
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 So he said to them,
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 why do you do such things?
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 I hear from all the people
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 about these wicked deeds of yours.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 Know my sons.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 The report I hear spreading
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 among the Lord's people
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 is not good.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 If one person sins against another,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 God may mediate for the offender.
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 But if anyone sins against the Lord,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 who will intercede for them?
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 See, Eli gets a little glimpse
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 of just how serious
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 what they're doing is.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 This isn't just them
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 stealing food from other people.
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 This isn't just them
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 sleeping with women.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 As bad as both of those things are,
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 this is a sin against God.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 But the scary part comes there
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 at the end of verse 25.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 His sons, however,
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 did not listen to their father's rebuke,
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 for it was the Lord's will
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 to put them to death.
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 Their sin
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 goes beyond the point of no return.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:07 They cross a line.
00:13:09 --> 00:13:09 And so,
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 it is God's will
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 to put them to death.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 That's a scary phrase.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 We don't like phrases like that.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 But let's just be careful
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 how we read it.
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 It's not saying
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 that these guys didn't deserve
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 to be put to death.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 Remember what we've just read.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 They were sleeping with women
00:13:33 --> 00:13:33 at the tent of meeting.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 They didn't know God.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 They were abusing
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 their position as priests
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 and threatening the people
00:13:38 --> 00:13:38 who were coming
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 to try and sacrifice to God.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 They're still responsible
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 for their actions.
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 They're still responsible
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 for the way
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 that they're treating God.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 They're making a mockery
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 of the means
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 by which God has given
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 his people
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 to relate to him.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 God has given them sacrifices
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 so that they might know
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 the need for forgiveness
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 and they are using
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 those sacrifices
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 as an opportunity
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 to reject him again.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 They are responsible
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 for their sin.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 Death is what they deserve.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 But what God does
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 is confirm them
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 in their rejection.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 I mean,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 we've got to understand
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 that these guys
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 had front row seats
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 for God revealing himself.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 the sacrifices
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 were God's way
00:14:29 --> 00:14:29 of showing
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 just how holy he was.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 The tent being
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 in one place
00:14:33 --> 00:14:33 at one time
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 and the need for priests
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 in the middle
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 was all part of communicating
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 who God was
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 and his desire
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 to know his people.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 And these guys
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 are front row center.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:43 They're in the middle
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 of every sacrifice.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 They don't go once a year
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 like Hannah and Elkanah
00:14:47 --> 00:14:47 and their family.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 These guys were there
00:14:49 --> 00:14:49 every day
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 seeing what God was doing
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 to reveal himself
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 and they just refuse
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 to acknowledge him
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 as God.
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 They refuse to recognize
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 him as holy
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 and so God
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 confirms that
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 in their heart.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 It's their choice
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 but God confirms it.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 It's not dissimilar
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 to Pharaoh
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 in Egypt.
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 If you remember
00:15:11 --> 00:15:11 the story
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 of the ten plagues
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 in the book
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 of Exodus
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 we hear over and over
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 how Pharaoh
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 hardens his own heart.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 He makes a decision.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:21 He says,
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 I don't know your God.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 Your God's nothing to me.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 But then we also hear
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 that God hardens
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 Pharaoh's heart.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 It's not one
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 or the other.
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 It's that Pharaoh
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 has rejected God
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 and so God
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 confirms him
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 in his hard
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 rejecting heart
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 and the possibility
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 of turning back
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 is gone.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 Not because God
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 can't save him
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 but because
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 he is committed
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 to his choice.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 He is unrepentant.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 He sees the choice
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 and he chooses
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 again and again
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 not to honour God
00:15:56 --> 00:15:56 as God.
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 The same is going on
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 for these two guys.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 They are absolutely
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 committed to rejecting God
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 that even when Eli
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 turns up and says
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 this isn't good
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 you shouldn't be doing this
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 they will not hear it.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:11 You've got to imagine
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 if I was
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 secretly
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 having an affair
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 if I was secretly
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 committing adultery
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 the longer
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 that I do that
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 the more regularly
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 I have to tell myself
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 that God doesn't matter.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 If I know it's wrong
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 each time
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 that I go and meet
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 with this woman
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 I tell myself
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 God doesn't matter
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 and I become
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 more and more
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 calloused
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 more and more
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 hardened to hearing
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 what God has to say
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 about that situation.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 The first time
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 there might be a bit of
00:16:42 --> 00:16:42 you know
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 to and fro
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 in my heart
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 there might be a moral
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 should I or shouldn't I
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 but the tenth time
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 or the hundredth time
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 progressively
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 I will get harder
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 and harder
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 in my heart
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 to the point
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 where I could see
00:16:55 --> 00:16:55 a flashing
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 vision of angels
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 telling me to repent
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 and go the other way
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 and I would nod,
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 smile
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 and continue on
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 in my sin.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 These guys
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 are so established
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 in their pattern
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 of ignoring God
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 they are so committed
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 to their rebellion
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 that God
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 confirms them
00:17:15 --> 00:17:15 in it
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 they have crossed
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 the line.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 Now we don't know
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 where this line is
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 but the passage
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 warns us
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 God will
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 confirm
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 people
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 who harden
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 their hearts
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 like this.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 Now this isn't
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 a license for us
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 to look around
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 at people in our lives
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 and go they're
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 too far gone.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 That's not what
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 it's saying.
