I want to invite your attention to the book of 1st Samuel.
The the first chapter, and I want to begin reading there in
verse 19, first, Samuel chapter 1 and beginning there in verse
19. And they rose up in the morning
early and worship before the Lord and returned and came to
their house in Rhema. And elkanah knew Hannah, his
wife and the Lord remembered her, where Ford came to pass
when the time was come about after.
Hannah had conceived that she bare a son and called.
His name Samuel saying, because I have asked him of the Lord,
and the man elkanah and all his house, went up to offer unto the
Lord, the yearly sack. Sacrifice and his vow.
But Hannah went not up for. She said, unto her husband, I
will not go until the child be weaned, and then I will bring
him that he may appear before the Lord and there abide
forever. And elkanah her husband said
unto her, do what seemeth the good Terry until thou Hast
weaned him only the Lord establishes word.
So the woman of bowed and gave her son suck until she weaned
him and when she had weaned him, she Hook him up with her and
with three, Bullocks and one, ephah of flour, and a bottle of
wine and brought him into the house of the Lord in Shiloh and
the child was young and they slew a Bullock and brought the
child to Eli. And she said, oh my Lord, as thy
soul. Liveth my Lord, I am the woman
that stood by the here, praying unto the Lord for this child, I
prayed and the Lord hath give me that petition that I asked of
him. Therefore also I have led him to
the Lord as long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord and
He worshipped the Lord there. Correctly.
Read and barring any mistakes on my part reads, the passage that
I wanted to read for our introductory portion tonight for
a little while. Do you remember this morning
that I mentioned rather briefly that there was a difference?
And a distinction between the example that we find regarding
Hannah and the example that we find regarding Eli and as we
mentioned, and we'll get into greater detail in just a moment.
But when Hannah prayed to the Lord, she says, this, if you,
but grant me a child, if you'll go At me as son then I will give
him to you. And he shall have a vow a vow
that a last his entire life, and he'll serve you all the days of
his life. And I said that the difference
between Hannah and Eli, was that Hannah put the Lord, before the
child and Eli, put his children or his boys before the Lord.
I just want to make one point here before we go to prayer.
And that's this, it was a fact and we read And we read in the
biblical account of History, how that Eli certainly did not
support by way of how he felt with this desires, and with his
heart and so forth. He didn't support their evil
actions. In fact, he even spoke against
them, he even set them down as it were, and we can only picture
as it was the setting, as these rebellious Wicked and vile, Sons
were sitting before Eli their father.
The high priest and Eli's going to speak to them concerning
Earning their office in concerning their awful fate and
all of that. And yet the Bible says that he
was condemned because he restrained them.
Not what does that mean? Isn't it enough just to speak
our mind, or is there other things that are more required of
us as we have the power to do? So, even before Sampson began
waging his personal Warfare against the Philistines.
Another kind of Judge was ruling in Shiloh.
Eli was the high priest of the The nation as well as a judge.
In fact, he judged Israel for forty years.
That went through the time of 11:45 to 1105 BC.
He was followed in his judgeship by the prophet Samuel that we're
going to discuss for a little while this evening and his long
judgeship over the 40 years. Paved the way for the
establishment of the monarchy. In terms of natural hist
National History, the first seven chapters of 1st Samuel, Of
around two major events. The people of God reach their
all-time low point when the Ark of God was captured in battle.
Chapter 4 begins that narrative and a dying mother made the most
telling come and honored on this disaster.
When she whispered to her dying with her dying breath, the name
of her new son. That being Ichabod which means
the glory has departed. First, Samuel chapter 4 and
verse 20. Twenty years later The Grateful
profit shouted. The named Ebenezer, which meant
Stone of help as he erected a monument to God's grace, after
Israel's smashed. The Philistines, Samuel assumed
leadership, when Israel was in the pits of degradation, by
bringing the people back to God He restored their national pride
power and purpose. Well, while the conditions of
this period of the judges continued to deteriorate, God
Was preparing to The next chapter in the thrilling story
of redemption in the sinful darkness of those days.
