Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Samuel 2:11-36

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

 

Illustration Of Eric Liddel

 

Perhaps you have seen the movie Chariots of Fire.

The film tells the story of two athletes, Eric Liddel and Harold Abrahams.

Eric had trained hard to compete in the 1924 Olympic Games.

He was also a faithful Christian, who readily shared his faith and took every opportunity to do so.

After the time trials he was chosen to run in the 100 yard race at the Games.

He sailed for France, as the games were to be held in Paris.

Eric had to a struggle for some time with the fact that the final for the 100 yard race final was to be run on Sunday.

/What would he do?/

He had trained long and hard for this event and now it was to be run on the day that he held as sacred, the Lord's day.

/Which love was the greatest in his life?

His love for running or His love for Christ?/ /This was a conflict between the two, what would he do?

/The Prince of Wales tried to coerce him to run on Sunday, and to put King and country before God.

Well he put God first and didn't run on Sunday.

Then the Lord opened up a way for him to run in the 400 yards event that was run on a different day.

Before the 400 yard race the American coach gave Eric a piece of paper with a verse written on it.

/He who honors Me, him I will honor./

Eric Liddel went on to win the gold medal.

This conflict revealed that Eric /honoured/ Jesus Christ more than anything else.

Tonight I want to look at the subject of Honour.

In the passage we are looking at tonight the key verse is verse *30.* /For those that honour me I will honour, and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

*What does it mean to honour someone?* /The word */honour/* means */to glorify, to promote, make great./*

Those who honour God will be honored by God.

This principle is seen over and over again in the Book of Samuel.

God honoured the priests and kings who honoured Him and He lightly esteemed those who despised Him.

Tonight the contrast between Eli's house and Elkanah's house is very clear.

There are two main points.

I.

To Despise The Lord                   &                   II.

To Honour The Lord

 

/Firstly/ To Despise The Lord

 

Eli's sons didn't honour the Lord.

They despised the Lord.

The word */despise/* means */to disdain, to scorn or hold in contempt.

/*

 

/a.

Ignorance/ *1 Samuel 2:12* /Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they *did not know* the Lord./

Firstly we find that Hophni and Phinehas were */ignorant/* about the Lord.

They */didn't know/* Him.

They were priests and their father was high priest in the Lord's house at Shiloh.

They would have learned about the Lord through the Law.

They knew what God had done for Israel in the past.

They served in the tabernacle and represented the people before God.

Yet for all this, they didn't know the Lord.

How tragic when a servant of the Lord and a high priest at that fails to win his own sons to the Lord!

With such a privileged position as this they should have come to know their God.

But they didn't grab such a wonderful opportunity.

*/There is a warning here for us too.

Just because we have Christian parents and have always gone to Church doesn't guarantee our salvation./*

It's not enough to know about the Lord.

We must personally know the Lord ourselves.

We must be born again into God's family if we want to inherit eternal life.

Jesus said to the five foolish virgins, /I don't know you./

/b.

Iniquity/

 

Secondly we find that they were */very wicked/*.

Verse 12 tells us that they were corrupt.

The King James Version calls them /Sons of Belial/.

The word */belial/* means */wicked, ungodly, evil/*.

These sons of Eli were selfish, for they put their own desires ahead of the Word of God and the needs of the people; they were overbearing and they were lustful.

These kind of people are described well in* Phil 3:18-19:* /For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

/When people don't know the Lord the natural thing for them to do is sin.

They indulge in all kinds of sinful pleasures.

Two specific sins are recorded here.

1.

Irreverence

 

*1 Samuel 2:13-17* /And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.

Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up.

So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.

And if the man said to him, They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires, he would then answer him, No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.

Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord./

/ /

*/Firstly/* Eli's sons took for themselves the best portions of the sacrifice rather than allowing the worshiper to give them a portion.

They were greedy and motivated by physical appetites.

They had no interest whatsoever in spiritual things.

Their god was their belly.

*/Secondly/*/ /Eli's sons took what belonged to the Lord.

They came and took a portion of the sacrifice before it had been offered to God on the altar.

This was a clear violation of the Law.

The sacrifice was offered to God first.

Then the people and the priest could have a portion.

*/Thirdly/* through their sin they caused Israel to despise the offerings to the Lord.

Their sin removed the joy Israel received as they worshipped God.

What an indictment against the Lord's priests.

Of all people the priests should have enhanced the people's worship of God.

/ /

2. Immorality

 

*1 Samuel 2:22* /Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting./

/ /

Eli's sons also committed adultery with the women of Israel who came to worship.

Sexual immorality was sinful for all the people.

But it was even worse when the priests engaged in it.

The Law commanded the offenders to be stoned for this sin.

The priesthood was to be an example for the nation to follow.

*/Holiness To The Lord/* was written on their hats.

But here they are actively involved in the sinful practices of their pagan neighbors.

To add to this they defiled the sanctuary by committing adultery there.

Instead of being concerned with the spiritual well being of the nation they were obsessed with their own physical appetites.

They didn't honour the Lord or glorify Him./ /They despised the Lord and brought shame on His name.

*/Although Eli's sons had great privileges tragically they didn't know the Lord!/*

The Sin Ravaged Life

/ /

When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece, The Last Supper, he selected as the person to sit for the character of the Christ a young man, Pietri Bandinelli by name, connected with the Milan Cathedral as chorister.