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 You don't know
00:17:35 --> 00:17:35 where the line is.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 I don't know
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 where the line is.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 God does.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 But at very least
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 this is a call to us
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 and a warning for us
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 that we need to take
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 sin in our lives
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 seriously.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 It's really dangerous
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 for us to just
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 kind of settle
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 in to sin.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 Accept sin.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 We need to confess
00:17:55 --> 00:17:55 quickly
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 and trust
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 that our God
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 can forgive us
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 and transform us
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 because there is
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 a warning there
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 that if we continue
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 we are hardening
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 our hearts
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 to the majesty
00:18:06 --> 00:18:06 of Jesus.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 We are switching
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 ourselves off
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 to the offer
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 of forgiveness
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 and we are flirting
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 with the righteous
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 judgment
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 that God will
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 and should bring
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 on his enemies.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:21 But it's not just
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 Hophni and Phinehas
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 who God judges
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 in this passage.
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 Eli cops it as well.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 Now for Hophni and Phinehas
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 their sin is obvious.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 It's catalogued
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 for us there.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 It's really easy.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 No issues.
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 They were jerks.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 They probably deserve
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 what they got.
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 But what about Eli?
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 I find Eli
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 a strange character
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 in these first few
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 chapters of 1 Samuel.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 You kind of like him
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 at points
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 and then at other points
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 you're not sure
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 and you're kind of thinking
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 should I be on his team
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 or shouldn't I?
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 I mean the first episode
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 was him calling Hannah
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 a drunk
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 and telling her to go home
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 and you're thinking
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 dodgy.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 But then
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 he kind of backpedals
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 a little bit
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 prays for her
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 gets the answer.
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 There's even this little glimpse
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 in here
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 in verse 18
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 through to 21
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 which we'll look at
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 in a little while
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 where he prays again
00:19:05 --> 00:19:05 for Hannah
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 when she comes back
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 and he gets answers
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 to his prayer.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 Hannah gets more kids
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 and so you're kind of thinking
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 is he good
00:19:12 --> 00:19:12 or is he bad?
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 But God is
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 equally angry
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 with him.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 Potentially even
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 angrier
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 with him
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 and he sends a messenger
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 to let him know
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 in verse 27.
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 It says
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 a man of God
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 came to Eli
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 and said to him
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 this is what the Lord says
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 did I not clearly
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 reveal myself
00:19:31 --> 00:19:31 to your ancestors
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 family
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 when they were in Egypt
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 under Pharaoh?
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 I chose your ancestor
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 out of all the tribes
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 of Israel
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 to be my priest
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 to go up to my altar
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 to burn incense
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 and to wear an ephod
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 in my presence.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 I also gave your ancestors
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 family
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 all the food offerings
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 presented by the Israelites.
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 Why do you scorn
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 my sacrifice
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 and offering
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 that I prescribed
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 for my dwelling?
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 Why do you honour
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 your sons
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 more than me
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 by fattening yourselves
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 on the choice parts
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 of every offering
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 made by my people
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 Israel?
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 Therefore
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 the Lord
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 the God of Israel
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 declares
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 I promised
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 that members
00:20:06 --> 00:20:06 of your family
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 would minister
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 before me forever
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 but now
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 the Lord declares
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 far be it from me.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 Those who honour me
00:20:14 --> 00:20:14 I will honour
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 but those who despise me
00:20:16 --> 00:20:18 will be disdained.
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 The time is coming
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 when I will cut short
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 your strength
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 and the strength
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 of your priestly house
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 so that no one in it
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 will reach old age
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 and you will see distress
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 in my dwelling.
