Failures And The Lost Ark (1 Samuel 4)

One Friday night in 2013, the Union High Cougars of Roosevelt, Utah lost their football game. But they were about to lose a lot more. Their coach was waiting for them in the locker room. He let them know all 80 players from the varsity and junior varsity teams were cut. Right there and then they had to turn in their jerseys, helmets, and pads.^[1]

It wasn’t because they ran the wrong plays. It wasn’t because their defense wasn’t good enough. It was what was happening off the field that drove the coach to this drastic decision. The players were disrespecting teachers, skipping and failing classes, bullying other students.^[2]

The coach was convinced that he had to do what he could to get these young men back on track. And he firmly believed that personal character was much more important than athletic victory. And so, the coach handed them a letter which explained how any player could earn their jersey back again. The program wasn’t shut down. Games were still on the schedule. Who would rise to the challenge and do what’s right to get back in the game?

Parents were shocked, but in the end all of them agreed. One of them remarked, “building good character will make good men out of them.”^[3] The school didn’t receive a single parent complaint.^[4]

In this text, Israel suffers a stunning defeat. It keeps getting worse. By the end, there are casualties who weren’t even on the battlefield! Key players are cut off from God’s people. It’s not because the Philistines beat them. They were handed over by God. He knew this loss was necessary and the removal of bad players was necessary for the future of the nation. So He allowed His people to experience their lowest point since captivity in Egypt.^[5] But through it they – and we – learn that really spiritual victory means following God’s leading, not trying to use God to do our bidding.

1 Samuel 4:1-2 – ¹ Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. ² The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

The Philistines were a sea people who dominated the coastlands of Canaan.^[6] They had been an adversary of Israel throughout Judges, but they had been a problem since the Exodus. Their influence continues today because we get the word “Palestine” from the Philistines.^[7]

They were technologically advanced, particularly in weapons of war. They had iron chariots, which gave them a huge advantage in the coastal plains. But the Philistines wanted more territory, particularly the fertile hill regions east of their cities – areas populated by the Israelites.^[8]

But notice: The Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. Why? Certainly the Philistines were a problem and a threat, but there is no judge leading this charge. No rallying cry. No word from the Lord sending them to fight. Consider what we know about the state of the nation during this time, both from the closing chapters of Judges and the opening chapters of this book.

They are not ready for battle. They may be in battle formation, but they had no spiritual formation. All the way back in Exodus, God said this:

Exodus 13:17 – ¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.”

God made them ready by leading them and showing them how He wanted them to fight. By His command, by His leading, in His timing. But here they do what seems right in their own eyes.

The last battle Israel fought was against themselves. It was between the tribe of Benjamin and the other tribes. And in that fight they lost 65,000 men. It was an absolute disaster. But now they think they can face Philistines.

1 Samuel 4:3-5 – ³ When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD defeat us today before the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from our enemies.” ⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ⁵ When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook.

After their defeat, the elders asked a good question. They understood that they should have victory over the Philistines. After all, God had given them this land and God had promised He would drive out their enemies and God had backed up that promise with amazing demonstrations of power in the time of Joshua and through the Judges. If they lost at Aphek, something was wrong.

But what happens right after they ask the question? They immediately make a plan to bring the ark to the battlefield. They do the opposite what the leaders did in the last battle Israel fought.

Back in Judges 20, the tribes of Israel fight against Benjamin and lose, big time. In response they go to where the ark was (in Bethel). And there they wept and they sat before the Lord and they fasted and the offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to God. They prayed to God, “Should we keep doing what we’re doing or should we stop?”^[9] And finally God says, “This is what I want you to do.” And then they won the victory.

God is the Decider in your life. You may want to do something for Him, you may have a plan for your own life, you may think you know the best way to gain ground for your future, but God is the Decider. He is the King. He’s in charge. And when we don’t consult Him, we shouldn’t be surprised if we find ourselves defeated instead of victorious.

But the leaders in 1 Samuel 4 have forgotten this lesson. They ask the right question, but refuse to humble themselves. They refuse to submit to God’s direction and opinion. Instead, they say, “Bring us the ark.” You see – they think the ark is a weapon. They’re treating it like the Nazis did in Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Like it’s a magical talisman that will always work to destroy their enemies.

So they bring it in the camp and they shout a big shout. They’re trying to re-create Jericho. The ark, the shouting. But they’ve forgotten the most important piece. Our author wants us to see it. They’ve forgotten God’s covenant. He makes sure to use that word four times in three verses.

It is the ark of the covenant. The covenant of the LORD of Armies. It’s His army, not theirs. And He has not commanded them to fight. The ark is not a piece of ordinance. It is God’s throne. It is His footstool. His podium^[10] from which He communicates His guidance, His precepts, His glory.

Notice who brings the ark: Hophni and Phinehas. Two men totally out of covenant with God. But they people aren’t thinking of covenant. They say, “Let’s bring the ark…then it will save us.”

So two spiritual principles I want us to put in our hearts from this scene. First, God’s power is not wielded by our will. Here’s an easy example: There are people out there who claim they are faith healers. They act as though they can wield the power of God to heal whenever they want. One wonders why they don’t spend their time going from hospital to hospital rather than conference to conference. But God’s power is not wielded. He is not beholden to our whims.

And second, the Israelites thought this was a good idea. And there was a lot of hype. So much hype the ground shook. But it was all empty. Hype is not what we’re going for in the Christian life or in church ministry. Something we’re doing may seem like a good idea to us, but is it a good idea to the Holy Spirit? In Acts 15, the leaders of the Church wrote about some decisions they made and said, “It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” God leading. God involved. Not just us doing something we think is awesome and expecting God to pay the bill, but submitted to His opinion.

1 Samuel 4:6-11 – ⁶ The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp, ⁷ they panicked. “A god has entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ Woe to us! Who will rescue us from these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹ Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!” ¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe—thirty thousand of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

This was a total loss. They lost 30,000 soldiers. They lost their Tabernacle leadership. They lost the ark of God. And where it says, “Each man fled to his own tent,” that doesn’t just mean retreat, it means they abandoned military service altogether.^[11] In verse 2, Israel was “defeated.” In verse 10, they were slaughtered.^[12] In fact, our author uses the same word for the defeat in verse 10 that the Philistines used when talking about the “plagues” of Egypt.^[13]

Did you notice the things the Philistines said? They knew some of the story, but they were wrong about all the details. They don’t understand the God of Israel.

We live in a society that is less and less familiar with the story of the Bible and the truth of the Gospel. We can’t assume people know Who Jesus really was and what He really said. We certainly can’t expect them to act like Christians if they don’t even know Who Christ is. And so we want to grow in grace toward those who do not know and we need to be serious about proclaiming the full truth of the Gospel as we present it. And we present it both in word and in deed. We don’t want to be Christians the way these Israelites were Israelites. We can’t just wear a uniform and call it good.

One of the Union High School parents said at first he was concerned about the coach’s decision to penalize the whole team. But after getting an understanding of what was really going on he said, “If there is not unity with me and the coach, then I become part of the problem.”^[14]

God wants victory for us. But He wants righteousness more. He’ll allow defeat if it means we’ll get the message and turn back to Him, rather than think we’re the captains and kings of our own lives.