God found a Godly woman through whom, he would bring a great
reformer into the world. The Bible says, As We Begin our
narrative, but there was a man, and there was a man, in his name
was elkanah. You know, there's nothing that
says that this man was anything, but a man that was upright in
the eyes of God. No, where do we find an
indictment against his character?
And certainly we don't find an indictment against his spiritual
service by way of sacrifice or living in days gone by according
to the requirements that those people lived back then so no
doubt we find that this was a good man, a godly man.
A man that was upright and the Bible says that he had two
wives. You know, it was said by many
scholars that he had Hannah first and Hannah would have been
necessarily the On that he dearly loved in fact the Bible
does talk about how he would give special favor to her
because he loved her. Now, there was two reasons why
he did that number one, he had the natural affection for his
wife, that we all ought to have when we have that feeling inside
of love for our spouse. In fact, when we get married
Shah, he's going to be married soon.
And, and Lizzie my niece is going to be married soon.
Ryan, Rebecca got married, not long ago and and I got married a
long time ago, but the point is this, When you marry someone,
you marry someone that's going to be closer to you than
anybody. In the whole world.
You're going to have someone that your dearest friend someone
that your Confidant, someone that is so close to you.
That there's no one in the world that will ever have a closer
relationship to you than your spouse.
But notice this, the Bible says that God had closed her womb,
God had had caused her to be Barren, and I could not have
children. You remember back in those days?
They were, they had multiple wives on many occasions.
And this woman here, Pnina was also married to elkanah, and the
Bible says that they had sons. And they had daughters, she was
fertile and she was able to have many children.
And so the Bible says that they did just that.
But, you know, the Bible also talks about how there was a
rival between these two women. I can only imagine how it would
be in the same house having two wives.
I can just imagine how that would be under the very best of
circumstances. Hey listen.
It's hard enough to make one happy.
This man had two and one of them couldn't have children, and one
of them desperately wanted children though, she could not
have it. And you've got this woman here
who obviously wants the greater affection or the greater feel
from her husband as it were that he would show favour unto her
too. And so you can just imagine as
they talked about in the common vernacular, a place.
Having no fury like a woman scorned.
The Bible says, when they came for the yearly sacrifice to give
sacrifices in Shiloh, you know, they came to the Feast of the
Tabernacles and they came to this place and it was an annual
Feast, it was an annual thing. And, you know, the men were the
only ones that were required to go to Shiloh, the place where
the Tabernacle was and Form such sacrifices and so on.
But just because it was only the men that were required didn't
mean that the women were not allowed to go and hence many of
the women and families and children made the journey which
I'm told from this place from where this man lived.
Incidentally, he lived in a place called rain, Maffei M sof.
Mm, which is also known as Rhema or Rama. 18-mile journey to
Shiloh to the place of the Tabernacle there.
The Bible says, when they made that Journey, they did so and
you know, they made a journey. This journey must have been
something that was a whole lot more difficult than anything
that you and I can possibly fathom.
They had primitive primitive means of transportation.
Not like us, 18 miles, it's probably over half that to my
house from here in an automobile, and we make it
really quickly and it's an easy. Drive and there's nothing
difficult. We turn on the air-condition,
turn on the music and the car, we have Comforts all around us,
and that's an easy thing to do. But to travel 18 miles back,
been on the rough and Rocky terrain and all that would
possibly come their way, was a whole lot more difficult and,
you know, this too. Wouldn't you think that if it
was a time when they went to give sacrifices unto the Lord
and to be grateful for the things that they had been given,
especially the children that they've been Blessed with.
Don't you think that it was especially hard for Hannah when
she would go there to that place?
Knowing that the Bible says that the Lord had closed her womb and
therefore could not have children and was barren.
Well, elkanah noticed that too. When they came down to giving
portions to the family, the Bible says that he didn't
withhold anything, but when he gave Provisions or he gave
portions to Pnina and thus, and sons and daughters and so on he
gave what was acceptable or unacceptable amount, gave him a
rightful portion. But then the Bible says, he gave
more to Hannah because he loved her and not only that.