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 Although good
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 will be done to Israel
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 no one in your family line
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 will ever reach old age.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 Every one of you
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 that I do not cut off
00:20:36 --> 00:20:38 from serving at my altar
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 I will spare
00:20:39 --> 00:20:41 only to destroy your sight
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 and sap your strength
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 and all your descendants
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 will die
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 in the prime of life.
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 Those are some
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 fairly serious punishments
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 that God is about
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 to pour out on Eli.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 Hophni and Phinehas
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 they are going to die.
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 Eli's entire family line
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 will be cut off.
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 Those who aren't
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 will be just kept around
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 so that they can be
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 made a mockery of
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 so that they can be
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 distressed
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 at the situation
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 that has come
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 upon them.
00:21:09 --> 00:21:11 God chose
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 Eli's family
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 by grace
00:21:13 --> 00:21:16 but Eli
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 has taken it
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 for granted.
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 Now you might
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 look at this story
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 and think
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 what more
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 is Eli
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 supposed to do?
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 I mean he rebukes
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 his sons
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 he sits them down
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 and he has a chat
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 with them
00:21:26 --> 00:21:31 but it's half-hearted
00:21:31 --> 00:21:31 at best
00:21:31 --> 00:21:34 and you can tell.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 Have a look
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 at verse 29
00:21:36 --> 00:21:39 why do you
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 scorn my sacrifice
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 and offering?
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 I don't know
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 about your Bible
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 but some of your Bibles
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 might have on that
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 you
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 the third word
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 of verse 29
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 a little letter
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 or a little mark
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 and down the bottom
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 of your page
00:21:51 --> 00:21:51 it will tell you
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 that you is plural.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 Why do yous
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 scorn
00:21:57 --> 00:22:00 my sacrifice
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 and offering?
00:22:01 --> 00:22:05 Eli
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 has been
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 sharing
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 in the stealing
00:22:08 --> 00:22:10 that Hophni
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 and Phinehas
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 has been doing.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 Not that he's been
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 sending his servant
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 along
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 not that he's been
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 doing it himself
00:22:16 --> 00:22:18 but halfway
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 through the verse
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 why do you
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 honour your sons
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 more than me
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 by fattening
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 yourselves
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 on the choice
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 parts of every
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 offering
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 made by my
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 people
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 Israel?
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 Yeah
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 he said to his
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 sons
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 you guys need
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 to stop this
00:22:31 --> 00:22:31 it's giving us
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 a bad reputation
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 but at the same time
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 he had a mouthful
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 of the meat
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 that had been
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 stolen from a sacrifice.
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 It's almost as if
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 Chris Jones
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 had discovered
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 that Tim
00:22:41 --> 00:22:41 was stealing
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 from the offertory
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 as the bags
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 were going around
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 and he said
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 Tim I really
00:22:45 --> 00:22:45 want you to stop
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 it it's not okay
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 as he took
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 the 50 from Tim
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 that was his
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 take for the week.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 It's that blatant.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 He seems like
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 he's doing the right
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 thing when he says
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 sons you have to
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 stop this.
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 He seems somewhat
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 aware that they
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 will be accountable
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 to God
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 but at the same
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 time
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 he doesn't
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 really do
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 anything about
00:23:04 --> 00:23:04 it.
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 He eats the
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 meat that he
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 shouldn't be
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 eating
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 and on one
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 level he just
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 endorses what
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 they're doing.
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 He keeps them
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 as priests
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 he continues
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 to supervise
00:23:14 --> 00:23:14 them
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 and ultimately
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 he is responsible
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 for their sin
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 not because
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 he doesn't
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 stop them
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 but because
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 he shares in
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 it as well.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 But maybe
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 the more scary
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 one there in
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 verse 29
00:23:27 --> 00:23:30 why do you
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 honour your
00:23:30 --> 00:23:32 sons more
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 than me?
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 Eli is the
00:23:37 --> 00:23:39 priest of
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 God's nation
00:23:40 --> 00:23:42 and it says
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 he cares for
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 his sons
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 more than
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 he cares for
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 his God.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 He was chosen
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 his primary
00:23:49 --> 00:23:51 role was to
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 be representative
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 of the people
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 towards God
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 and God
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 towards the
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 people and
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 he is
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 distracted
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 by his
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 relationship
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 with his
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 sons.
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 His dodgy
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 sons.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 It's not like
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 even they were
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 amazing kids
00:24:03 --> 00:24:06 and yet
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 he loves
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 them more
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 than he
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 loves his
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 God.