1 Samuel 4:12-15 – ¹² That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road waiting, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out. ¹⁴ Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” The man quickly came and reported to Eli. ¹⁵ At that time Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes didn’t move because he couldn’t see.

The warcry was nothing but empty hype. The result of going into a battle God didn’t send them to was not the shout of victory, but now a terrible outcry of anguish and sorrow.

Aphek was 22 miles from Shiloh.^[15] This fellow ran a marathon to bring word. It was likely the Philistines would continue down that coastal road to Shiloh and destroy the city.

Eli knew his sons took the ark. Hour after hour, he sat in darkness, his heart trembling with fear.^[16] It’s interesting, he’s not really concerned about his sons, but the ark. In his heart he knew they shouldn’t bring it. But, like so many other bad things he let happen, he let this happen, too. We have a duty of following the Lord rather than going our own way or doing what’s easy.

Eli is the leader of Israel. He’s the judge. He’s Hophni and Phineas’ dad. He’s responsible for the ark, for the army, for the nation. But the man most personally affected by the loss is the last to hear.^[17]

1 Samuel 4:16-18 – ¹⁶ The man said to Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. I fled from there today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked. ¹⁷ The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from the Philistines, and also there was a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” ¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel forty years.

Eli is literally dethroned from his position. Instead of leading God’s people into great spirituality, he’s sitting, unable to see. He had turned a blind eye to the sins of his sons, now he can’t see at all. When he fell, his own weight killed him. Why was he heavy? Because for years he had been eating the meat his sons stole from the faithful of Israel. But, sadly, the chain of tragedy has one more link before the day is done.

1 Samuel 4:19-22 – ¹⁹ Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her. ²⁰ As she was dying, the women taking care of her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay attention. ²¹ She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and to the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. ²² “The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “because the ark of God has been captured.” 

The real problem was not that the ark itself was gone. It’s that the ark represented God’s presence among His people.^[18] And if God was willing to let Israel be defeated they’ve got a much bigger problem than having Philistines next door. The ark was gone, but God could fix that. But what do we do when we’re not in fellowship with God? That’s a much greater problem than any circumstantial issue we face in life.

See – if you’re a Christian, God gives us victory through Jesus Christ, Who said we can be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. But when we disconnect our hearts and our lives from Jesus, we should expect defeat.

So, if I’ve fallen out of fellowship with God, how do I get back into it? It’s simple: Get back into it! The ark of God is going to be displaced for 20 years. And finally, you know what we read? “Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord.”^[19] And Samuel comes back on scene to say, “You want to return to the Lord? Then set your heart on Him and worship Him and stop being idolators.”

The coach of Union High School gave a letter to all those players. Here’s how you get back on the team. It was all basic stuff. Character. Serving others. Behavior that aligned with the values of the school. Sadly, when it was time to field a team for homecoming, not all players met the criteria.^[20] They could have. But it was a personal decision. A life choice. Some chose to do it, others wouldn’t.

In 2012, the Cougars had a different coach. He led the team to an 0-8 season. In 2014, the season after the new coach made his controversial decision, the Cougars went 9-3.^[21] Character matters. Direction matters.

God wants victory for us, but He wants victory on His terms, by His leading. Don’t get into battle formation without first being sure you’ve got the right spiritual formation. Don’t think of the Christian faith as God simply co-signing on everything we want to do, whether that’s in line with His precepts or not. Instead, our goal is to stay in obedient fellowship with God. To abide in Christ.

Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Christ. Remain in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. He is our Captain and King. He is the Director. He is the God Who dwells among us to accomplish His will in our lives as we love Him and trust Him and submit to Him.

There’s A New Seer In Town (1 Samuel 3:1-4:1)

In the 1980s, IBM was not only the most valuable tech company, it was the most valuable company in the world.^[1] It had 80% of the market and employed hundreds of thousands of people. But by 1993, Big Blue was dying. In the fourth quarter of that year – usually their strongest – they posted a $12 billion loss.^[2] It was the largest corporate loss in United States history.

John Akers was chairman and CEO at IBM from 1985 to 1993. He’s since been labeled one of the worst CEOs of all time.^[3] In those eight years, IBM lost three quarters of its market value.^[4] CNBC writes that his indecision paralyzed the company. But he insisted that he would not resign.

The powers that be forced him out. But who could right the ship? The board turned to an outsider named Lou Gerstner. Lou saw that IBM’s focus had become totally internal. They no longer considered customers. Instead, little groups within the company would “jealousy guard [their] own privileges.”^[5] Lou started changing things from the inside out. A year later, they had almost $400 million in profits. Five years later, the stock price was 12 times what it had been in 1993. And Lou has been labeled one of the greatest CEOs of all time.^[6]

There are parallels in that story and our text. God, by His providence, brought little Samuel – an outsider – into the Tabernacle. God was providing someone He could use to right the ship.

Israel was in bad shape. There was no unity. There was no spiritual power. Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. This is not how things should have been. How do you go from the strength we see in Joshua to the weakness of these opening chapters of Samuel? The answer is Judges. As people turned from obeying God, as they turned from the word of God, they became weaker and weaker, and the nation drifted closer and closer to disaster. But just as the last flicker of hope seems ready to burn out, God intervenes with power, with grace, with deliverance.

There’s one thing Lou Gerstner said that is the opposite of what we’ll see today. When he began as CEO he said, “The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision.”^[7] That was exactly what Israel needed.

1 Samuel 3:1 – ¹ The boy Samuel served the LORD in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the LORD was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.

This is not a good sign. God loves to reveal. He is a God Who speaks. He is a God Who calls and communicates. But His people, by and large, had little interest in listening.

The Proverbs warn us: “Without revelation, people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.”^[8] “Revelation” there is the same word used here in verse 1.

In those days, there’s no Moses to lead them. There’s no Joshua. They have a judge – but it’s Eli.^[9] And he’s demonstrated that he cannot lead with integrity or in the power of God.

Are we being led by God? Am I hearing from God? I don’t mean a miraculous vision, but is God’s Word speaking to you? Directing your steps? Filling your heart with strength and joy and resolve? That’s what He wants to do. If we have ears to hear, we can hear what He has to say.

1 Samuel 3:2-3 – ² One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place. ³ Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.

Let our author paint the image for you. Eli’s eyes are dim. The night is dark and the menorah is almost out of oil. There’s no movement in the Tabernacle. It’s not just a physical setting, it illustrates the spiritual reality of Israel at the time. This is a dark night before a new dawn.

Samuel is shown close to the Ark. He might not actually be sleeping in the Holy of Holies – that would be surprising – but he’s near the presence of God while Eli is further away in his usual place.

The text highlights the weakness of Eli’s eyes. In the next chapter we’ll see he’s gone totally blind. But that is a clue for us. When Moses is described in his old age, we’re told, “ Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not weak.”^[10]

Eli is no Moses. But the people need a Moses. They need a servant leader who will speak the word of God to them. And that’s why God brought Samuel to the Tabernacle.

