 But today we're in 1 Samuel, we're going to look at verses 12 through 26 and what I'm going to do is I'm going to read verses 12 through 17 and get into our study and then move on into verses 18 and conclude at verse 26 today. And we're looking really at a contrast between the sons of Eli and a boy by the name of Samuel. So let's begin reading here 1 Samuel chapter 2 at verse 12, we'll read to verse 17 and get into our study. Reading at verse 12, we read, Now the sons of Eli were corrupt, they did not know the Lord. And the priest's custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged flesh hook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot and the priest would take for himself all that the flesh hook 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'll take it by force. For the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. And so what we have here is we have a picture that we're going to be looking at and developing of some evil sons, evil sons who belong to the high priest, a man by the name of Eli. We need to remember that as you look at the Old Testament, God had established what is called a priesthood. The priesthood was established under Moses and the first high priest was his brother, a man by the name of Aaron. Aaron and Moses were from the tribe of Levi and so all the priests from that point on were to be from the tribe of Levi. Now Eli is from that lineage and so as high priest Eli has sons. These sons are also priests but I want you to see something in verse 12 as they're being described to us. It simply says the sons of Eli were corrupt. They did not know the Lord. And so though he had sons who were priests, these were people who were unsaved. That word corrupt literally means sons of Belial. The word Belial literally speaks of that which is worthless, evil, or ungodly. And that word Belial is used for Satan. You see that in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 15. And so it speaks concerning these men, not having a relationship with the Lord. These are men who are working there at the tabernacle. But God has no influence in their lives. These are professional ministers if you will. People who have the responsibility of bringing people to a knowledge of God. But these are men who do not know, do not worship, do not love, do not serve, do not fellowship with, and do not fear God at all. These are unsaved corrupt men there at the tabernacle serving but only as professional hirelings. Not men of character, not men of integrity, not men of faith, not men who love the Lord. These are simply corrupt individuals who are there called sons of Belial. People who don't have a relationship with God. They don't have the fear of God in them. And having no fear of God allows them to sin without any concern for any consequences whatsoever. As far as they're concerned, they can do whatever they want and they're going to get away with it. And that's because they have a lack of the fear of the Lord. Now it's interesting how in the book of Romans in chapter 3, the apostle Paul, when he's speaking about people who don't know God, in Romans chapter 3 verse 18 says that there is no fear of God before their eyes. You see, it's the fear of God that causes people to depart from evil. The Bible says that in Proverbs chapter 8 verse 13. In Proverbs chapter 1 verse 7, it says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. And so the fear of the Lord actually has benefits to it. In Proverbs 10, 27, the fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened. There are benefits that come from having this reverence of God, the sense of his awesome power and might that causes us to realize as the God of this universe, the most powerful being in existence. We ought to have a reverential fear of this God, but they didn't. They could go there to the tabernacle, and they could do their duties, even though they had a father who was a high priest, and they did not care at all. They didn't listen to what was being said. They wanted nothing to do with his counsel. They didn't care at all. They were professional. They were hirelings, and to them serving God was inconsequential. It didn't matter to them at all. I was talking to a friend of mine just this last week, a friend who is a music minister, and he serves as an assistant pastor and as a music minister in another church in Northern California. And we were speaking just this last week, and as we were conversing, he said to me that he has a responsibility in his area of meeting with young people who want to be in worship ministry, who play guitar or sing, play piano, whatever, and he meets with them, because these are kids who are saying that they want to be mentored into becoming worship ministers. And as we were talking, he said that the majority that he meets with are not looking to be mentored at all. He says what they're asking him, he says almost inevitably, the first question that they'll ask is, how do I make contact with somebody who could become a producer, or how can I get my music published? He said the things that they're more concerned about is really related to professional things, money, and how do I get a name, and how do I start making my CDs, and all of that. He said that's what they're really concerned about. He said that this one young man came to him and was speaking to him about music ministry and all. And my friend said to him, when did you come to know Christ? And the young man says, I don't know the Lord. He said that. He said, I'm not a Christian. And so my friend says, why do you want to be in gospel music? And he says, because it's a foot up, it's a leg in, it's a way to start. He says, I really want to do my own music. And I think I can get into gospel music. It's easier to break into that. And then from there, I want to move on into what I really want to do. For him, ministry, for him, it's more money. It's more what you get for doing it. And that's how these people are. That's how Eli's sons, Hoffney and Phineas are. These are people who are corrupt. They don't have a relationship with God. And yet there they are at the tabernacle, serving ostensibly as men of God. When in reality, God says, they don't