Children of the Scorn

Children of the Scorn
Words of Faith 8-7-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 2
[27] Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? [28] I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. [29] Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'
[30] "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. [31] The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your family line [32] and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. [33] Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
[34] "'And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you--they will both die on the same day. [35] I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always. [36] Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat."'"

This was a "strong word from the Lord. Do you think so? This utterance came from the Lord through a man of God who is not named. Whoever he was, the messenger was clearly a prophet speaking the word of the Lord but may even have been an angel of the Lord. The message was strong and vital.
The house of Eli had been blessed and privileged to serve in the house of the Lord. This was not earned or deserved. The Lord had been gracious in establishing the line of priests who served wearing a priestly robe (an ephod). They could ascend the steps of the Lord's altar and serve before Him. But Eli and his sons had treated that privilege with scorn.
The Hebrew word translated scorn literally means "to kick." The house of Eli had "kicked at" the Lord's gracious mercy in several ways but most visibly by gorging themselves on the best parts of the sacrifices and offerings intended for the Lord's house.
Eli had failed to protect the purity and provision of the house of God. He had honored his corrupt sons above the Lord-- that is, he had made them more "weighty" than God and the house of God in his life. They had "fattened themselves" with the offerings of God. The Lord is clear here-- Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. Literally, God "makes heavy" those who honor Him, but He "makes light" those who despise Him.
The questions God was asking were pointed: "Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'" Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? It was now time to announce the consequences of this behavior.
The description of the divine judgment was vivid. This was not about eternal damnation, but it was concerned with the removal of the covering that had been over this family. Not only would the blessing that had been extended to this family line cease, but both Hophni and Phinehas would die on the same day. The love that Eli had for his sons that caused him to make them more "weighty" than God would be dealt a blow of great grief. Eli would be the last "old man" in his family line because God's fulfillment of his death sentence would be swift and sure.
There was a purpose in this. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always (2:35). We see that Samuel will rise from this mess, but we also hear the prophetic foreshadowing of the coming Christ, our High Priest.
There are some powerful points for us to hear.
On this side of the cross, we are the priesthood of the Lord today. The Lord declared through Peter: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). As the Royal Priesthood of God we have been extended grace and mercy by the High Priest to come into the presence of the Lord wearing the ephod of Jesus' righteousness. We have been given the privilege of ascending to Him and burning the incense of prayer before Him.
Sadly, we can be tempted to treat this great privilege scornfully as Eli's house did-- to "kick at" the grace given. But we are called to serve before Him in faithfulness. How do we do that? There are at least three ways implied in this passage.
1) Don't treat the precious sacrifice of God in Jesus with contempt-- lightly returning to our sin and putting ourselves above the desire of God in our life. This treats the sacrifice of Jesus cheaply, like something to kick about in the street.
2) Don't "weigh" ourselves, desires, and families above God-- fattening ourselves while neglecting the offering God prescribed for His dwelling.
3) Don't neglect the privilege and responsibility of Royal Priesthood-- failing to come into the very presence of the Lord covered by the righteousness of Christ to commune with God.
The strong judgment against Eli and his sons was well deserved. Does such judgment speak to the issue of salvation for us? Not at all. This is not about salvation. But this is about how we respond to the grace of the Lord extended to us. Do we treat His grace with scorn? Kick at His calling? Fatten ourselves with the provision intended for His house? Do we behave as children of the scorn?

Lord God, forgive me for the times I have treated your grace with contempt. Forgive me for the times I have set my family above Yours-- my house above Your house, my desires above Your prescription. Restore to me the joy of spending time in Your presence, covered by the precious sacrifice of Your Son. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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