FAlling and Rising
1 Samuel 2:12-4:1a
Main Idea: Though earthly leaders rise and fall, God’s Word remains a steady anchor pointing us to Christ.
I. The Fall of Priests (2:12-36)
The sons of Eli were “worthless men” who “did not know the Lord” despite serving as priests in the tabernacle. They sinned greatly by:
Taking more meat offered for sacrifice by worshippers than was allowed (2:13-14; cf. Lev. 7:31-32, Deut. 18:3)
Robbing God of His portion and stealing the choice pieces by force (2:15-16; cf. Lev. 3)
Committing sexual immorality with women serving in the tabernacle (2:22; cf. Num. 25)
Though Eli did not abuse the priestly office in the way that his sons did, he sinned by enjoying the fruit of his sons' corruptions. He had become “very heavy” from feasting on sacrificial food. ‘Heavy,’ interestingly, is from the same Hebrew word as ‘glory’ or ‘honor.’ Eli is glorifying himself by fattening himself with the Lord’s food, instead of glorifying God by offering food to Him.
Peter Leithart, A Son to Me
The Lord holds Eli accountable for his son’s actions. His tolerance of their sin showed he despised and disregarded the things of the Lord, though he knew of His kindness and grace (2:27-28; cf. Heb. 10:26-28, 31). Consequently, the Lord will cut off and reject his household (cf. 1 Ki. 2:26-27), and those who “fattened” themselves will become “hungry beggars” (2:36).
II. The Rise of a Prophet (3:1-18)
The author strategically drops in reminders of Samuel’s growth, faithfulness, and ministering to the Lord, set in contrast to the downfall of the house of Eli (2:11, 18-21, 26, 3:1; cf. Lk. 2:52). The word of the Lord was “rare” in those days, indicating two spiritual realities:
The judgment of God (cf. Amos 8:11-12)
Hard and unreceptive hearts (3:2, cf. Mark 4:1-9)
That is how the word of God still becomes rare; people have no ears to hear (Mark 4:9). In fact, even the ability to hear must be a divine gift (Mark 4:10–12). We may have the Scriptures but suffer from deafness, and so the word is rare. Starvation may not come from absence of food but from lack of appetite. But God’s word—written, preached, welcomed—is the token of God’s grace to God’s people.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 1 Samuel: Looking on the Heart
Despite this reality, God is doing a new work through Samuel: his light has not yet gone out and the ark is still in the tabernacle (3:3). The Lord breaks his silence and speaks directly to Samuel, patiently calling to the boy in the same way he called others in his redemptive work in the past (cf. Gen 22:11, 46:2, Ex. 3:4).
This calling from the Lord begins Samuel’s training as a prophet, as he must be able to:
Discern between the words of man and the words of God (3:8-9)
Deliver to the Word of God to the people of God, regardless if it is a word of judgment or a word of comfort (3:11-14, 18)
III. The Steady Word of God (3:19-4:1a)
Through the rise of Samuel, the Word of the Lord will go from being “rare in those days” to the word of Samuel coming to “all Israel” (4:1a). Despite the rising and falling of earthly leaders, and the variable spiritual state of his people, God is committed to his glory and his word.
Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
In the crises of your life, you need God’s word. God’s word refreshes the soul, makes us wise, restores joy to our hearts and gives light to our eyes (Psalm 19:7–8). We need to be reading the Bible, engaging with the preaching of our church, speaking the word to one another and reminding our own hearts of God’s word… And in the crisis of our culture, we need God’s word. Our hope will not come through legislation to defend Christianity. It will not come through gimmicky methods or trendy services. We will never compete with Hollywood for entertainment. Our hope is in the power of God’s word.
~ Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You
Ultimately the Word of God is pointing us to the true & better:
Priest, whose priesthood never ends and who saves to the uttermost (2:35; cf. Heb. 7:15-16, 24-25)
Prophet, the even greater word-bringer, who incarnates as the Word made flesh (Deut. 18:15-19, Jn. 1:14, Heb. 1:1-2)