know me. Their hearts are far from me. And so this is what we're looking at today. We're looking at people who see ministry as a means to an end. It's an easy job to have. And when you have that kind of mentality, you can sin without a conscience. And that's what they're doing. And I want to point this out to you. What is it that they're doing? Well, look at verses 13 and 14 first. What happens when you don't have a relationship with God and yet you have a place of influence? Well, it says in verse 13, the priest custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, a priest's servant would come with a three-pronged flesh hook in his hand while the meat was boiling. And then he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. And the priest would take for himself all that the flesh hook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Well, the first thing they did is they stole. They were stealing. They were stealing from men in this particular instance. You see, what they're doing is they're taking that which belonged to the one who was making the offering. And they're stealing from that person in the law called the law of Moses. God made provision for the priests to be supplied. Their needs were to be cared for by the people. Deuteronomy chapter 18 makes that clear, verses 1 through 5. There it says, the priests, the Levites, all of the tribe of Levi, should have no partner or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his portion. Therefore, they shall have no inheritance among their brethren. The Lord is their inheritance, as he said to them. And this shall be the priests do from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it is a bull or sheep. They shall give to the priest the shoulder, the cheeks and the stomach, the first fruits of your grain and your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep shall you give him. For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever. And so they had a certain portion that was allocated to them. But by using the flesh hook, they were taking what belonged to the other person who was making the offering. And what belonged to them as priests was the right shoulder. It was what was called the wave breast, but they were taking what they wanted. They were demanding for themselves what belonged to somebody else. So for them, ministry was simply a way for them to eat and live well at the expense of somebody else. And that's what they're doing. They're ripping off the people, stealing their offerings, getting the choice pieces for themselves because they think that they deserve that. It's interesting in 2 Peter in the New Testament, chapter 2, verse 3, how the apostle writes concerning false believers who by covetousness, he says, will make merchandise of you with deceptive words. There are those who enter into ministry who are hirelings. Their hearts are not right with God. And they use the ministry position and the authority for their own means, for their own gain so that they might live well. I remember an individual who was invited to be a minister over a particular church, a pastor at church. And they were discussing his salary and as they were discussing his salary, the man said, listen, I'm not gonna ask for you to set a salary for me. What I'd like you to do is simply give me 10% of the offerings. And this is a very small church and they were thinking within themselves, well, he's not gonna receive very much, but this is one of those guys who went out and did everything he could to attract people and eventually they had over 2,000 people showing up, 2,000 people that he was teaching to tithe. And so he had a considerable income but he was a hireling and not a man of God. And that does happen. Taking what doesn't belong to you, taking what belongs to somebody else, profiting from the ministry, that's exactly what they were doing. They were taking that which did not belong to them. It belonged to the person making the offering. But a second thing we see is found in verses 15 and 16 where it says also, before they burn the fat, the priest servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, give meat for roasting to the priest or 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. So one, he's stealing from the people but two, he now steals from God. You see, they would take the meat before the fat had been burned. The burning of the fat actually was an offering to the Lord and that was to take place first and that portion belonged to God because the fat represented the best part of the sacrifice. And so with no fear of God, it was easy for them to steal from the Lord. When they would make their offering, the fat was first given because it was representative of that which is best. So God likes fat and God likes us. Some about fat. Well, you know, when they would cook it, and I'll show you this in a minute, when they would cook it, it would take the fat and they would burn it and it would have a sweet smelling savor to it. It's like when we go out into our backyard and we throw some meat on that fire, there's just something about it that I don't know, it just makes you grunt. I don't know, it's just, it's good, you know, and you cook that meat and I don't know if any of you are like me but I'll slice a piece just to make sure that it's okay, you know. I end up eating a steak before I even bring it into the rest. I'm sorry, we're gonna have to eat vegetables tonight. There's just something about that smell and you know, during the summer, like on 4th of July or various times, neighborhoods can have that smell and you understand it. There's a sweet smell to it, it's a delicious smell and that's the whole point. That that smell that was rising to heaven was an offering to God. It was a picture of total consecration is what it is. And it was a picture of this wafting to God as an offering to him and so the burning of the fat had a beautiful smell to it but it pictured a complete consecration to God. That's what the burning represents, a complete consecration. That fat belonged to him. It's interesting how in the New Testament Jesus actually represents that particular offering, that total consecration. In Ephesians 