But Hannah was grieved in her heart, Because she couldn't have
children. Have you ever met someone that
could not have a child? Now listen, I don't know of
anyone right now here, but let's just say that there was someone
here under the sound of my voice tonight, that could not have
children. You know, that that's something
that we all feel compassion. For somebody could not have a
child, we all feel like that we would never dream of rubbing it
in their face that we have children and certainly we would
not do anything that would sound hateful to them in that regard.
But this woman, this woman is about to get hers.
And she lets Hannah haven't the Bible says on this occasion.
That Hannah was so grieved that she began to cry And the Bible
says that she wouldn't even eat. You know, I like what one
scholar said there, he said she wasn't sitting back pouting, she
wasn't protesting against the other wife.
No, she was just grieved so much and she was hurting so bad and
she was so desperate in her heart that she was grieved to
the point that she lost her appetite.
Now I can understand that because I guarantee you this if
you have something in your life that is so awful that's cause
you to be grieved in that way, you know.
Know what I'm talking about. The last thing you want to do is
sit and eat a big meal. You completely lose your
appetite. You know I've known some people
that were absolutely just the best eaters that you ever saw in
your life. They could eat Anytime Anyplace
anywhere and he anything, but something like this happens
where they're grieved and they don't eat it all.
And I remember a man lost 50 pounds. £50 because he was
heartsick over the loss of a woman that was to be his wife.
You know, that's sad, but that's kind of what's going on here.
She's so grieved, she can't even eat.
And she goes over where Eli was and Eli.
Was at the door of the, of the, of the temple there, he was at
the door, he was listening on and he notices that Hannah
comes, and Hannah is sobbing. She is weeping and she's praying
to God. But the only thing that Eli
could see is her mouth was moving and no sound was coming
out. You know, that's interesting.
The first thing he thinks of incidentally backing up just a
little bit in our story when the Bible that talks about these
characters here. It also says that at the very
same place, these characters were there, too, Eli looks over
and sees Hannah and Hannah. Wherever she was, she was
sobbing, she was heartsick and she was praying.
But all these seizes our mouths moving and no sound coming out.
You know what he said, she She's drunk.
She's drunk. And he says, put up your wine,
put it aside, you know it is said that wine or alcoholic
beverages is a slow and toxicant considered there are things that
people can take by way of other, intoxicants that can make them
intoxicated rather quickly. This is a slow and toxicant
hence the phrase, when Eli says put up thy wine from you, For
you're drunk. You know, I like what she says,
because what she says is in response she says, do you look
to me as a daughter of Belial, you know, in the New Testament?
Belial is, is sometimes described as the devil, but in
the Old Testament, there is no proper noun here.
That would describe a person place or thing.
Hence, not specifically being the devil.
But we're talking about someone that is not righteous.
We're talking about someone that is worthless in the eyes of God.
And she said this, Don't look at me.
Like I am a daughter of Belial. I would not only, and I like
this, I wouldn't have any wine, and I wouldn't have any strong
drink. I wouldn't have either one. you
know, I think that she is in a words there, she's admitting
it's wrong to have either one It's wrong to have those
intoxicants she says, don't look to me as a daughter of Belial.
That would participate and use such things as that.
But let's just back up, let's back up to the things that she
was praying to God about, you know, when she prayed to God,
you know, I can't fathom this. She wants a child so bad, she
wants a son so bad, no doubt, she wanted to pass.
Jean, the Bloodlines of her husband through her and not the
other woman, the other wife, no doubt.
But the Bible says that her prayer was like this, she prayed
to God and she said, if you'll just give me a son, I will give
him back to you and he will serve you all the days of his
life. And he which is going to be
Samuel will be a measure right, his entire life, he is going to
give the vowel. You know what valve?
Under the Old Testament was for a time period.
Inez right valve, also, but in many cases, it was for life and
in his case she is making the valve for Samuel that her
husband is going to support. Therefore, it was due and
payable in the eyes of God and Samuel was going to be just that
he would not cut his hair for his entire life to show that he
was a, he fulfilled his Nazarite vow unto God, she said Said, if
you give me a son, I'm going to give him back and he's going to
serve you all the days of his life.
Wow. You know what I thought of?
