The Story - Chapter 10 - 1 Samuel 3-4

October is a difficult month for me for a number of reasons. In 1998 three close family members died within three weeks of each other, one of them being my mother. I recall my brother being shy of this month for a number of years; waiting for something bad to happen. It took time to get past this type of sadness, but, eventually we were able to move on.

I am not sure why I was reminded of this as I prepared this devotional today, but it probably stems from the deaths of Eli’s two sons and then Eli himself. There is no connection other than this that I can see.

God is sovereign and all-knowing. He spoke to Samuel in his dream and gave the boy a message for his mentor, Eli.

1 Samuel 3:17-18 (NIV) "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you."
So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."

Eli’s sons were priests and were evil and acted wickedly, defiling the sacrifices made to God, “his sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:13) We can’t hide from God; we can’t disguise evil behavior, masking our hearts. God sees all and knows all. We cannot keep a secret from God. God had warned Eli, had even laid out the severe consequences that would befall his house and family.

Eli spent his entire life in service to God, but he neglected his responsibilities in his own home. We all have a job to do, an assignment God has given us and gifted us to do. If we have children, that is one of the first obligations we have…to raise them up to love and serve God and each other. Only then can we take on the rest of our earthly assignments.


Read 1 Samuel 3-4 here

Listen to 1 Samuel 3-4 here