5, verse two, Paul says it like this. He says walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. So Jesus' death is pictured as an offering to God that rises with a beauty to it. And so when they were having these sacrifices in the Old Testament, it's completed by what Jesus actually did on the cross in the New as a total consecration offering to God. But what they were doing is they were taking of what belonged to God and they were keeping it for themselves. Now it's interesting as this is taking place that people actually would rebuke them. Notice verse 16, if the man said to him they should really burn the fat first then you may take as much as your heart desires. What they were doing is they were using the Bible to correct these people, these sons of Eli who were corrupt. The people actually said, but the law states that you are not to take that and that's how correction comes. It comes through the word of God. It comes because God's word had declared what should be done. In Leviticus in chapter three, verses three through five it says he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offerings and offering made by fire to the Lord the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys he shall remove and Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice which is on the wood that is on the fire as an offering made by fire a sweet aroma to the Lord. They got corrected by the word of God. It's like somebody in a church walking up to the ministers of the church and saying you've been doing this but I've been reading the word of God and God's word says that ought not to be done, why are you doing it? That's how correction ought to take place. They walk up and they say but as I was reading the word of God this is what it says. It seems that you're ignoring that. With them they'd say now wait a minute you're really supposed to burn the fat and then you get what comes after that but they wouldn't listen to them they rejected what was being said and so as a result their ungodliness began to turn people away from the Lord. Notice verse 17, the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord for men to abhor the offering of the Lord. They started turning people away from God. When people are associated with the service of God and they live ungodly lives it has a way of stumbling people and keeping them from coming to know the Lord. Beliefs are always evidenced by consistent behavior. Belief always produces behavior. Doctrine always produces deeds and so when the word of God finds resident in my life, resident in my life it's intended to transform me. The way that I demonstrate that I am sincere in my beliefs is how I act. I'm a walking sermon we all are. Known in red by all men. People can read the living Bible when they're reading my life. Does he really fear God? Does he know God? Does he love God? Is this a man of God? It's the way that you live. It's a walking sermon. I can tell my kids go to church but if I don't go to church or I can say be consistent in the things of God if I'm not consistent what are they gonna do? Are they gonna listen to my words or are they gonna emulate my behavior? They're gonna emulate my behavior. I grew up as a young boy in a Catholic home like many of you and the nuns who taught us catechism and our catechism teachers would refer to what they used to call once a year Catholics. I wonder how many of you ever heard that phrase once a year Catholics. That's what we heard that. What was a once a year? Well, you know what a once a year Catholic was. It's one who goes to church on Christmas or goes to church on Easter and they say well the once a year Catholics are coming to church this weekend and that's how they would speak and they spoke that to us when I was seven years old. I still remember that phrase once a year. They were the people who showed up on occasion. They were the ones who would come to the wedding. They were the ones who would come to the baptism. They would come perhaps to the confirmation. They would come for the funeral. They would come on Christmas. Maybe they would come for Easter or something of that nature. I mean, but they were not regular and so they were referred to as once a year people. And you know what? I still remember that because I didn't want to become a once a week or once rather once a year Christian. I want to be a once a day Christian. Not even once a week Christian or once a month Christian. I want to be a daily Christian. I want to walk with the Lord on a daily basis in other words. When I got saved I thought you know what? If I'm going to give myself to the Lord I ought to give myself completely to the Lord and so I had to learn that from the very beginning because I didn't want to be somebody who came once in a while. I wanted to be somebody who was there consistently with the things of God because I knew that my behavior would influence other people. I was influenced by those who believed in Christ and I knew that I would influence others by the way that I lived because what I am speaks so loudly. People can't hear a word that I say and I realize that. Some people's lives are lived out for Christ in such a way that their good works demonstrate their knowledge of God. Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who's in heaven and so there are times that our lives are so evident filled with the things of God that people will say that God must be working in this person's life and you and I we have met people, perhaps they were instrumental in us coming to Christ who had that kind of lifestyle. There was something about them and we found out it's their faith in Christ. It was more than a religion. It was more than a once in a while thing that they would put on like their Sunday go to meet in school clothes and stuff. They would actually wear Christ daily and for me that made a difference. It really did. The Bible tells us that our works demonstrate who we trust in and we were actually created for good works. Ephesians 2 verse 10 says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Titus tells us in chapter 2 verse 14 that Jesus gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works. And so there's something