I thought of something that Tina and I said when we lost Tyler
and and some of the other family members in our family said to,
you know what we said, you know what's awful, losing child, it
really is, in fact, it's an unnatural thing to have to bury
your own children, really nice. But I want to tell you this. in
in looking back on those days, you know, one of the things that
we said was, we said Every parent, every parent strives to
get their children to heaven. And now we're one for one.
I said, I said that to say this that was very consoling and it
felt better, but I just wonder how I would have felt in advance
if I was willing to give him up and giving back to the Lord.
Listen, I prayed every day for a child, I did.
And when we lost Tyler, I prayed every single day for a healthy
baby. So when Taylor comes out,
eyeball for one solid week useless as can be I got my
little girl. And she's healthy.
What if I would have had to give her up?
For the Lord. This is a great picture to me.
That Hannah looked to the child that she loved no doubt and
incidentally you know when she nursed the baby you know it's
going to come. There's there's several years
now. Going to pass they're going back
to Shiloh on this once a year once a year event and when
they're going to go back to Shiloh and they're going to go
and and perform the sacrifices that they've done before several
years. I don't know how many, but this
is what I do know, in reading some history about the time.
It was customary that a mother would nurse her child for three
years and at three years old, and might sound rather odd.
But for three years, they would nurse the child and then the
child would be weaned. So at some point in time when
they went back after this man was born after Samuel was born
and incidentally, let's just back up so we don't get ahead of
ourself. When Eli is talking to Hannah
and Hannah is saying I'm not the daughter of Belial.
I wouldn't have any strong drink and I wouldn't have anyone.
I wouldn't do anything like that.
I am praying to God. God.
And this is what I'm praying for.
I am praying that he'll grant me a child and I'll give him back
to God. And Eli says, as the high priest
granting such a blessing, he says, may it be that the Lord
would bless you in that way. She no longer is sad.
And in fact, the Bible says, that her countenance changes her
facial features and enter expressions.
And all of that they change. She no longer is heavy-hearted.
She no longer is saddened. She knows something's good is
going to happen. Bible says they go back.
There's another sacrifice they eat and they go home.
And her, and her husband knew one another and she conceived.
And Samuel was born. And Samuel was the product of
the prayer that she prayed. A period of time had gone by and
it was time to go to Shiloh. She says, I'm not going to go
with you, and that was incidentally, that was all right
to do. Because like I said, it was only
the men that were required to go.
So he sent. No, she says to elkanah her
husband, she says, I'm going to stay here, and I'm going to
continue to nurse him until he is weaned, and then I will bring
it. And he said, okay.
But there came a period of time and that whatever I just said
three years went by or wherever it was when it was time and they
were going to bring the child to Eli and she was going to fulfill
what she had said. And we go to our reading that we
have just a just a few minutes ago, beginning in verse 21.
And the man elkanah and all his house went up to offering to the
Lord, the yearly sacrifice and his vow.
But Hannah went not up for. She said, unto her husband, I
will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring
him and he may appear before the Lord, and thereby forever and
elkanah. Her husband said under her do
what seemeth be good. Terry until you have weaned him
only the Lord established his word.
So the woman of bowed and gave her some sucking tissue is Wayne
And then verse 24 when she was weaned, they took him up and
brought him also with three bullets.
In other words, they were not only going to bring the child to
Eli to give the child, Samuel over fulfilling a vow and over
to the Lord to start serving the lord, all the days of his life.
But they also brought fangs of sacrifice that they might make
sacrifice in Thanksgiving and praise to God, also, You know,
I've wondered what, Eli, what he must have thought when he or she
comes. And she says it was me member
me. Remember when you thought I was
drunk, you thought I was intoxicated and I said, no, I'm
not intoxicated. I'm not the daughter of Belial.
I'm not all that. She says, I'm the one that was
praying, I'm the one that was heartsick and I'm the one that
said that I would give my child back to the Lord.
If he'll, but blessed me with the Son and now I'm here to do
it. The Bible says from that point
forward. Now she left him there.
You know, I don't know what that's like, but do you take a
child picture? A child, that is yours.
And you've spent, and you've bonded with the child.
I'm not talking about, I'm not talking about a woman that gives
her child up for adoption, right birth.