God can do whatever He wants. He can speak a word and make anything happen He wants to happen. But that’s not what He usually does. What He wants to do is use human lives to do His work as He draws us to Himself, fills us with His power and truth, and sends us to be His hands and feet.

1 Samuel 3:4-9 – ⁴ Then the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. ⁶ Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.” ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ Once again, for the third time, the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy. ⁹ He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Samuel did not yet know the Lord. That is, he didn’t know God personally. He didn’t have his own relationship with God. Now here’s why that’s significant: Samuel had extremely Godly parents. Samuel was in a position and proximity that was closer to God than any other Hebrew at the time. But having believing parents doesn’t make you a believer. Sitting in church every Sunday doesn’t make you a Christian. Saving faith has to be personal. Not cultural or familial. Not that you do certain religious habits. You must be born again personally. You must know God.

How do we know God? Samuel didn’t know God because the word of God had not been revealed to him. God reveals Himself through His word. Jesus said He came in the volume of the Book. We’re told man does not live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The Bible is the God-breathed revelation of Who He is and how we can know Him. It washes us. It lights up our path. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^[11]

Now let’s notice some things about the tender kindness of our Lord. First, Samuel did not know the Lord, but God knew him! He saw Samuel. He called him by name. Second, notice the Lord’s patience. He was willing to call out four times as little Samuel was slowly introduced to this God he hadn’t met before. God treats him patiently and gently. Third, God is, frankly, a bit playful here. He sees how it’s going. He sees Eli can’t figure it out at first. But it’s almost like when you first play hide and seek with your toddler. We see God getting closer and more obvious as the scene plays out.

You may not know God, but He knows you. And He is calling you by name to respond to Him, to be rescued from sin and death. To receive salvation and have your life transformed forever. If you want to answer that call, do what Samuel did. Simply pray a response from the quiet of your heart: God, I hear You, I believe You, I want to serve You. And God will continue to reveal Himself to you.

1 Samuel 3:10 – ¹⁰ The LORD came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

First He calls, then He calls by name, now He calls Samuel’s name twice and is standing there in the room! This is a Theophany, which is an appearance of Jesus Christ on earth before His incarnation.

But notice how God calls his name twice in a row. Samuel, Samuel! We sense an urgency. It highlights how focused the Lord is on this boy’s life. We read it and think, “Wow! What a wonderful thing Samuel got to experience.” But you know, even though most of us won’t have this kind of visitation, our Lord has the same kind of attention and intention for us.

God did this double-name calling many times in the Bible. Moses, Moses. Jacob, Jacob. Abraham, Abraham. Simon, Simon. Martha, Martha. Saul, Saul. Each time because God wanted these individuals to understand His love and care for them and the life He was calling them into. God calls to you. Speaking from His word and by His Spirit to instruct, to encourage, to direct, to correct, to bring you closer to Him so that He can accomplish more for you. Are we listening?

1 Samuel 3:11-15 – ¹¹ The LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder. ¹² On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end. ¹³ I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God, and he has not stopped them. ¹⁴ Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.” ¹⁵ Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the LORD’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,

That’s a rough message for a kid to have to hear. You know, the Lord loves us and is patient and He is gentle, but at the same time, serving Him can be difficult. Sometimes we have to say hard things, do hard things. He’ll empower us to do it, but it’s not always easy.

By the time Lou Gerstner was done at IBM, things were great. Growth and profits and all that. But it wasn’t without difficulty. At first he had to lay off 35,000 people.^[12] That’s a hard call to make.

Why did God feel the need to send this message to Samuel since Eli already knew all of this? God even references how He had already said it – which He did through a different prophet in the last passage. So why load up Samuel’s little shoulders with such a heavy burden?

At least two reasons. First, God intended to establish Samuel as a prophet. He wanted everyone in Israel to know that when Samuel spoke the word of God, it was authentic and authoritative. So God is giving Samuel an opportunity here to begin that role as a prophet.

But second, God is giving Samuel an opportunity to obey his calling. God was calling Samuel to be an important part of what He was doing for Israel. Samuel was going to have to say some weighty and difficult things as kings are anointed, rejected, and judged. Was he willing to do what God asked him to do? Sometimes we don’t do what God asks us to do, right? Consider Jonah. Called to prophesy to Nineveh. He didn’t want to do it. And so, this is also a chance for Samuel to choose to obey God, even though it was hard and even though he didn’t want to tell Eli because he loved Eli.

Up in verse 6, Eli called Samuel “my son.” It was a term of endearment.^[13] Eli was essentially Samuel’s adoptive father. So, would Samuel honor God or Eli more?

1 Samuel 3:16-18 – ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel. ¹⁷ “What was the message he gave you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the LORD. Let him do what he thinks is good.”

It’s sad that Eli held Samuel to a higher standard than he did his own sons. But that lines up with what we’ve seen of poor Eli this whole time. He’s losing his spiritual vision. He’s a paralyzed leader. And here, he simply resigns himself to the message. He doesn’t tear his clothes. He doesn’t repent. He doesn’t plead for God’s mercy. When he realized God was calling out to Samuel, he didn’t bother getting out of bed to go witness it himself! When a person gives up on spirituality like that, when a person allows their relationship with God to be that cold and that dormant and that disinterested, God eventually sets that person aside and works in the lives of those who will follow Him and honor Him. And, thankfully, Samuel was faithful to serve, faithful to deliver the message, faithful to do what Eli wouldn’t and that’s put God first, even when it was scary.

1 Samuel 3:19-4:1a – ¹⁹ Samuel grew. The LORD was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied., ²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the LORD. ²¹ The LORD continued to appear in Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel by his word. ^4v1 And Samuel’s words came to all Israel.

Lou Gerstner didn’t only help IBM make money. He was also worked to better public education. For his efforts and contributions, in 2001 he was a made a Knight of the British Empire.

Samuel was being raised up to serve God. He was the first named prophet since Moses and he would be Israel’s last judge. Because God wanted people to understand a new day was dawning in the spiritual and political history of Israel, He made sure everyone from the northern border to the southern border knew he was a legitimate prophet.

There are people out there today who claim to be prophets or who prophesy what God is about to do. A while back, a prominent church had a fellow who was running for governor come on stage and prophesy that the greatest revival ever is about to break out and that one of the prophetic proofs of that was that he would win the California governor’s race. He didn’t even make the ballot.

A prophet isn’t a prophet because they say so. They’re a prophet if they’re confirmed by the work of God. Now, Samuel did prophesy and he was called to a unique, dramatic work. But that should not discourage us as if we’re unimportant in God’s plan. The truth is, the term used for Samuel here which is translated as “prophet” originally meant “one called to duty by God.”^[14] It’s not only about telling the future. It’s about hearing God’s word and proclaiming it. You know, Abraham is called a prophet. And Aaron. And David. People we don’t really categorize with Elijah and Ezekiel.

But all of us are called to live a life with the Lord, as Samuel lived, a life submitted to and saturated with the word of God, like Samuel’s was. And to be used to proclaim God’s word like Samuel did.

God is still calling people by name. His word still goes out to light up a world that is growing darker and darker. If we have ears to hear, let’s hear what the Lord has to say and respond to it, act upon it, live lives according to it. Continuing in the Word and being set free by God’s truth.