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 This is even
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 more dramatic
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 when you think
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 about Hannah
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 just a couple
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 of chapters
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 earlier.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 Hannah is
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 given her
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 first and
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 only son
00:24:17 --> 00:24:19 after years
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 of being
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 distressed
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 at her
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 barrenness
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 and what
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 does she
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 do?
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 She
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 hands him
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 back to
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 God
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27 because she
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 loves her
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 God
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 more.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 It's not
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 that she
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 doesn't love
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 her son
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 and we'll
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 see in a
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 second that
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 she's still
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 visiting him
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 and dropping
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 off clothes
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 for him.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 She still
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 cares for
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 him but
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 she loves
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 her God
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 the most
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 and she
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 recognises
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 that her
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 son is a
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 gift for
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 God.
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 Whereas
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 Eli the
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 priest
00:24:46 --> 00:24:48 cares more
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 about whether
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 or not he's
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 getting on
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 with his
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 sons.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52 He
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 doesn't
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 want to
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 have a
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 fight at
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 home every
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 day about
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 the things
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 they're doing
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 so he
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 kind of
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 shrugs his
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 shoulders and
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 goes along.
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 God is
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 worthy of
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 undivided
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 devotion.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 God
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 cannot and
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 must not
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 share his
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 honour with
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 something or
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 someone else.
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 Hannah said
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 it blatantly
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 in chapter 2
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 look at it
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 again verse 2
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 there is no
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 one holy
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 like the
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 Lord.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 There is no
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 one besides
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 you.
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 There is no
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 rock like
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 our God.
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 God is
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 far greater
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 and more
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 significant
00:25:25 --> 00:25:27 and more
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 worthy than
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 anything or
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 person or
00:25:30 --> 00:25:32 experience or
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 anything else
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 that we have
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 in our lives.
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 For Eli his
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 sin is more
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 subtle.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 You might not
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 have looked at
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 him and thought
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 that he was
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 somebody who
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 scorned his
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 God.
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 But just
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 because his
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 sin is subtle
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 doesn't mean
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 it's not
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 serious.
00:25:48 --> 00:25:50 sin is
00:25:50 --> 00:25:50 idolatry.
00:25:55 --> 00:25:55 He's
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 worshipping
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 the relationship
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 he has with
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 his sons
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 instead of
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 worshipping
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 his God.
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 This is
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 almost a
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 summary of
00:26:04 --> 00:26:04 what Israel
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 is like at
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 this point
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 in history.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:07 This priest
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 is supposed
00:26:08 --> 00:26:08 to lead the
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 people in
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 their devotion
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 to God.
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 He's supposed
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 to be at
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 the front
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 of the pack
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 the example
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 to be
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 followed
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15 but instead
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 he loves
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 his sons
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 more.
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 Or at
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 least he
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 likes the
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 idea of
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 keeping the
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 peace at
00:26:21 --> 00:26:21 home more
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 than he
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 likes the
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 idea of
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 loving God
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 and obeying
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 him.
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 Now again
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 Eli couldn't
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 necessarily have
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 stopped them
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 from being
00:26:30 --> 00:26:30 dodgy sons.
00:26:32 --> 00:26:32 That might have
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 just been who
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 they were but
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 he did have
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 the power to
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 take them out
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 of the
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 priesthood.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 He did have
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 the power to
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 remove them
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 from their
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 place of
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 privilege in
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 God's
00:26:42 --> 00:26:44 temple but
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 instead he
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 tolerates it.
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 Instead he
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 honours them.
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 Now this is a
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 hard thing for
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 us to wrestle
00:26:53 --> 00:26:53 with because
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 in our
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 culture being
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 tolerant is
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 the ultimate
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 compliment.
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 Intolerance
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 is the worst
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 thing you could
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 say about
00:27:01 --> 00:27:01 anyone.
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 Tolerance is
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 the highest
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 virtue and
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 Christians are
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 renowned because
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 we're supposed to
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 be intolerant and
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 that makes us
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 ignorant and
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 foolish and
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 bigoted.
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 But is it
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 possible that
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 tolerance is not
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 always a
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 virtue?
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 Is it
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 good to
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 tolerate
00:27:18 --> 00:27:20 starvation of
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 innocent people?
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 Is it
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 good to
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 tolerate abuse?
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 Tolerance is
00:27:27 --> 00:27:27 not always a
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29 good thing and
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 tolerance of sin
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 in other people
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 is often just
00:27:32 --> 00:27:34 evidence of
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 idolatry in our
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 own lives.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 It often just
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 points to the
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 fact that what
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 we care about
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 most is that
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 that person
00:27:40 --> 00:27:42 likes me rather
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 than they honour
00:27:43 --> 00:27:43 God and I
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 honour God.
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 God.
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 What we care
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 about most is
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 that everybody
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 gets along rather
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 than the God of
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 heaven and earth
00:27:49 --> 00:27:49 is treated as
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 the God of
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 heaven and
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 earth.
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 The one who
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 is to be
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 obeyed above
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 all else.
00:27:55 --> 00:27:55 Think about
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 the last time
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 that someone
00:27:56 --> 00:27:58 you know was
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 in an obvious
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 sin.
00:28:01 --> 00:28:01 It won't take
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 much thinking.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 But think about
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 the conversation
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 you had with
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 yourself.
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 Do I
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 challenge them
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 on this?
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 Do I bring
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 it up?
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 The number of
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 times that I
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 know that I
00:28:14 --> 00:28:14 have talked
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 myself out
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 of confronting
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 a brother or
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 sister who
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 is in sin
00:28:18 --> 00:28:21 because I'm
00:28:21 --> 00:28:21 more concerned
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 about what
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 they'll do
00:28:23 --> 00:28:23 to me
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 afterwards.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 How they'll
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 relate to me.
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 How they'll
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 respond to me.
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 What about
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 sin in your
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 own life?
00:28:35 --> 00:28:35 Do you
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 confess it to
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 other people
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 because you
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 care most
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 that God is
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 honoured?
00:28:40 --> 00:28:42 or do you
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 keep it a
00:28:43 --> 00:28:43 secret and
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 hope that no
00:28:44 --> 00:28:44 one finds
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 out because
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 you care
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 more that
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 people respect
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 you?
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 That people
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 think you're
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 a good
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 respectable
00:28:52 --> 00:28:52 person?
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 We pretend
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 that these
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 conversations are
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 avoided out of
00:28:58 --> 00:28:58 love.
00:28:59 --> 00:28:59 I don't want to
00:28:59 --> 00:28:59 hurt their
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 feelings.
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 I don't want
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 to be
00:29:01 --> 00:29:01 judgmental.
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 I'm not the
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 right person to
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 talk to them.
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 But really,
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 often, it's out
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 of love for us
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 that we don't
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 have those
00:29:08 --> 00:29:08 conversations.
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 It's because I
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 want to protect
00:29:11 --> 00:29:11 myself.
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 When you love
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 something more
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 than God,
00:29:17 --> 00:29:17 that's
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 idolatry.
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 When you love
00:29:21 --> 00:29:21 something the
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 same amount as
00:29:22 --> 00:29:24 God, that's
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 idolatry.
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 Our God stands
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 alone above
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 all else and is
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 to be worshipped
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 and honoured
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 above all else.
00:29:33 --> 00:29:35 It is a gift
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 of grace that he
00:29:35 --> 00:29:37 even invites us to
00:29:37 --> 00:29:37 know him in the
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 first place.
00:29:39 --> 00:29:39 And we need to
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 be careful not to
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 reject that gift
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 like Eli did.
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 We need to be
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 careful not to
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 take it for
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 granted.
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 The demand for
00:29:47 --> 00:29:47 us as God's
00:29:47 --> 00:29:49 people is
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 undivided
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 commitment to
00:29:50 --> 00:29:52 and passion for
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 God's name
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 above all else.
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 There is a
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 heaviness in
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 this passage.
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 There is the
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 right judgment
00:30:02 --> 00:30:02 on both
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 Hophni and
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 Phinehas and
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 Eli as well.
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 But there is a
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 glimmer of hope.
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 Look back with
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 me to verse 11.
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 Then Elkanah
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 went home to
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 Ramah, but the
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 boy, that's
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 Samuel, ministered
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 before the Lord
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 under Eli the
00:30:19 --> 00:30:19 priest.
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 It's the first
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 time in this
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 book that the
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 word ministered
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 has been used
00:30:23 --> 00:30:25 of anyone who
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 is at the
00:30:26 --> 00:30:26 temple.
00:30:27 --> 00:30:28 Jump down to
00:30:28 --> 00:30:28 verse 18.
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 Samuel was
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 ministering before
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 the Lord, a
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 boy wearing a
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 linen ephod,
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 that's a
00:30:34 --> 00:30:34 priest's clothes.
00:30:34 --> 00:30:36 Each year his
00:30:36 --> 00:30:36 mother made him
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 a little robe
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 and took it to
00:30:38 --> 00:30:38 him when she
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 went up with
00:30:39 --> 00:30:39 her husband to
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 offer the
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 annual sacrifice.