about a life that is lived for Christ that can have a real giant effect on people's lives. They see that you're sincere and they say, you know, God is with you and I'd like to know more about this. And again, our lives can actually push people away. These people's lives pushed them away. They actually began to abhor the offering of the Lord. They despised it. They looked at it as something that wasn't necessary. What happened is their sins stumbled people and caused them to turn away from the Lord. And this is not a sin that God takes lightly. You know, when I first got saved there were seasons in my life when I most definitely did not have the appearance of a believer. Definitely did not look like I had a relationship with God. And as a result of that I could actually turn people away from the Lord. And I grew to learn that early on that I need to walk with the Lord in such a way that I don't push people away. God doesn't take that lightly. And in Matthew chapter 18 verse six, Jesus said, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. I could actually encourage someone to have a walk with God or I can discourage him simply by my own walk. These people caused the people of Israel who were coming to worship God there in Shiloh at the tabernacle making their offerings. These people had them turning away from God and it's something that God didn't ignore. Now in verse 18, but Samuel ministered before the Lord even as a child wearing a linen e-fod. Moreover, his mother used to make him a little robe and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli would bless Al-Khanan, his wife, and say, the Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home. And the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before the Lord. 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. So he said to them, why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. Know my sons, for it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people transgress. If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? Nevertheless, they did not heed the voice of their father because the Lord desired to kill them. And the child Samuel grew in stature and in favor both with the Lord and men. Now before we look at Samuel, I wanna add to that look that we're having of his sons. So instead of looking at verses 18 through 21 immediately, I'm gonna take you into verse 22 and touch on something else here. These are the things that these corrupt sons are doing. Verse 22, Eli was very old. He heard everything his sons did to all Israel, how they lay with the women who assemble at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Eli was very old. According to chapter four, verse 15, Eli was 98 years old. That's very old. 98 years old. And his sons are of this condition. His sons are evil. It must have broken this old man's heart to have these evil sons. It's interesting, he didn't ignore their sins, but they ignored him. And you see that. He heard of what his sons are doing. He knew that they were guilty of it and adding to the sins of ripping off the people, adding to the sin of ripping off God, adding to the sin of causing people to disrespect and reject the things of God. Added to that is the fact that they were having sex with the women who were there at the tabernacle who were there in order to serve. Exodus 38 verse eight speaks of these women as serving women who assemble at the door of the tabernacle. So these were men who would take advantage of the women who came there to serve God. Some believe that these women were assembled there for the purpose of devotion. Others believe that they were there keeping watch during the night, but whatever the case may be, these were women who were there serving at the tabernacle and these two men were taken advantage of them and using their power and authority to use them for their own lustful desires, lust in the ministry. Billy Graham was asked a long time ago, many years ago now, what kind of advice would you give to a young minister? What are the things that a young minister ought to be concerned about? And he said three things. He said they need to be concerned with pride, they need to be concerned with money and they need to be concerned about how they are with women. Those three things, less of flesh, less of the eyes and the pride of life, these are the things that they ought to be concerned about and guard themselves. They need to guard themselves from these kinds of things. These are the things that these men are involved in. They're greedy people because they're taking the offerings that don't belong to them. They're prideful people because they're bullying the people and saying you need to give that to us and they're lustful people because they're taking advantage of the women who are coming there to serve the Lord. Ministers need to have pure hearts, pastors need to have pure hearts because many times the women who come to the church are vulnerable to them and they can use their power and they can use their authority and if they don't guard their heart they might find themselves in a position that they ought not to have put themselves in. I know that and I know that very well. Our church began when, this church began when I was 30 years old and as a young man I knew that. I knew I had to guard my heart. I knew that I needed to be careful. As a matter of fact, I've been very careful with that all along and I remember when our church was young it was about a year older so we used to meet in the Ontario Christian Elementary School and those of you who may be familiar with the school that they have their cafeteria that would seat a little over 200 people. I forget how many now but it was a small cafeteria and that's where we would meet on Sunday mornings and during worship I used to sit in the second row right in the center there right on the aisle seat there and I would sit there in the second row and partake in the worship and then the bulletin would be read and then the announcement would be made let's get ready to get into the word and I would at that point I would just stand up and come walking up and actually go up the side and come in and then I'd stand behind