I'm talking about you have that baby, take care of that baby and
nurse that baby for three years time.
And then all of a sudden do, like you said, you were going to
do travel, 18 miles think in the entire time, what you're going
to have to do, and how it was going to be?
Be to separate yourself from that child.
Only to leave them there because that's what you promised the
Lord. You know, the Bible says that
she was blessed with sons and daughters too.
But she did the right thing. She chose the Lord over her
child. That's not easy to do.
But if there's a picture there, it certainly is this.
If there is nothing in the world, that is more important
than serving the lord. There's no one in the world
that's more important than the Lord.
You know, Jesus, dealt with that very thing.
You remember, when Jesus would speak about that very thing, he
would say that a man must hate his father and hate his mother
and so on, and so forth. But the word hate just means
love less, you know, the Lord was saying, Lord was saying you
love him. Like you've always loved him,
you love him with all your heart, you love them and in a
great abundance. But you love the Lord more.
Because if you love anything or anyone in this life greater than
you love me, Jesus said you're not worthy of me.
What an example? This woman was able to show us a
long long time ago. Well, the Bible says that she
began to pray chapter 2. She does just that and she prays
a prayer that sounds like a like a poem, it's a beautiful poem,
she speaks of things that were predictions and stuff.
But At first she praises the great God Of Heaven.
She says about the about the Lord, his horn.
That means his power. You know what?
He/she I was saying she was saying, it's not by my strength,
it's not by his strength, it's not by man's doing it is by
God's doing and his power. And his might to be able to look
down upon a woman that has bowed before him.
And incidentally she was humble, you know, I know three times in
her prayer, she calls herself thy handmaid The Lord's,
handmade humbling herself. Who was the one that was to have
power? It was the Lord and she said,
it's because of his power that she had a child.
Well, you know, the Bible says that He liked or excuse me,
Samuel began to continue to grow, and he grew in favor, in
the eyes of the Lord, and he grew in favor, in the eyes of
men, you know, there's a contrast there because right
before the statement that I just made a verse in chapter 2 just
before that, it talks about two other Sons.
Two other songs that were not in favor, in the eyes of the Lord,
and they were so wicked and so vile they were not in favor.
Over with the people of the land either.
I'ma tell you something right now.
You can leave the church, you can quit the church, you can go
into a bar somewhere, you can drink an intoxicant.
You can talk to people that knew you used to go to church, and
you know what they'll do for the most part in the world.
They'll support you in all the way.
You know why? Because it supports their
decision to. Usually when we do things that
are not good, in the eyes of the Lord, they are good in the eyes
of man. When we go out into the world
and we do things that the world says is a great idea.
Usually God is not pleased, usually more on that in just a
minute. I want to share with you.
An example happened just the other day.
We kind of joked about it. Taylor playing in a softball
league at the playoffs, we had told them that that if there's a
Wednesday conflict, we would we would miss the game.
We would, we've told them that from the sign up all the way
through. They knew that fact, Taylor
missed two games in the course of the season, because they were
at 7:30 on Wednesday evening, we've made a commitment to
worship the, the great God of heaven and be with you and do so
together. Interestingly if they the one on
Tuesday, they had to play on Wednesday at 7:30.
And before the Tuesday night game, I was talking to the head
coach, I was the assistant and I said, no, we're not going to be
able to be there and he said, listen to me.
He said the Lord wants her here. He said the Lord wants her here,
trying to recruit a good ball player.
The Lord wants you to play baseball.
Lord and care about baseball. Lord don't care about any of
that. The Lord cares about our service
to him. So usually when we do things in
the eyes of the world that seemed good in the eyes of the
world, they are not necessarily good in the eyes of God.
But Samuel was a young man that was growing and he was coming up
the ranks and he was doing things that were pleasing in the
eyes of God and he increased in favor in the eyes of man.
What an example that was. but you see these two boys right
here, they were so wicked and they were so vile and they were
doing. So, under the idea or under the
idea or guideline, or the name of sacrifice and religion to
God. They were so corrupt, and so
vile that people actually abhorred.
The sacrifice Could that ever be said of a child of God?
That we lived in such a way that people would look to the Lord's
church with disdain because of our example.