Lou Gerstner wrote this about his time at IBM: “Changing the attitude and behavior of thousands of people is very, very hard to accomplish. You can’t simply give a couple of speeches or write a new credo for the company and declare that a new culture has taken hold. You can’t mandate it, can’t engineer it. What you can do is create the conditions for transformation.”^[15]

God sends out the call. He has revealed His word. It is alive. It does not return void. He has provided the power necessary for transformation. But it happens when we answer. When we have ears to hear. When we acknowledge He is King and He is Master and we say, “Speak, Lord, your servants are listening.” Remembering that He has called us into a life, into a position, into opportunities to proclaim His word, accomplish His work, light up the dark as He shines through us.

Bad Boys (1 Samuel 2:22-36)

In the early 1800s, a man named William Jackson made himself a fortune in India. He returned to England, able to afford the good life among high society. Flush with cash, his teenage son, Will Jr. indulged in many vices. Indulgence turned to immorality. He didn’t look like a criminal – he wore elegant clothing and carried himself as a member of the elite.^[1] But he ran up debts. He stole gold watches and diamond rings. He forged checks. His personal life was extremely scandalous.

William Sr. was embarrassed. Privately he wrote to Will telling him to stop his wickedness. He even wrote a three volume book about how bad his son was and how good he was as a father. It was never published. Maybe even he didn’t believe it. He may have complained to Will in private, but in public he used his influence to shield his son from his creditors.^[2] He gave Will an allowance, which Will used to get comfortable rooms and a non-stop flow of alcohol. When Jr. was on trial, his father paid for top barristers to get him off on technicalities. But Will Jr. would not correct course.

We feel badly for the father, but then realize that Will Jr. was just 15, 16, and 17 when these things were happening. He was financially, legally, and morally under his father’s authority. But William Sr. was almost totally absent in his parenting. He thought he had done his duty by making a fortune. His complaints to his son fell flat since they were followed by more money, more favors, more work to cover his son’s crimes. And, as a result, the story ended tragically for both father and son.

In this text, Eli is confronted about the wickedness he allows his sons to commit. But Hophni and Phinehas aren’t teenagers. They’re fully grown and fully wayward. And because Eli was unwilling to choose God over his boys, he, too, is complicit in their sin and will share in the consequences.

1 Samuel 2:22 – ²² Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Last week we saw that Hophni and Phinehas were messing with the sacrifices. But that was only part of it. These ladies may have been volunteers who took short term Nazarite vows.^[3] So not only were offerings being polluted by Eli’s family, but the offerers themselves.

This was a longtime pattern of behavior. It says this is what they were doing to all Israel. Verse 13 said, whenever anyone came to the Tabernacle this was happening.

We wonder why the text focuses so much on Eli since he’s not the one really doing all these things. We’ll see he not only looked the other way, but he also ate the stolen food. More importantly, at this time, Eli is the ruler of Israel.^[4] At least as far as Israel had a ruler. He was certainly the ruler of his family and the Tabernacle. He heard about all that was happening and did nothing to stop it.

1 Samuel 2:23-25 – ²³ He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. ²⁴ No, my sons, the news I hear the LORD’s people spreading is not good. ²⁵ If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to kill them.

The way Eli confronts his sons reminds me of William Jackson Sr., who would write a letter to his son saying things like, “You might regret what you’re doing.” But then wrote the check to keep financing his son’s waywardness. William warned his son that forgery was a capital offense, but then provided the lawyers to save his skin.

The sins of Eli’s sons were capital offenses.^[5] But Eli speaks philosophically to his sons. Rather than say, “What you’re doing is evil,” he softens it to, “What I hear other people spreading isn’t good.”

The best thing we can do is be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. Sometimes we have an area of waywardness in how we’re thinking or living – and we want to debate a technicality or some what-about interpretation. What we need to do is humble ourselves and confess and turn to God.

As Christians, we are commanded to call out sin and wrongdoing among ourselves.^[6] We’re to do so with a spirit of gentleness, but that doesn’t mean helping the wrongdoer rationalize their sin. It doesn’t mean downplaying things or making things purposefully vague so we don’t hurt the wrongdoer’s feelings. Because sin overtakes and destroys lives. And we want to help rescue people out of that destruction, while also being careful to avoid the temptation ourselves.

As priest and ruler, Eli should’ve removed his sons. As father, he should told them directly, “You’re in sin, I will not allow it and I will not overlook it.” Instead, he acted as if their offenses were trifling.

Of course the big, eyebrow-raising headline in these verses is: “They would not listen…since the Lord intended to kill them.” Your Bible may say, “the Lord desired to kill them.” What’s that about?

First, let’s tackle the desire issue. Here’s what we know is true about God’s character and nature: “The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”^[7] That’s not just a New Testament idea. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Listen to Ezekiel 18:32: “I take no pleasure in anyone’s death…So repent and live!” In Ezekiel 33 God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live.”^[8]

Eli’s sons have rejected God for so long, they have willfully sinned for so long, they have hardened their hearts for so long that God is now resolved to judge them for it. They were past a point of no return. As John Wesley said, “They had sinned away their day of grace.”^[9]

Now listen, especially if you’re not a Christian here today: God is a God of mercy. He is a God Who forgives. He is a greater Savior than you are a sinner. He wants to save you from your sin. But He will not force you. And if you continually reject His grace, His mercy, His truth, His commands, then He will give you what you want. He will give you over to your desire to stay in sin.^[10] And eventually your heart may be too hard to cry out to God. Your mind may be too dark to see the Light. Now, I can’t tell you when that might happen. It’s not that if you sin a certain number of times, then it’s over. But it happened to Pharaoh. It happened to Eli’s sons, to Lot’s wife, to Nineveh,^[11] to the Canaanites.

If you think you’ll just convert on your deathbed, understand it can happen to you. Some people do convert on their deathbeds, and praise the Lord for His unfailing mercy. But the Bible pleads with you: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts so that He doesn’t have to keep you out of eternal rest.^[12]

1 Samuel 2:27-29 – ²⁷ A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s family when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace? ²⁸ Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your house to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings. ²⁹ Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship? You have honored your sons more than me, by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’

William Jackson knew his son was a scoundrel. Yet he “rushed to defend his son’s reputation from any slur.”^[13] Rather than really get a hold of the problem, he once tried to arrange a situation where Will Jr. would be arrested for his debts, but then his father would anonymously pay the fees so Will could walk free. Sort of a 19th century Scared Straight without the scared part.

This prophet came to Eli and said, “You’re part of these sins. You’re fat from the food they took from the Lord and the people. But more than that, you’ve honored your sons instead of God.” And in doing so, Eli was actually despising the Lord. It’s a word that means he kicked against the Lord.^[14]

We understand the emotional part. “Lord, it’s my kids. It’s my family.” But God is not willing to be second place in your life. When God is second place, that means we’re worshiping something else. Some other pursuit, some other relationship, some other god that is more important to us.

Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:

Matthew 10:37-38 – ³⁷ The one who loves a father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Now, God does not want to ruin your family relationships. He wants them to thrive in a way that would never be possible without Him. But this is His demand. We must honor Him above all others.

When we do that, He does all sorts of amazing, generous things for us. Look at the list given by the prophet. He set them free from slavery in Egypt. He gave them promises and purpose. He gave them generous provision. He did so much for them, yet Eli and his sons trampled on it.

Eli knew better. The prophet gives him this quick history lesson. “Eli, do you remember why it’s your tribe serving there and not the Danites or the Ephraimites?” Because centuries before there was another priest’s son whose name also happened to be Phinehas. But this Phinehas chose holiness over wickedness. When he saw immorality in the camp of Israel, he took a spear in his hand and honored the Lord. And God said, “Phinehas has turned back my wrath against the children of Israel because he had a zeal for Me. So his descendants are going to be priests from here on out.”^[15] Now, Eli’s son Phinehas, with his brother, was doing the opposite. Bringing wrath and judgment.

1 Samuel 2:30 – ³⁰ “Therefore, this is the declaration of the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever. But now,’ this is the LORD’s declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disgraced.

It’s not that Aaron’s descendants wouldn’t be priests and Levites wouldn’t be Levites. The branch of Aaron’s family that Eli was a part of had violated the priestly covenant. And so God was removing them. He had already done so with two of Aaron’s four sons when the Tabernacle was first set up. Nadab and Abihu offered profane fire and the Lord killed them. The other two sons were Eleazar and Ithamar. Eli was a descendant of Ithamar. Now the line of Ithamar would be cut off and only the priestly line of Eleazar would continue. And we’ll see that fulfilled as the book continues.

God sets out His dealings plainly. He says, “Those who honor Me, I will honor.” It’s interesting: The word used for honor literally means “make heavy.”^[16] So there’s this vivid image: Eli and his sons made themselves fat with sin. At the end of his life, we’re going to be told that Eli was a very heavy man. But not heavy the way God wanted to make him. Not heavy with holiness or eternal reward, but with stolen goods. He considered those temporal spoils better than what God wanted to give.

God said, “I wanted your family to walk before Me forever.” Walking with God. That’s what the Lord wants. That’s the image of a life lived in worship and faithfulness and growth, and not just in the New Testament. Enoch walked with God. Noah walked with God. Abraham walked with God. Do you know what we see Eli doing? Sitting. He was sitting in chapter 1. He’ll be sitting in chapter 3.

Are you walking with God? Psalm 1 explains that that is the road to a happy life. Not standing in the path of sinners or sitting in the seat of mockers. But walking with God in righteousness, led by Him.

1 Samuel 2:31-36 – ³¹ Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age. ³² You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age. ³³ Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently. ³⁴ This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on the same day. ³⁵ “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him, and he will walk before my anointed one for all time. ³⁶ Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”

God was not overreacting. The judgment is serious because the sin was serious. How many people had Eli and his sons defrauded? Consider how they desecrated God’s house. Consider what they did to those ladies who came to serve the Lord. This is not harsh, it’s mercy. Mercy to every Israelite who had prayed for justice and relief. Mercy for a nation that needed righteous priests.

They had used their arms to snatch the meat, to snatch the women, to pile up wealth and power for themselves. And so they would reap what they sowed. Cut off your strength literally means their arms would be shattered.^[17] No longer could they take what wasn’t theirs and defile God’s house.

As often is the case with Biblical prophecy, this would be fulfilled in stages.^[18] And already we’re seeing part of Hannah’s prophecy from her song starting to be accomplished. Remember, she gave seven examples of God reversing the fortunes of the righteous and wicked. And this family that had more meat than they could possibly consume would eventually be begging for bread.

Will Jackson Jr’s sins finally caught up with him. He was ultimately sent to Australia with other criminals on a ship named Retribution. There, sadly, he “died alone on the street [in Sydney] where he lay, a pathetic figure with no friends or family to comfort him or to mourn his passing.”^[19]

Meanwhile, the mental and emotional stress led to William Sr. dying from a paralysis “that slowly immobilized his limbs and finally stilled his heart.” A sad story with a sadder ending. Just like Eli.

But here’s the trouble, friends: Maybe you and I aren’t as bad as Hophni and Phinehas. Maybe we live better lives than Will Jr. But all of us are guilty sinners. All of us were born in sin and then commit many acts of sin against each other and against God Himself. And one thing Eli said was right: “If a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” The truth is, we’re all facing a journey on the Retribution. And the wages of our sin is death. All of us deserve judgment for the wrong we have done.

And that is why God sent His Son. To be the One Who intercedes! So that we can be saved from the Retribution by His Redemption. But He is the only Mediator between God and man. He gave Himself to ransom you. He is your Redeemer. He will pay your debt. He will forgive you. He will purify you. The process is clear: You must believe Him. You must repent of your sin. You must walk with Him. And when you do He will help you. He will bless you. He will honor you. He will cover you in love. But we have to choose to honor Him. Choose worship over waywardness. Turn to Him and live in the power of His grace. To be redeemed and not return to sin, return to worship ourselves or some earthly treasure or goal, but honoring God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength. We won’t do it perfectly, but we can do it faithfully as we receive God’s power and grace for this life.

Wicked While They Work (1 Samuel 2:12-21)

Some of you know how hard it is to navigate a toxic work environment. I’ll tell you where you didn’t want to work, and that was for the UK Post Office system between 1999 and 2015. In 1999 the post office switched from a paper-based accounting system to a computer-based one. One centralized computer program could now see the records for 14,000 post office branches.^[1] And guess what it found? Corrupt records. Missing money all over the place. Thousands of pounds gone. Clearly, the employees, the “sub-postmasters” had sticky hands in the till and would now be held accountable.

Over 900 were prosecuted.^[2] Year after year more were caught. Except they weren’t stealing. It was the new software that was the problem. The bosses knew it was full of bugs. But they silenced anyone who criticized the system. They lied to journalists and politicians who asked questions. Employees went into their own pockets to cover the shortfalls that did not actually exist. Thousands were impacted, imprisoned, or financially ruined.^[3] The scandal led to at least 13 suicides. It was 16 years of a toxic work environment, labeled as the “widest miscarriage of justice in UK history.”

In 1100BC, the Tabernacle was an extremely hostile work environment for little Samuel. For everyone else, it was a hostile worship environment. You see, the top brass – Eli’s two sons – not only had sticky fingers, they also vigorously attacked anyone who questioned them.

What are we supposed to do in a situation like that? When our leaders have become corrupt? When our institutions have broken down? When everyone does what is right in their own eyes?

Sadly, these situations are only limited to the wider society or even the work environment. It can even happen in the worship environment. Perhaps a friend or someone you know – maybe even a member of your own family has said, “I’m a Christian, but I won’t go to church. The Church is full of hypocrites. I got hurt at a church, so I’m done with the whole thing.”

How does faith work in a bad environment? Should we cut and run? Should we stand and fight? Let’s look at this text and see what Samuel and his parents did. Because, in this book, they are specifically, purposefully presented as faithful examples for us. In fact, throughout this chapter, our author keeps ping-ponging back and forth showing the faithfulness of Samuel, then the unfaithfulness of Eli and his sons.^[4] Every few verses it pans from one to the other to drive home the contrast and to show that a believer can not only be faithful in dark spiritual days, but we can serve God effectively and grow substantially as we walk by faith – in any environment we’re called into.

1 Samuel 2:12 – ¹² Eli’s sons were wicked men; they did not respect the LORD

As priests, Eli and his sons were the top of the authority chain. Other than God, there was no one higher to appeal to. This is one of the reasons why Israel would eventually demand a king, because the priesthood had become degraded and corrupted.^[5]

Eli’s sons are described as wicked men. They were “utterly destructive”^[6] good-for-nothings.^[7] Two interesting things here. First, the term used is, “Sons of Belial.” It means sons of worthlessness.^[8] And this is the exact same term Hannah had used when Eli accused her of being drunk. “No, my lord, don’t think of me as a wicked woman.” Eli assumed righteous Hannah is a daughter of Belial, which was the furthest thing from the truth. Meanwhile, his sons were openly, actively wicked. But Eli won’t deal with it. But it was his duty to do so. And so, God considers Eli complicit in their sins.^[9]

The other interesting thing is that second phrase: They did not respect the LORD. Literally it says they did not know Yahweh.^[10] Accomplishment, position, pedigree, power, talent – none of it matters in the long run if you do not know Yahweh.

God said in Jeremiah 9: “The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows Me.”^[11] That is the great goal of life: To know God. Meanwhile, here’s some of what Eli’s sons were up to:

1 Samuel 2:13-16 – ¹³ or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling ¹⁴ and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot. The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. ¹⁵ Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” ¹⁶ If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,” the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!”

During the UK Post Office scandal, the leaders of the post office used criminal and civil action to shut up any underlings who said the system was corrupt. When one sub-postmaster was accused for taking £35,000, he denied it and tried to prove the problems were in the software. So the post office spent £300,000 crushing him in court, leaving him bankrupt and his family devastated.

Under the Law of Moses, the priests and their families were given a specific share of the meat. The breast and the thigh were for them.^[12] But Eli’s sons wanted more. What they did was at quadruple wrong: They were taking parts that didn’t belong to them, they were taking raw meat, they were eating the fat, and they were threatening people if they didn’t go along with their wickedness.

This is so brazenly wrong. As an example, Leviticus 7 clearly, emphatically states: You can use the fat of an animal in any way but you must not eat it. And if you do eat any fat from an animal offered to the Lord, that person will be cut off from God’s people.^[13]

Notice, this wasn’t just something they did once or twice. Verse 14 says that this is the way they treated all the people who came to the Tabernacle – which would include Elkanah’s family.

This was extremely serious. They’re messing with worship. They’re messing with people’s atonement. God would not let this go on indefinitely. We’ll see that next time. But in the meantime, their hypocrisy was giving true faith a bad name in Israel.^[14]

When Christian leaders fall into sin, it makes a terrible impact not just on those immediately involved, but on just about everyone who hears about it. The dishonor it brings on Christ. The discouragement and doubt that it brings on others. Christian leaders need to take this seriously.

And so does every Christian. You and I may not have a wide audience, but we’re all priests. If you’re a Christian, the Bible says you are part a royal priesthood.^[15] We all must consider how our conduct is influencing the people around us. Your faithfulness or your wickedness will make an impact.

1 Samuel 2:17 – ¹⁷ So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the LORD, because the men treated the LORD’s offering with contempt.

The Lord saw all that was happening. Remember what Hannah said in her song: God is a God of knowledge Who weighs our actions. Ultimately, He fiercely judges these fellows because they would not repent. It didn’t matter that they were important priests. If you deny the Lord, He will deny you and you will bear the penalty for your sin.

Now here’s an interesting comparison: In the middle of Second Samuel, David commits a terrible sin. And God will say to him, “David, you have treated Me with contempt.” It’s the same word that describes Eli’s sons. So why wasn’t David judged like Hophni and Phinehas? Repentance. David turned from his sin toward God in confession and repentance. He would still face consequences for what he did – serious and lasting consequences – but God forgave him and cleansed him.

1 Samuel 2:18 – ¹⁸ Samuel served in the LORD’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.

Suddenly the camera pans from this toxic scene to remind us that little Sammy is there, too! We see what’s going on and think, “We gotta get this kid out of there!” What hope does he have to grow in the Lord and become a man of integrity if this is who he’s apprenticing under?

But then we remember the promise of Hannah’s song, that God will guard the steps of His faithful ones. This was a terribly, toxic work environment. And yet, this is where God called Samuel. And though he was surrounded by sin, we see him serving. He’s described not as being influenced by the sons of Eli, but as being in the Lord’s presence.

Maybe you’re in a life situation that has a lot of bad elements. Bad job, bad boss, problematic coworkers, something like that. You don’t always have to stay in that situation. But the thing we need to remember as Christians is that the circumstances are not the deciding factor for us. God’s calling on our lives is the decider. If you feel like Samuel in Shiloh or Daniel in Babylon or Joseph in Egypt, that’s ok – you’re allowed to feel that way. But before you make a change you need to know if God has called you to stay or go. Because you can be Samuel or Daniel or Joseph, who were in terrible life/work situations, and were used for incredible purposes and great spiritual growth.

Remember: We’re the Lord’s servants. Samuel served. He even looks the part. The ephod here was most likely an apron he would wear.^[16] It reminds us of how Jesus, on the night before His death, took a towel and tied it around Himself like an apron and washed His disciples feet. And afterward He said He did this as an example for us that we might go and do likewise.^[17]

The Christian life is a life of service, not convenience. And one of the things that Samuel’s life shows is that any of us can serve. That doesn’t mean all of us have the strength or health or opportunity to do every kind of service. But all of us are called to serve in the Lord’s presence, before His face, as He sets our lives aside for particular purposes. This term serving “suggests ongoing activity – something ingrained in Samuel’s lifestyle.”^[18] And it was ingrained in Hannah’s, too.

1 Samuel 2:19 – ¹⁹ Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

It would’ve been hard to leave your boy year after year. But think of much harder it would’ve been knowing that he was being raised by Eli with Hophni and Phinehas around! But Elkanah and Hannah knew the Lord is trustworthy. They knew He would not fail Samuel.

And notice: they kept coming, even though they’d have to deal with the things Eli’s sons were doing. They didn’t say, “Ok, we’re not going to Tabernacle anymore.” They had Joshua’s mentality: “This is what’s going on, it’s not right, but as for me and my house, we’re going to serve the Lord.”

And when they came each year, Hannah brought a new robe for Samuel. A cloak he would wear over the ephod.^[19] It probably felt like a small thing. They couldn’t do all the things they wished they could do for their son. But she could bring a robe. But you know – robes become very significant in Samuel’s story. There are going to be a couple of very pivotal moments which reference the robe he was wearing. I think it’s a nod of grace from the Lord to Hannah. Him using this small, tangible labor for a greater spiritual purpose. The Lord is generous like that. He’s good and kind like that.