the pulpit as I do now and I'd pray and we'd get into the word. I was doing that regularly but as I was there I would pray God I just want to have a good heart and all of that. That's what you do during worship. Well, I remember on one occasion I was there where I normally would be seated and directly in front of me was a blonde, long blonde curly hair, I still remember, shoulder length blonde curly hair and during worship I leaned forward and I had my face down and this person in front of me leaned forward and their shirt rose up and you could see the lacy underwear and I said oh no God please I don't need this oh Lord I'm gonna go up and teach and I closed my eyes and I said oh Jesus I don't need lust oh Lord I don't and I still remember oh God I kept my eyes closed the whole time during worship I wouldn't even look in front of me and I was just saying I hate to say this but Lord may the worship in so I can get up there I gotta get up there now I don't want oh this is terrible and I didn't even want to notice those underwear but I did and now what I feel I feel dirty you know and I don't know if you've ever felt that I sure did oh Lord I feel so dirty close my eyes I mean I went walking in front I had to go in front and then close my eyes when I walk by you know I'm not gonna look at you and I remember walking up walking up and closing my eyes and walking to the platform you see I have a habit to this day I don't look at the front row some of you I'm looking at you now I don't look at the front row when I teach I never do because early days sometimes the girls would sit there and sit in an immodest way so I learned a long time ago just to look above their heads I mean that's how I teach so I never look in the front row never do never do it didn't sit modestly some of the guys don't either but that's another story but I come walking up and as I come walking up I'm said oh God and I had my eyes closed and I prayed and I started to teach and I said let's open our Bibles too and I had to look in the direction and you can't imagine how I felt when I turned and looked at the person who had been seated in front of me it was a guy it was a man with lacy underwear I even felt worse if you can imagine that for a minute oh Lord I'm worse than I thought there's lacy guy in my church his name was Linda you know what there's something in your heart that God is constantly dealing with that you yield to him in ministry it is very easy to enter into improper relationships it is even as if you're as ugly as a toad the women think you are something special and that's the truth they do oh he loves his wife he cries about her he loves his family I wish I had a man like that and before you know it they stop saying I wish I had a man like that they start saying I am going to have a man like that and before you know it I'm going to have that man and over the years every minister knows that some get confused in their love for Christ and what you do and they confuse it with you that's why I don't do counseling with women when I stand in the front and I'll pray I'm always around other people I will not even give an opportunity for something like that because for years I have sought the Lord purity of heart is what keeps you qualified you don't go after their money you don't bully them and take from them what doesn't belong to you and you respect those women that God taught us that a long time ago in his word the sons of Eli didn't care they didn't care for them they could live well they could have the women they could have at all and now their daddy is Eli is saying what are you doing? your reputation what you're doing has come to my ears people are speaking about that they're saying things that it's coming to me and what are we going to do and notice he says that in verse 23 well why do you do such things I hear of your evil dealings those kinds of sins aren't hidden for long the people coming to Shiloh began to speak of them and they're being stumbled by what they're hearing what they're seeing as a result of that they're taking the law of the Lord lightly he's causing he says in verse 24 my sons it is not a good report that I hear you make the Lord's people transgress what you're doing is you're ruining the work of God here it's terrible what you're doing because of you the name of God is being blasphemed and I was a little boy and my mom my mom loved my dad and my dad loved my mom very much and mama taught us to respect my father my mom was one of these moms who taught you to respect the father my mom never spoke down about my dad my mom was just a very good wife to my dad in many many ways and she respected him highly and she taught us to do the same I shared this with you before perhaps you might remember how I couldn't have been more in six or seven years of age my brother Frankie being a couple of years older than me, so he probably was about nine well my parents were going to go visit some friends and we didn't want to go they didn't have any kids when you're seven, eight, nine years old and you're there at the house and then they say well go outside and play and you're by yourself they don't have any kids there's no toys it's just a backyard you're standing there looking at each other there's nothing to do you get bored and so we did not want to go I still remember, I don't want to go and the way we would make that known is just the way that we would act my parents would see, you know because we were taught that you didn't you didn't get smart with your parents you didn't say things to them that were disrespectful so we didn't know how to say anything other than but we don't want to go and then mom and dad said no we're going to go and visit it's not going to be that bad you know we want to see our friends they're going to go can't you leave us with somebody else no we're going to take you so we climb in the car I still remember this sitting there with my brother our arms folded in front of our chest and we'd be tight-lipped and we were angry we didn't want to go and we're sitting there like that and my mom and dad you know they talk to you well boys and we don't talk back or we say yes or no or just you know short answers and they knew we were angry and we pull up I still remember pulling up in front of these people's houses my dad turns the car off the engine off and my mom leans over the seat and looks at my brother and me and I still remember her arm kind of over there looking you know just hanging over and she says now these are friends of ours and they respect your father if you do anything that causes them to disrespect your father I will deal with you I still remember that to this day I will deal with you okay you know and I still remember going in because my mom would have dealt with us in Mexican homes have what you call a chancla and we would have this is a shoe man and you just don't want that and my you don't want that and so we were good do you know that stuck with me into my Christian life do not do anything to cause your father to be disrespected was a lesson my mom taught me about my earthly dad that the Lord has been trying to teach me about my heavenly father don't do anything to bring shame to his name don't live in such a way that the name of your heavenly father is rejected and disregarded and disrespected because of you David because people see how you live and they definitely will make a conclusion draw a conclusion about the God that you serve Paul when he was speaking to the Jewish nation in Romans chapter 2 verse 24 said the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you and so when you don't live in such a way that brings honor to God dishonor ensues and so that's what he's doing he's dealing with these sons who are ungodly and is causing this and so that's why he says my sons is not a good report that I hear you make the Lord's people transgress verse 25, if one man sins against another God will judge him but if a man sins against the Lord who will intercede for him nevertheless they didn't heed the voice of their father because the Lord desired to kill him that's interesting how that's put there you see as a father he loves them and he's actually very gentle in his rebuke but he really doesn't deal with them as he ought to one of the commentators that I use as I study wrote he contended himself with a verbal rebuke and did not restrain them and inflict those punishments upon them which such high crimes deserved by God's law and which he as judge and high priest ought to have done without respect of persons he let them get away with it as a result of that they ignored him nothing he said really mattered and so God judged them now I need to touch this it says nevertheless in verse 25 they did not heed the voice of their father because the Lord had desired the Lord desired to kill them what had happened is their hearts were hardened they would not receive correction and in as much as Eli would not bring the correction God determined to do it himself and what they were doing actually put them in a place of being guilty of receiving as punishment capital punishment and so God made the determination to bring justice on them even though the father refused to bring them under the law and so God had made a determination Eli is ignoring them I won't now in contrast you have a little boy by the name of Samuel notice verse 18 Samuel ministered before the Lord even as a child wearing a linen e-fod or a fad a linen e-fod is a picture of a priestly garment so this is a picture of him even from childhood doing service to God there in the tabernacle moreover his mother used to make him a little robe and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice so they were seeing him on at least a yearly basis she'd come in, she'd give him a gift and she was watching him grow and still had influence in his life and Eli would bless Alcana and his wife and say the Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord then they would go to their own home and the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord so you see that in verse 21 the child Samuel grew before the Lord and in verse 26 the child Samuel grew in stature and in favor both of the Lord and men and so what you have here is the same environment but different responses he innocently goes about his duties while the others are sinful in theirs and so what happens is in spite of the corrupt environment Samuel matures and Samuel grows he didn't grow cynical he didn't reject God he remained innocent of evil and in the same environment under the same conditions influenced by the same man two sons became corrupt and one a little boy grew up to serve the Lord you can be raised in a home where the mom and dad may not even have stayed together or if they did they hated each other and every day you hear hateful words and you see mean things happening and it's a painful, painful upbringing and yet God grabs hold of your heart and teaches you lessons and so you say to yourself when I get married and I want to in spite of what I've seen I want to get married but I'm not going to do that to my kids I'm not going to drink I'm not going to do the drugs I'm not going to get violent I'm not going to go out on my wife I'm not going to treat my children cruelly and you can be in that environment that there is no sense of God at all and yet you can grow up saying but I need something greater than this come to Christ and be used by the Lord in a wonderful way and somebody says you must have been raised in a wonderful home and you have to say well to be honest with you God was not present in my home when I grew up not through my parents but God's presence was there because I sought him out as a child and God worked in my life and made me different and then there are others who are raised in an environment with a mom and a dad who do devotions and pray and seek the Lord and serve the Lord and go to church weekly and are committed fully and they say I want nothing to do with this I don't want anything to do with God I've seen both I've seen both I've seen those kids who are raised I've known their parents seen them serve the Lord loving Jesus and prayed with them as they're saying my kids want nothing to do with God I've seen it go off to college come back with a bunch of new ideas and God's not real and my parents were just stupid for believing all of that I now