Wouldn't that be awful? You know, we're supposed to go
out to the world, Darryl prayed about God, giving the increase
and God certainly has done that, God's given the increase here at
this place. He's given the increase all over
the world. We give him the praise, the
glory, and the honor we do. We give him all the praise for
566 baptisms in the Philippines at the start of the year.
We give him the praise for that too.
But you know though God gets the praise and God gets the glory,
it doesn't remove our service. And one of the things that we do
when we serve God, not just worship him.
One of the things that we do is we go take this gospel story.
The Greatest Story Ever Told and we take it to those that are in
the world and listen, folks you may not know a whole lot about
the Bible, you may not know a whole lot about the book.
You may be a babe in Christ but I guarantee you the greatest
sermon ever. East is your life.
And you can be doing good with your actions, your example and
your life. So people would look to you and
see good things about the Lord's church and not bad things.
But when we don't behave ourselves and we do things, and
act hateful of do and say things, we shouldn't, there are
talk about that this morning, about loving one, another
demonstrating, our faith, and all of that.
When we do that, people look to us in a negative Of way when we
don't show that kind of proper Spirit.
They'll say things like, I thought you said you were a
Christian I thought you said that you were a child of God.
Whole World's watching. These vile men.
Were not only not in favor in the eyes of the Lord.
But they were vile even in the sight of man.
Now Eli's going to have a conversation with both of them
and Eli sits down. And as I mentioned just a moment
ago, I've tried to picture the city.
No doubt. This is a man.
Listen, Eli was a God-fearing man.
He was a God-fearing man. Eli was a man that was a high
priest and it was also a judge. Incidentally you know the period
of the judges we just finished it by looking at 1st Samuel, the
first chapter, we're beginning, another book of History under
the Old Testament. But prior to this we talk about
just the Book of Judges we and we find out that Samson was a
man that that judged Israel for 20 years in the days of the
Philistines and all that, when we talk about this, we're
talking about two men that were Judges, there's an overlap here
before we get to the first king and that's King Saul in a few
more chapters down the line. When the people wanted a king
more on that, on a later date. But Eli was not only a high
priest, but he also was a judge just like Samuel.
Samuel was a judge to and King Saul was the very first king.
This was a man that was a high priest.
This was a man that had to administer for the people
according adding to the needs of the people.
No doubt a good man. And a judge too.
But when he sat down his boys, He said these words.
First of all, it says, Eli was very old and heard all that his
sons did unto Israel. And how they get this, how they
lay with the women that assembled at the door of the
Tabernacle of the congregation, not only were they making the
sacrifices vile, but they also had laid with the women.
The Bible says, who had assembled at the door of the
Tabernacle of the congregation. Eli says this he says under
them. Why do you do such things for?
I hear of your evil dealings, by all this people.
That sounds like he's saying, I don't agree with what you're
doing, doesn't it? That sounds to me like he's
saying what you're doing is absolutely wrong.
In the eyes of God, is it enough?
He keeps going, he says nay my son's for it is no good report
that I hear you make the Lord's people to transgress more.
He goes on if one man sin against another, the judge shall
judge him. But if a man sends against the
Lord who shall entreat for him, notwithstanding they hearkened
And not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would
slay them. Now, listen, If I do something
and have a problem, and I do something with Ryan, I do
something to Ryan. I sinned against Ryan.
There's always someone above me that I couldn't treat.
There's always someone to ask forgiveness.
There's always someone he likes. There's a judge that can stand
in the way as it were, And offer you Mercy. he says, but when you
sin against the Lord, who you going to retreat, Who you going
to go to? There's no greater judge than
the Lord. now, these sound like heartfelt things to say to these
young men But they didn't repent and the child Samuel grew on and
was in favor, both with the Lord and also with man as we get to
the third chapter though. You remember that there was a
time when Eli was getting very old.
In fact he was 98 years old, he was getting to the very end in
his eyes. The King James version says his
eyes were dim. He was going blind.
He had lost his eyesight. Like old people can obviously do
and one night he and Sammy and I remember Samuel had been with
Eli this whole time over all these years and he was growing
in favor. Growing up and all of that
growing in stature. And all of a sudden, one night,
they go to bed. And the only thing that was
Delight was the faint distance of a light in the Holy place.