1 Samuel 2:20 – ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she has given to the LORD.” Then they would go home.

Some part of Eli wants to honor God. Some part of him wants to be used by God. And clearly, God was willing to use him. But, he’s totally compromised. He won’t honor God in his parenting. He won’t do the hard parts of his duty. And so, his story is going to end tragically. It didn’t have to. But spiritual health doesn’t happen on accident. Finishing well doesn’t happen on its own. Christian growth requires obedience. It requires repentance. It requires submission.

1 Samuel 2:21 – ²¹ The LORD paid attention to Hannah’s need, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

It’s been said you can’t out-give the Lord. He will never be in debt to anyone. They gave Him a son, He gave them five children back. Notice the words used here: He paid attention to them. He sees your needs. He cares about them. He’s a God of grace and affection.

Not only was the Lord mindful and caring toward Hannah, but toward to Samuel, too. Both are before His face. Both are watched by Him, loved by Him, provided for by Him.

Our goal is to live in the presence of the Lord our God. To commune day-by-day with Him. Whether we’re in a good tent, like Elkanah’s, or a bad tent like in Shiloh. Why? Psalm 130 tells us:

Psalm 130:7 – For there is faithful love with the LORD, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

That is true whether you’re Samuel in Shiloh or David in Jerusalem or Daniel in Babylon or Paul in Philippi or Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration or Noah in the ark or Jonah in the whale.

So what do we do if we find ourselves in a toxic environment? Well, there may be a bunch of things you can and should do on the physical level. What about on the spiritual level? That’s what this text examples for us. In a very bad spiritual situation, Samuel was right where he was called to be.

We need to figure out where we’re called. And if we’re called to a place where we have to rub elbows with toxic or wicked good-for-nothings, we can remember what we’re told in Romans 12:

Romans 12:21 – 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

The good of the Gospel. The good of a life lived in the power of Jesus Christ. The good of faithfulness in action, knowing God can be trusted to do what needs doing. Maybe through us, maybe through someone else. But living as servants of His good, answering His call. They may be wicked while they work, we worship while we work. And if we’re following God’s leading and answer His call, we can rely on the fact that He will guard our steps and we can grow in Him even if the circumstances are bad. Then He can use us for His good.

King Song (1 Samuel 2:1-11)

The right song can really set the tone. Particularly in movies, where the music not only compliments the imagery, but often steers us to how we’re supposed to feel about what we’re watching. Music helps us understand whether the action is scary or silly, whether a character is acting in anxiety or excitement, or if a scene is meant to be pivotal as the soundtrack replays the main theme.

Hans Zimmer is one of the most famous film composers working today, often scoring Christopher Nolan’s movies. He once told a story of how Nolan sent him a letter which contained a short, metaphorical story that had nothing to do with any movie script. Nolan asked Zimmer to take a day, write whatever came to him, and then Nolan would come over and listen.

Hans wrote what he described as a fragile little piece of music. Very personal and tender. After hearing it, Nolan said, “Well, I better make the movie then.” Zimmer asked what is the movie? And Nolan started describing a huge, sweeping space epic. The music would be for Interstellar, and hearing Zimmer’s personal melody, Nolan said, “I know where the heart of the movie is now.”^[1]

In 1 Samuel chapter 1, we have a prologue. It sets the stage and tells us where Samuel came from. He is going to be the man God uses to transition Israel from judges to monarchy. But he also establishes how this arrangement will work. That, yes, Israel will have a king, but any king is really just a vice-king under the King of the universe – the Lord of Armies, God Himself.

In chapter 2 we have the Song of Hannah. It’s not only a nice moment of praise and thanksgiving. This song is going to set the tone for the book. It provides the theological heart for the story and foreshadows many of the scenes that lay ahead. By the way – for any classical music lovers out there – scholars categorize this song as a Rondo.^[2]

Our author starts the book with a prologue followed by Hannah’s song, and then he ends the book with David’s song and an epilogue. Hannah’s song describes Who God is, what He does, and what He will do. David’s song is about how God has been faithful to do all those things.^[3] These are the theological soundtrack for the rest of the book.

The themes Hannah drives home are that God is in charge, He is personally involved in human affairs, and He is interested in you walking with Him through life so that He can lift you up.

1 Samuel 2:1 – ¹ Hannah prayed: My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is lifted up by the LORD. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.

There are many points in the Bible where God’s people pause to sing a song after He has done a work for them. Moses, Miriam, Deborah, David, Habakkuk, and Mary are all examples. In fact Mary’s song in Luke 1 echoes some of the words and themes of Hannah’s song.^[4] Both Mary and Hannah understood that not only were they loved and graciously treated by God, but that their lives were part of His ongoing, dramatic work that will one day cover the whole earth.

The same is true of our lives! That’s something to be excited about. Something to sing about. To let our hearts overflow with thankfulness as we sing out the testimony of God’s amazing grace. That we once were lost but now we’re found. That He has done great things and He will do great things.

Hannah rejoiced. Not just because she wouldn’t be called childless anymore. She rejoiced in the LORD. In His salvation. Her relationship with God is what made the difference between chapter 1 and 2. In chapter 1 she said her heart was broken. Now her heart is triumphant! She’s thankful that the Lord opened her womb, of course, but she’s also thankful that the Lord lifted her head.

God is a lifter. Psalm 3 says He is a God Who hears and answers and will lift up your head. When you’re hurt, when you’re overwhelmed, when you’re beaten down, Jesus is the lifter of your head.

Is Hannah being rude back to Penninah in that second to last line? One commentator says the image connotes “sticking out the tongue, and sneering.”^[5] I can’t really imagine Hannah doing that. Plus, in a moment she’s going to tell everyone to not boast proudly.

The words she used mean her mouth was open wide to swallow up her enemies.^[6] And what is her mouth full of right now? Praise. Thanksgiving. Prayer. Confidence in the Lord. Praise is powerful!

1 Samuel 2:2 – ² There is no one holy like the LORD. There is no one besides you! And there is no rock like our God.

If you want to know about God, here’s the place to start: His greatness and purity and uniqueness on display. Greater in each of HIs attributes than we can comprehend. How strong is He? Greater than we think. How merciful is He? Greater than we realize. How good is He? How great is His love?

This description of God as Rock reminds us of the parable Jesus told. The wise man built his house, his life, his future, upon the Rock. All other ground is sinking sand. As Deuteronomy 32 says, “Their ‘rock’ is not like our Rock.”^[7] And not only is He the solid foundation we can build our lives upon, we remember that He is the rock of our salvation.^[8] The Rock of ages, cleft for me.

1 Samuel 2:3 – ³ Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogant words come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by him.

Our God is a God of knowledge. He knows us. He knows the plans He has for us. He knows what we need and what we don’t. He knows how to lead us. He knows the way to go. He knit us together, He sustains our lives, and He wants real relationship with us. So He also evaluates and measures our lives. Are we following? Do our actions line up with what He desires?

Hannah tells us to not be boastful or arrogant. In the coming verses she will list a bunch of things that people naturally lean on or get proud about and she shows how fleeting they are. Meanwhile, if we want to boast, let’s be like Hannah. Let’s boast in the Lord our God.^[9] Let’s proclaim His power and accomplishment in our lives and in this world.