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 Eli would
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 bless Elkanah and
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 his wife saying,
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 May the Lord
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 give you children
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 by this woman to
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 take the place of
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 the one she
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 prayed for and
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 gave to the
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 Lord.
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 Then they would
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 go home and
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 the Lord was
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 gracious to
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 Hannah.
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 She gave birth
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 to three sons
00:30:54 --> 00:30:54 and two daughters.
00:30:55 --> 00:30:57 Meanwhile, the
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 boy Samuel grew
00:30:58 --> 00:30:58 up in the
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 presence of the
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 Lord.
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 And then down to
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 verse 26.
00:31:02 --> 00:31:10 There is this
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 incredible contrast.
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 You could almost
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 miss it just for
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 the weight of
00:31:13 --> 00:31:15 judgment in this
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 passage.
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 But as we hear
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 about the
00:31:17 --> 00:31:19 hopelessness of
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 the current
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 priesthood, there's
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 this young boy that
00:31:21 --> 00:31:22 we met in chapter
00:31:22 --> 00:31:24 one who is
00:31:24 --> 00:31:24 beginning his
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 life of service
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 to God.
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 With this
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 constant tide of
00:31:28 --> 00:31:30 faithlessness and
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 disobedience, there
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 is just the
00:31:32 --> 00:31:32 verses that
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 remind us that
00:31:33 --> 00:31:34 there was one
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 ministering before
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 the Lord.
00:31:36 --> 00:31:36 One that we
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 know God
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 provided in
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 spectacular
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 circumstances.
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 God's faithfulness
00:31:41 --> 00:31:43 to his people is
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 not dependent on
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 what his people do
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 or don't do.
00:31:47 --> 00:31:47 God is not
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 dependent on a
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 faithless priesthood.
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 He can make a
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 barren woman give
00:31:53 --> 00:31:53 birth to a
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 replacement priest.
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 God can provide a
00:31:56 --> 00:31:58 better priest to
00:31:58 --> 00:32:00 replace Eli, to
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 lead his people.
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 God can
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 do it.
00:32:03 --> 00:32:03 There's an
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 incredible promise
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 down in the end
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 of this chapter.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 If you go down to
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 verse 35.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 I will raise up for
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 myself a faithful
00:32:11 --> 00:32:12 priest who will do
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 according to what is
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 in my heart and
00:32:14 --> 00:32:14 mind.
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 I will firmly
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 establish his
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 priestly house and
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 they will minister
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 before my anointed
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 one always.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 One of the great
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 things about promises
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 in the Old
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 Testament is that
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 often you get more
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 than one
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 fulfillment.
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 You get little
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 glimmers of
00:32:31 --> 00:32:31 fulfillment in the
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 short term but
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 often we're
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 looking forward.
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 This is partially
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 talking about
00:32:37 --> 00:32:37 Samuel.
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 That's what all
00:32:38 --> 00:32:38 those little
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 verses littered
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 through this
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 chapter are
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 trying to tell
00:32:40 --> 00:32:41 us that Samuel
00:32:41 --> 00:32:41 is going to be
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 better.
00:32:43 --> 00:32:43 But if we sneak
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 a bit further
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 down through this
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 book we're going
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 to find out that
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 Samuel's sons are
00:32:47 --> 00:32:49 scarily similar to
00:32:49 --> 00:32:49 Eli's sons.
00:32:50 --> 00:32:51 They fall short
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 and they fail in
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 spite of what a
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 great priest and
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 leader Samuel is.
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 But this promise
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 points forward.
00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 Samuel 2.26 is
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 echoed in the
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 Gospel of Luke
00:33:02 --> 00:33:04 describing someone
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 else.
00:33:06 --> 00:33:06 It says,
00:33:07 --> 00:33:09 Jesus grew in
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 wisdom and
00:33:10 --> 00:33:12 stature and in
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 favor with God
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 and men.
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 It's not an
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 accident.
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 This promise was
00:33:18 --> 00:33:20 looking forward to
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 the priest that
00:33:21 --> 00:33:21 would actually
00:33:21 --> 00:33:23 fulfill God's
00:33:23 --> 00:33:23 desire.
00:33:23 --> 00:33:23 desire.
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 There's this
00:33:25 --> 00:33:27 amazing clue in
00:33:27 --> 00:33:27 this passage that
00:33:27 --> 00:33:29 for me just kept
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 distracting me as I
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 read through it each
00:33:31 --> 00:33:31 time.
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 When Eli's rebuking
00:33:32 --> 00:33:34 his sons, listen to
00:33:34 --> 00:33:34 what he says.
00:33:35 --> 00:33:36 If one person sins
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 against another, God
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 may mediate for the
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 offender.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 But if anyone sins
00:33:40 --> 00:33:42 against the Lord, who
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 will intercede for
00:33:43 --> 00:33:43 them?
00:33:44 --> 00:33:45 I mean if it's two
00:33:45 --> 00:33:47 people fighting, God
00:33:47 --> 00:33:47 can step in.
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 God has the power.
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 But what about when
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 you offend God?
00:33:51 --> 00:33:52 Who has the right to
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 stand there and
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 represent you before
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 God?
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 Eli knows that he
00:33:57 --> 00:33:57 doesn't.
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 He knows that his
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 sons don't.
00:33:59 --> 00:34:00 He probably even
00:34:00 --> 00:34:00 knows that Samuel
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 don't.
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 But I don't think he
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 understands just how
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 significant his
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 words were.
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 He desired somebody
00:34:07 --> 00:34:09 who could go between
00:34:09 --> 00:34:10 imperfect people and
00:34:10 --> 00:34:12 God forever.
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17 And in Hebrews 7,
00:34:17 --> 00:34:20 we read this amazing
00:34:20 --> 00:34:20 thing.
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 Hebrews 7 verse
00:34:23 --> 00:34:23 23.
00:34:23 --> 00:34:25 Now there have been
00:34:25 --> 00:34:26 many of those
00:34:26 --> 00:34:27 priests since death
00:34:27 --> 00:34:28 prevented them from
00:34:28 --> 00:34:29 continuing in office.
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 But because Jesus
00:34:31 --> 00:34:33 lives forever, he has a
00:34:33 --> 00:34:35 permanent priesthood.
00:34:36 --> 00:34:37 Therefore he is able to
00:34:37 --> 00:34:39 save completely those who
00:34:39 --> 00:34:40 come to God through him
00:34:40 --> 00:34:43 because he always lives to
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 intercede for them.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:46 Such a high priest truly
00:34:46 --> 00:34:47 meets our need.
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48 One who is holy,
00:34:49 --> 00:34:51 blameless, pure, set apart
00:34:51 --> 00:34:53 from sinners, exalted
00:34:53 --> 00:34:54 above the heavens.
00:34:54 --> 00:34:55 Unlike the other high
00:34:55 --> 00:34:57 priests, he does not
00:34:57 --> 00:34:58 need to offer sacrifices
00:34:58 --> 00:34:59 day after day.
00:34:59 --> 00:35:00 First for his own sins
00:35:00 --> 00:35:02 and then for the sins
00:35:02 --> 00:35:02 of the people.
00:35:03 --> 00:35:05 He sacrificed for their
00:35:05 --> 00:35:06 sins once for all
00:35:06 --> 00:35:09 when he offered himself.
00:35:11 --> 00:35:12 Who will intercede for
00:35:12 --> 00:35:14 sinful people like us?
00:35:15 --> 00:35:17 For sinful people like Eli
00:35:17 --> 00:35:19 and all Israel when we
00:35:19 --> 00:35:20 sin against God?
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24 Jesus will.
00:35:26 --> 00:35:28 Who will represent us
00:35:28 --> 00:35:29 before God when we
00:35:29 --> 00:35:30 don't deserve it?
00:35:33 --> 00:35:34 Jesus will.
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36 Who has the right to
00:35:36 --> 00:35:37 stand before a holy God?
00:35:40 --> 00:35:43 Only God's Son, Jesus.
00:35:43 --> 00:35:47 If we acknowledge our
00:35:47 --> 00:35:50 sin and repent, Jesus
00:35:50 --> 00:35:51 is our great high priest.
00:35:53 --> 00:35:53 He has offered the
00:35:53 --> 00:35:55 sufficient once for all
00:35:55 --> 00:35:56 time sacrifice.
00:35:56 --> 00:35:57 He has offered his own
00:35:57 --> 00:35:59 body and his own blood
00:35:59 --> 00:36:00 in our place and he
00:36:00 --> 00:36:02 lives forever to
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03 intercede for us.
00:36:05 --> 00:36:06 He sits in the presence
00:36:06 --> 00:36:07 of the heavenly father
00:36:07 --> 00:36:08 right now speaking on my
00:36:08 --> 00:36:10 behalf as I fail time and
00:36:10 --> 00:36:11 time again.
00:36:11 --> 00:36:14 Jesus is God's grace to
00:36:14 --> 00:36:15 us.