And it was almost out and it was very late.
And a voice came to Samuel and said, Samuel and Samuel arose.
And he comes to leave out. It comes to Eli and he says to
Eli. He says, here I am.
You've called me. And Eli says, I didn't call you.
Go back to bed and he goes back to bed the second time.
And again, he hears the voice. And he hears the name, he says
Samuel and he rose up again. He comes to Eli.
He doesn't sound aggravated. He just simply says, you called
me here? I am.
You called me again? I'm right here.
He said, no, I didn't call you go back to bed.
He goes back a third time and he's laying there a third time
in the voice cries out again, the boy says Sam.
He rises up and he comes to Eli stands before Eli.
He says, here I am again. You called me and now he'll I
knew exactly what it was all about.
And Eli says, it's the word of the Lord.
He said, you go back. And if you hear the words again,
you rise up and say, say, on Lord, for I am listening for, I
am here. You know, there was going to be
a vision that was given to Samuel and it was not going to
be a happy one. It was going to be a sad
occasion. I want you to hear these words.
Beginning in verse 11 of chapter 3, the Lord said to Samuel
behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of
every one that heareth in shall tingle.
In other words, they're not nobody's going to be able to
believe what I'm going to. To do.
He says on in that day I will perform against Eli all things
which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin.
I will also make an End look at verse 13 for.
I have told him that I would judges house forever for the
iniquity, which he knoweth because get this his sons made
themselves bile and he restrained them.
Not Didn't we just read a chapter before that?
He told them that what they were doing was awful.
Didn't they? Heave and say to them?
Your sin is so great. That there's no one that you can
even in treat You've offended the Lord and there's nowhere to
go. But it would be taken from the
house of Eli sacrifices forever. Other things were going to
happen to anyone of the of that lineage, you know, the promise
given to Aaron before. And continuing on in that in
that lineage. The Lord said the angel lord
said before chapter, before he said what's going to happen is
they're not even going to be able to grow to old age.
You're going to die young. I'm gonna wipe you out.
Why? Because your sons were vile and
you restrained them. Not Folks, if that's not a
picture. Of the active role that we must
have against wrongdoing. Especially in our own house.
I don't know what is see speaking to them was not enough,
he could have taken them away from the responsibilities as
priests and sacrifices and all the things that they would do
working as a common priest. But he didn't do it.
In essence. He chose them.
Over the Lord. Somebody asked me one time.
Well, they said it rather curtly They said, what are you going to
do, fright? You got little kids.
What are you going to do? Christian said this to me.
What are you going to do? when one day Taylor care decide
that they're no longer going to serve the Lord, If all of a
sudden one day they go and say, you know what, I'm just done
with it all. What are you going to do?
I only have one answer. I want you to know that my
answer is not any kind of arrogance whatsoever.
I do think I got the greatest kids in the world but I
guarantee it and I tell you this to prayerfully, it'll never
happen. But if I lose him to the devil
one day you won't be before the fight.
I do know that for a fact. I know that for a fact.
But somebody says, what are you going to do if they choose the
world and quit? I answered him like this, it's
the only answer I know. I hope and pray that I will love
them as much as my father. Loved me.
No more. Take some folks.
There's a time when you make choices because you don't want
to lose what you love. sometimes people say, Well, they're doing
it for all the wrong reasons, maybe maybe, I stand before you
today for that one reason. Guarantee.
See, we make the decisions for them.
And if they choose another path, we long for their return, but we
don't support him in sin, or we give them no reason to ever come
back. You know, one by one.
I've had some family members that have departed, you know,
they all came back. My sister came back recently, my
dad never got to see it but he'll see that one day if she's
faithful to the end. If you don't stand for
something, like the song says, You'll fall for anything.
He could have done something about it.
But he didn't. Don't ever let it be that the
child of God says to their children.
Their loved ones their family. Hope you make the right choices
but nothing's going to change in our relationship.
I'm a love you all the way to heaven.
I'm a love you all the way back. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at
search of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored.