God’s Renewing Word of Promise
Introduction
1 Samuel 2:12-26: The sons of Eli, who are priests, are dishonest and refuse to obey the LORD.
Meanwhile, Samuel continues to grow in favor with the LORD and with the people.
Scripture Reading
The Sons of Eli
12The sons of Eli were scoundrels. They paid no attention to the Lord 13or to the regulations concerning what the priests could demand from the people. Instead, when someone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork. While the meat was still cooking, 14he would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever the fork brought out belonged to the priest. All the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices were treated like this. 15In addition, even before the fat was taken off and burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one offering the sacrifice, “Give me some meat for the priest to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.”
16If the person answered, “Let us do what is right and burn the fat first; then take what you want,” the priest’s servant would say, “No! Give it to me now! If you don’t, I will have to take it by force!”
17This sin of the sons of Eli was extremely serious in the Lord‘s sight, because they treated the offerings to the Lord with such disrespect.
Samuel at Shiloh
18In the meantime the boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord, wearing a sacred linen apron. 19Each year his mother would make a little robe and take it to him when she accompanied her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say to Elkanah, “May the Lord give you other children by this woman to take the place of the one you dedicated to him.”
After that they would go back home.
21The Lord did bless Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.
Eli and His Sons
22Eli was now very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to the Israelites and that they were even sleeping with the women who worked at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord‘s presence. 23So he said to them, “Why are you doing these things? Everybody tells me about the evil you are doing. 24Stop it, my sons! This is an awful thing the people of the Lord are talking about! 25If anyone sins against someone else, God can defend the one who is wrong; but who can defend someone who sins against the Lord?”
But they would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.
26 The boy Samuel continued to grow and to gain favor both with the Lord and with people.
Today’s Key Verse: 1 Samuel 2:26
The boy Samuel continued to grow and gain favor both with the LORD and with people.
Reflect
How are the sons of Eli described? What warning did Eli give his sons (verses 22-25)? What did Samuels’s mother bring to him each year? In what way did the LORD bless Hannah? In what ways do you experience God’s blessings?
Pray
Dear Lord, day by day may I grow in knowledge of you and find favor in your sight. Teach me to serve you always and walk in your ways. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
1 Samuel 2:27-36: A prophet delivers a message to Eli.