1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2

Piper - WHEN GOD’S WILL IS THAT HIS WILL NOT BE DONE Meditation on 1 Samuel 2:22–25 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the LORD’s people circulating. If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death. It was too late for Eli’s sons. They had crossed the line of no return. The sentence had been given by the Lord. They were to be slain by the Lord. And they were slain, according to 1 Samuel 4:11. “And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” There are three implications of this text for our lives. 1. It is possible to sin so long and so grievously that the Lord will not grant repentance. That is why Paul said that after all our pleading and teaching, “God may grant them repentance”—not “will grant them repentance” (2 Timothy 2:25). “With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth …” (emphasis added). There is a “too late” in the life of sin. As it says of Esau in Hebrews 12:17, “He found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” He was forsaken; he could not truly repent. His heart was too hard. This does not mean that those who truly repent even after a whole lifetime of sinning cannot be saved. They certainly can be and will be! God is staggeringly merciful. Witness the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus had said, “The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). And so it proved to be for the thief on the cross in the eleventh hour. But no one knows where the point of no return is. The deciding factor is not a set number of years of sinning or a particular kind of sin. God alone knows in the case of each person where the line is crossed. This is a call for making haste to reconcile with God (Hebrews 3:15) and a call to be vigilant against willful and protracted sinning (Hebrews 10:26). 2. God may not permit a sinning person to do what is right. “But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to death.” Listening to the voice of their father was the right thing to do. But they would not. Why? “For the LORD desired to put them to death.” The reason given for why they did not obey their father was that God had other purposes for them and had given them up to sinning and death. This shows that there are times when the will of God’s decree is different from the will of God’s command. God commanded, “Children, obey your parents” (Ephesians 6:1). But in this case he willed that, instead of obedience, they persist in their sin and be slain. It was judgment. God is not sinning in this will of decree. He is ordering things so that sin continues for holy and just purposes. But willing that sin be in such cases is not sin. 3. Sometimes our prayers for God’s revealed will to be done will not be done because God has decreed something different to bring about his holy and wise purposes. I suppose that Eli prayed for his sons to be changed. That surely is how he should have prayed. God commanded that children obey their parents. So we should pray that they obey. But God had decreed that Hophni and Phinehas not obey, but rather be slain. When something like this happens (which we do not ordinarily know ahead of time) while we are crying out to God for change, the answer of God is not: “I don’t love you.” Nor is it, “I don’t hear you.” Nor is it even, “I don’t approve of your prayer.” Rather the answer is (even when we can’t hear it): “I have wise and holy purposes in not overcoming this sin and not granting repentance. You do not see these purposes now. Trust me. I know what I am doing. I love you.” These are the hardest times of submission to the will of God. We cry. We ache. We plead for change in our children or spouse or parents or colleague or neighbor. We make our case with God that his revealed will of holiness and faith and love come forth in their lives. But year after year we see no change. Oh, the test to faith this is! But let us not join the rebellion. Let us put our hands on our mouths and unclench our fists and prostrate ourselves before the Lord of infinite wisdom and justice and love. And let us say, when all our tears are spent, May the Lord do what seems good to him (1 Samuel 3:18). (Taste and See) 1 Samuel 2:23 He said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? BGT 1 Samuel 2:23 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα τί ποιεῖτε κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὃ ἐγὼ ἀκούω ἐκ στόματος παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ κυρίου KJV 1 Samuel 2:23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. NET 1 Samuel 2:23 He said to them, "Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these people. CSB 1 Samuel 2:23 He said to them, "Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. ESV 1 Samuel 2:23 And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. NIV 1 Samuel 2:23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. NLT 1 Samuel 2:23 Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? NRS 1 Samuel 2:23 He said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. RSV 1 Samuel 2:23 And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. YLT 1 Samuel 2:23 and he saith to them, 'Why do ye things like these? for I am hearing of your evil words from all the people -- these! NKJ 1 Samuel 2:23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. NJB 1 Samuel 2:23 and said, 'Why are you behaving as all the people say you are? Why: 1Ki 1:6 Ac 9:4 14:15 by all: Isa 3:9 Jer 3:3 8:12 Php 3:19 1 Samuel 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ELI'S SOFT REQUEST He said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? - Instead of asking "why do...such things" he should have said "why don't you repent of the evil." This "Casper Milquetoast" approach is not the level of confrontation which their gross immorality deserved! Instead of a strong rebuke, he asks a meaningless question! We know the answer to Eli's question -- they did not know Yahweh and they were worthless sons, sons of Belial (2Sa 2:12KJV who were acting like sons of their spiritual father, Belial, [2Cor 6:15+], aka the devil! Jn 8:44). Their unbelief naturally led to their ungodly behavior, which was not even secret sin, but open scandal among the Israelites. It is almost as if they were flaunting their sins. This was "in your face" wickedness, open sin against God, and the "hens would come home to roost!" One is reminded of Joseph's reply to the wife Potiphar's attempts to seduce him "How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?" (Ge 39:9) Hophni and Phinehas, even as priests, had to fear of offending God! Smith - Eli gives them but the faintest rebuke (ED: AN UNDERSTATEMENT!), and that apparently only because their misdeeds were in everybody's mouth; for the last clause of ver. 23 really is, "For I hear of your evil doings from all this people." Eli's old age may have increased his indifference, but his religious character could never have had much depth or earnestness, to allow him to regard such heinous sins so lightly. It seems even as if he chiefly felt the annoyance occasioned to himself by the expostulations urged upon him "from all this people."...The sins of men in high station do not end with themselves; they make others also to transgress. And as Eli's sons were Jehovah's ministers, and they had led into wickedness those who also were bound to holy service, their misconduct was a sin against Jehovah himself. (Pulpit Commentary)