00:36:15 --> 00:36:16 Not to be used as a
00:36:16 --> 00:36:17 license to do whatever
00:36:17 --> 00:36:19 we want because we've
00:36:19 --> 00:36:21 got this free pass but to
00:36:21 --> 00:36:22 be trusted and rejoiced in
00:36:22 --> 00:36:23 and depended on.
00:36:27 --> 00:36:28 I want to finish tonight by
00:36:28 --> 00:36:30 inviting you to confess
00:36:30 --> 00:36:30 sin.
00:36:32 --> 00:36:34 But I want to invite you to
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 do it joyfully.
00:36:36 --> 00:36:39 Sin is serious and there is
00:36:39 --> 00:36:40 a weight of sin that we
00:36:40 --> 00:36:41 have seen in the judgment
00:36:41 --> 00:36:42 that God pours out on his
00:36:42 --> 00:36:44 people in this passage.
00:36:45 --> 00:36:47 But because of Jesus we
00:36:47 --> 00:36:49 get to confess joyfully and
00:36:49 --> 00:36:50 confidently.
00:36:51 --> 00:36:53 We've been warned not to
00:36:53 --> 00:36:55 hold on to sin, not to live
00:36:55 --> 00:36:56 in a pattern of sin.
00:36:57 --> 00:36:58 And so tonight I want to
00:36:58 --> 00:37:02 invite you to confess the
00:37:02 --> 00:37:03 times that you have loved
00:37:03 --> 00:37:05 things more than you have
00:37:05 --> 00:37:05 loved God.
00:37:06 --> 00:37:07 The times that you have
00:37:07 --> 00:37:08 treated him like he doesn't
00:37:08 --> 00:37:09 matter.
00:37:10 --> 00:37:12 I don't know what your sin
00:37:12 --> 00:37:14 looks like and I don't need
00:37:14 --> 00:37:14 to know.
00:37:17 --> 00:37:21 God does and he wants you to
00:37:21 --> 00:37:23 confess it knowing that his
00:37:23 --> 00:37:25 great high priest, his son
00:37:25 --> 00:37:28 Jesus has paid for it and is
00:37:28 --> 00:37:32 sufficient and mighty to save.
00:37:33 --> 00:37:34 I want you to just take a
00:37:34 --> 00:37:34 moment right now.
00:37:34 --> 00:37:35 We're just going to sit in
00:37:35 --> 00:37:36 quiet for a second.
00:37:36 --> 00:37:37 I want you to reflect on
00:37:37 --> 00:37:38 your own life and the
00:37:38 --> 00:37:39 things you need to give to
00:37:39 --> 00:37:40 God and I want you to give
00:37:40 --> 00:37:43 them joyfully to a God who
00:37:43 --> 00:37:45 loves you and can forgive you
00:37:45 --> 00:37:45 through his son.
00:37:45 --> 00:37:46 Amen.
00:38:15 --> 00:38:36 Let me pray for us.
00:38:36 --> 00:38:46 Father God, we do acknowledge that we are far too comfortable with sin in our own lives.
00:38:47 --> 00:38:53 We want to apologize for the things that we elevate and exalt to be level with you or even above you in our affections.
00:38:55 --> 00:39:00 And God, we want to ask that you would reveal yourself in such a way that you make those things fade.
00:39:00 --> 00:39:06 That love for you would be an inevitable result of seeing you in your majesty and glory.
00:39:07 --> 00:39:17 We want to thank you tonight for reminding us that in spite of our failure, in spite of all of humanity's inability to fulfill what it is to know you,
00:39:18 --> 00:39:21 you have provided for us the perfect substitute in Jesus.
00:39:21 --> 00:39:30 You have provided for us the forever high priest who forever intercedes for us, whoever represents us in your presence.
00:39:30 --> 00:39:37 Father, please give us hearts that are joyful to confess our failures.
00:39:39 --> 00:39:45 Please give us confidence that as we confess even now tonight that you forgive and that you restore
00:39:46 --> 00:39:53 and that you work in us to change our hearts and our minds to be more and more like your son Jesus.
00:39:53 --> 00:40:04 Father, please consume our consciousness in such a way that our whole lives are driven out of devotion for you, out of love for you.
00:40:05 --> 00:40:13 Please daily remind us of the sacrifice of your son, that we might rejoice in the opportunity to know you
00:40:13 --> 00:40:15 and might live lives that honor you.
00:40:18 --> 00:40:20 Father, we thank you so much for Jesus.
00:40:22 --> 00:40:22 Amen.