1 Samuel 2:4-7 – ⁴ The bows of the warriors are broken, but the feeble are clothed with strength. ⁵ Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no more. The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away. ⁶ The LORD brings death and gives life; he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up. ⁷ The LORD brings poverty and gives wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

Hannah lists for us seven contrasts and how the Lord reverses the fortunes of people in these different groups according to His purposes. Strong and weak, full and hungry, barren and fertile, dead and alive, sick and well, poor and rich, humble and exalted. God is in charge over all.

In some of these examples, Hannah actually foreshadows some of what we’ll see in the pages ahead. People of strength and wealth and position brought down while others who are oppressed or weak or humble are exalted.

Now, it would be a mistake if we think God does these reversals just to show how strong He is. It’s not just about flexing His sovereignty. Who does God exalt and who does He bring low? Hannah will tell us in verse 9. Psalms, Proverbs, James, and Peter all explain, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” It’s not random or arbitrary. Remember – God wants to lift your head.

He wants to make us alive. Here’s what He wants, as written in Isaiah 55: “Come, everyone who is thirsty. Pay attention and come to Me, listen so that you will live!”^[10] That’s what He wants. That we will receive His hesed love and live. He’s not toying with us. He’s telling us how to receive life. But when a person rejects God’s way and God’s revelation and commands, the result is death.

1 Samuel 2:8 – ⁸ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash heap. He seats them with noblemen and gives them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; he has set the world on them.

The poor and needy are shown in the worst possible position. The trash heap means a dung hill.^[11] That was where they lived. Where they slept at night. What has the Lord done for them? He gives them a throne of honor. He seats them among princes.^[12]

We were the beggars, now we’re royalty. Not because of our own power or our own loveliness, but because of God’s great love for us. His salvation is not just a rags to riches story, it’s an excrement to eternity story. “Gives them a throne of honor” is also translated “inherit the throne of glory.”^[13]

Oh the grace of God! That we, who are nothing, who began life as enemies of God, lost in sin, citizens of the kingdom of darkness, who bring nothing to the table but guilt and failure, would be given a place and a part in the Kingdom of Jesus. Not just to dwell there, but to reign with Him!^[14]

That’s our future. Meanwhile, we can be confident that God will not allow this world to fall apart before His plan is done. There are people out there today saying the world is going to end. That climate change or atomic war or some other threat will destroy us all. Many young people are convinced that there is no future for this world. Here’s what God says is Psalm 75:

Psalm 75:3 – ³ When the earth and all its inhabitants shake, I am the one who steadies its pillars.

Yes, the world trembles. Our God is a Rock. Stable, reliable, unshakable. A firm foundation. If you build your life on Him, then you will be safe in the storm. His plan cannot fail.

1 Samuel 2:9 – ⁹ He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength.

We talked about this a few weeks ago, but remember: The faithful ones are simply those who receive God’s love. They believe and trust God and walk with Him. Does that describe you?

In the closing song of 2 Samuel, sung by David, David says that he was faithful. That he let God’s ordinances guide his steps. Of course, we look at that and say, “What about Bathsheba? What about your ungodly census? What about the mistakes you made?” David did make mistakes. But even still, God was with him and God was guarding David’s steps – guarding his life. God’s grace working powerfully even when David fell into faithlessness for a time.

No believer’s life is perfect. But God keeps watch and God pours out His grace and God provides His strength as we walk with Him. You see, we can’t accomplish the Christian life in our own strength. That’s not how we prevail. It’s not by our might or by our power, but by God’s Spirit.

As we allow God’s ordinances to guide our steps, the Lord guards our steps. Though a believer may fall, Psalm 37 (another David song) promises that we will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD supports us with His hand.^[15] Our part is to put God’s instructions in our hearts so that our step do not falter. And, when we do fail, to turn in repentance so God can restore us. That’s the difference between Saul and David. Not perfection, but faithfulness.

1 Samuel 2:10 – ¹⁰ Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered; he will thunder in the heavens against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give power to his king; he will lift up the horn of his anointed.

As usual, the Bible sets before us life and death. If you will receive God’s love by faith, He gives you life. If you oppose the Lord, you will be shattered. It’s the same verb Hannah used up in verse 4 saying the bows would be broken. Not just broken, but crushed into tiny pieces.^[16]

God uses this image of the broken bow multiple times. Ezekiel prophesied that Gog’s bow would be broken. Jeremiah prophesied that Elam’s bow would be shattered. But this promise is not just for far off people who we don’t know. All who oppose Him will be shattered. It even applied to Israel. Sadly, by the time of Hosea, the Israelites had opposed the Lord for so long, He finally said, “I’m going to break the bow of Israel.”^[17] And it happened.

But look at those last two lines. Hannah ends her song with a crescendo. She identifies two figures who had yet to arrive. The king and the anointed one. In Hebrew, the melek and the messiah. Hannah moves from praise to prophecy. Israel had not yet demanded a king, yet Hannah declares that one was coming and that God would give him power. This, by itself is a great work of grace. Because when Israel demanded a king they were, in one sense, divorcing themselves from God’s rule over their nation. And yet, the Lord would not abandon them. He gave a king. He empowered the king. And when that king failed, God provided a better king.

But more than a king would be needed. God’s people and all people would need a Messiah. The Anointed One, the Christ. A deliverer. And in this book we will see how David on his very best day was only a dim shadow of what the Son of David is yesterday, today, and forever.

1 Samuel 2:11 – ¹¹ Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy served the LORD in the presence of the priest Eli.

When Christopher Nolan sent the letter to Hans Zimmer, it contained a short little metaphor about what it meant to be a father. And Zimmer’s piece, he says, was based on his own love for his son.

This great song, this great story, is about a loving God, God the Father, showing faithfulness and love to His children, even when they turn their backs on Him.

So now, the stage is set. The melody has played. Now we watch it all unfold and see the power of God, the graciousness of God, the patience of God, compared to the feebleness of man, the failure of man, the inconsistency of man. But at the same time, we’ll see the story of God using human beings for His good work. Empowering people to be a meaningful part of what He’s promised. It’s an amazing story – one that continues through the lives of believers today.

As we close, I’d like us to return briefly to those reversal verses, verses 4 through 7, where we see God doing these specific things. We might ask, “Does He really do this still today?” Does He clothe us in strength? Then we remember how Ephesians 6 invites us to clothe ourselves in the armor of God so that we will be strong, able to stand against every scheme of the devil.

Does God still fill the hungry? Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. That those who come to Jesus, the Bread of Life, will never be hungry.

Does He give children to the childless? Whether you have been blessed with physical children or not, God says that in the Church we receive a hundred-fold family. Brothers, sisters, mothers, and children.^[18]

Does He make us rich? Paul says in Ephesians 3 we have been given incalculable riches in Christ.

The God of the Bible is a God of faithful, generous activity toward those who will be faithful to Him. Those who trust Him and walk according to His ways. Those are the people who are loved and lifted by the power of God, Who will never fail.