have got my degree in social sciences or philosophy or whatever and they come out thinking dad and mom are stupid and benighted ignorant not really sophisticated they don't understand I have a friend who whose mother had more than one husband one of the men that she was with worked for the government he actually was somebody who was trained in torture and he abused his kids he abused her kids he abused this friend of mine he knew how to use mind games to control but if the mind game didn't work he knew how to inflict pain that would make you not want to do anything wrong again for a long time and he would do that to this friend of mine mind games and physical torment little boy grew up in a home with a man who was a tormenter but he had made him made this little fella so scared he wouldn't even tell his mom ultimately his mom though was institutionalized and so she never really did know exactly what was going on with this man and his and her son and as soon as this young man this little boy grew into a young man who was able he moved out of the house he got out as fast as he could he's very brilliant very brilliant man he's a pastor now and a church up north and um but he had this pain in his heart as he as he moved out of the house there was this aching and longing this agony that he carried but one day he heard the gospel and when he heard the gospel he gave his heart to Christ and began to serve the Lord he made decisions that his wife would be treated well that his kids would be loved but he never forgot the man who used to torture him he wanted him dead really at least he was dead in his memory but word came to him that the man was dying he was in the hospital and now he's a pastor we go and visit him and he has to think will I or will I not go see this guy guy used to torment me so he said the right thing to do would be to go see him so he did he went into the hospital room and there's this man who's just a shell of what he used to be he's dying there in this bed the first thing the man does when he sees him walk in is he says the thing that he used to say to him when he was a little boy to keep him afraid of him he uses that phrase to him to try and control him even from his deathbed well my friend is a man at this point this is a weak old man dying in this hospital bed he's not afraid of him but he says the thought of what he said and how he said it brought back all those memories of the way this man would torment me and hurt me as a child the fear that I grew up with in that home so now he has a choice to make should I walk out of this room hating this man letting him die go to hell or should I speak to him so he says he sat down next to him and he opened his mouth and spoke to this man he hadn't seen him for a long time and he spoke to the man and he said to him I want you to know I love you and I care about you and I want you to know that you need the Lord Jesus Christ and the man starts to speak to him are you kidding me but he doesn't give up he sees him again sees him again stays there with him finally the man died after held my friend's hand and prayed and asked Christ to forgive him of his sins my friend who was raised in a home with no love only pain only hatred physical torture found the newness of life that Christ can give others are raised in homes with the love of Christ and they never embrace it and so as I was reading this I made a notation to myself what kind of son am I I can be like the sons of Eli or I can be like this young one by the name of Samuel one who grows in favor with the Lord and men are one who causes people not to want anything to do with the Lord that's the decision that I have to make which one will I be as for me I desire to be like a Samuel to know the Lord and to serve him growing up in the same environment to different people and I guess we should ask ourselves the question which one of those are we which one are you father I ask that you would work in us today I ask that you would work in us today Lord that we might love you and serve you to fear you to worship you to know you fellowship with you I lift this to you I lift this congregation that we your church might be truly Christians that we would truly be born again that our lives would truly reflect you in all that we do I thank you Lord because many of us desire that and I thank you Lord because many will decide for that today even as our eyes are closed and our heads are bowed perhaps I have some in this room right now who need prayer you need to get right with the Lord right now you need to I want to pray for you would you raise your hand let me pray for you right now right where you're at if you need to get right with the Lord right now father you see these hands you know the reason why they're being raised to you you know what's inside of these hearts Lord and I'm asking that you would reach down now and touch them I'm asking that they might unburden themselves and unload themselves of anything Lord that you're not pleased with even now and open themselves to your washing and cleansing by your your blood Lord and through your word and by your spirit and I'm asking that you would infill them even now and may they even respond to you even now Lord as your holy spirit is now just just invading their lives Lord wash them and cleanse them and strengthen them from this day forward that they might serve you Lord with everything within them as they receive from you Lord may they sense your presence now wash them of their sins cleanse them from unrighteousness fill them now and may they serve you Lord from this day forward you can put your hands down and Jesus I pray that you continue to work work in all of us and walk with all of us now bringing glory to yourself in your name amen let's all stand amen may the Lord bless and keep you and strengthen you and use you if you have opportunity to come to evening services I encourage you to do so get involved and serve the Lord let's pray and close with the song our father we ask that you work in us and we're about to leave this place and go into the mission field may we be found faithful as we serve you we give you praise we give you honor in Jesus name amen God bless you