1 Samuel 2:27-36: a reflection

27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. 36It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”

A man of God comes to Eli the priest with a word of judgment. Eli's sons had treated God's offerings with contempt, and Eli, though he knew, had honored his sons above God, failing to restrain them and sharing in their disregard. And God states the principle at the heart of the judgment: Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Eli had, in effect, honored his sons above God, and the consequences would follow.

Notice both Eli's failure and the principle God states. Eli's failure was that he honored his sons above God, valuing his relationship with them, or his unwillingness to confront them, more than his loyalty to God, letting their contempt for holy things go unchecked. And the principle is clear and searching: those who honor God, he will honor; those who treat him with contempt, or place other things above him, will not stand. What, or whom, we honor above God matters.

That principle presses a question on us: what do we honor above God? Eli honored his sons above God; we may honor many things, our families, our comfort, our reputation, our ambitions, above our loyalty to God, letting them take the place that belongs to him. God calls us to honor him above all, and promises to honor those who do. Examine what you are honoring above God, what you are unwilling to confront or surrender for his sake. Honor God first, above every competing loyalty, even the dearest, and trust the promise: those who honor me, I will honor. Let nothing, not even those you love most, take the place that belongs to God alone.

Lord, you said to Eli that those who honor you, you will honor, but those who despise you will be lightly esteemed; and Eli's failure was that he honored his sons above you. Search my own heart: what am I honoring above you? Show me where I let other things, my family, my comfort, my reputation, my ambitions, take the place that belongs to you, where I am unwilling to confront or surrender something for your sake. Help me honor you above every competing loyalty, even the dearest. Let nothing, not even those I love most, take the place that belongs to you alone. And thank you for the promise that those who honor you, you will honor. Give me a heart that honors you first, above all things.