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The David Chronicles 6: The Ark of Authority

Joe Harby on April 3, 2011

Introduction

Recall that the elders of Israel had summoned the ark of the covenant to the battlefield (1 Sam. 4:3), and the entire army of Israel was full of confidence that it would “do” something (1 Sam. 4:5). But it didn’t do anything, and Israel was decisively defeated and the ark captured. And so then it started to do things.

The Text

“And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon . . .” (1 Sam. 5:1-12).

Summary of the Text

The Philistines brought the ark of the covenant which they had captured from Ebenezer, the battlefield, to Ashdod, one of the principal cities of Philistia (v. 1). The five great cities were Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, Gath, and Ekron). Our modern name Palestine comes from the fact that Philistines lived there. They brought the ark into the temple of Dagon, their principal deity, and set it next to their idol (v. 2). When they got up in the morning, the idol was prostrate before the ark of the Lord. So they helped their god back up (v. 3). When they got up the next day, the same thing had happened, only the statue was now broken—head and hands broken off on the threshold (v. 4). From that time on, the threshold of Dagon’s house became something those entering would not step on (v. 5).

This was highly symbolic, but the Lord then got down to business. The hand of the Lord was heavy on Ashdod and the surrounding area, and He destroyed them by means of tumors (v. 6). The men of Ashdod put two and two together and decided that the ark could not remain (v. 7). So all the lords of the Philistines decided to try another city—and settled upon Gath (v. 8). But when the ark got there, the epidemic from Ashdod came with it (v. 9). So they tried a third city, Ekron, but the Ekronites didn’t wait for the epidemic to start (v. 10). So they had a meeting of their leaders, and it was decided to send the ark back to Israel as an act of self-defense (v. 11). Those who did not die still had the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to Heaven (v. 12).

The Plague

This plague that the Philistines had to cope with was almost certainly the Bubonic Plague. The affliction was accompanied by tumors, it was deadly, and it was associated with rodents. The Bubonic Plague causes painful swellings in the lymph nodes, in the groin and armpit, and these are called buboes. In v. 6, the LXX adds that “rats appeared in their land, and death and destruction were throughout the city.”When the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel in the next chapter, they included as a guilt offering five golden replicas of the tumors and five golden mice (1 Sam. 6:4). In short, God was dealing with them roughly. His hand was heavy upon them with a “very great destruction” (v. 9). God would not fight for Israel through the ark on sinful Israel’s terms. But once that issue was settled (as it was by the routing of the Israelite army), God undertook to fight for Israel on His own terms. And it is important to note that this was done through the instrumentality of the ark of the covenant. Israel’s problem was not that they believed that the ark had spiritual authority—it was that they did not themselves live under that authority. The ark contained the Ten Commandments, and Hophni and Phinehas were the immoral priests who brought those sacred words up to the battlefield.

Desolation at Shiloh

After this, Shiloh had been wiped out, presumably in the immediate aftermath of this first battle at Ebenezer. Centuries later, when Jeremiah is rebuking the people for having made the very same mistake about the Temple as had been made at Shiloh, he points to the desolation of Shiloh (Jer. 7:12, 14; 26: 6, 9). God says through Jeremiah that He destroyed Shiloh because of the wickedness of Israel—it was not just Hophni and Phinehas.

A Grotesque Victory Lap

The ark of the covenant is taken on a grand tour of the land of the Philistines, a parody of triumph. Despite the fact that the spiritual combat here is in deadly earnest, we are plainly meant to see the humor in this story. Dagon falls over twice, and then the ark tours all of Philistia, leaving mayhem in its wake. It was captured in the far north near Aphek, taken to Ashdod in the southwest, then over to Gath in the east, due north to Ekron, where they weren’t having any, not even for a little while, and then straight east back to Israel with all due haste. Israel was winning great victories, in part because there were no Israelites involved.

If Only

God is a great man of war (Ex. 15:3). When He bares His right arm, He accomplishes all that He wills. He can use human leaders, and often does, but He periodically does this sort of thing when such leaders get above themselves. As Charles de Gaulle once put it, the graveyards are full of indispensable men. Note what happens here as a prelude to this great victory—the human leaders die or disappear. Samuel disappears for three chapters after 4:1. Hophni and Phinehas are killed in battle for their sins. Eli falls and dies in grief. Hannah had begun this book with her song that exulted in the emptying of thrones. The fall of leaders in the church is not necessarily a bad thing. It may well be a prelude to grace, a prelude to great reformation and revival.

Too often we say if only in places where God says no such thing. If only the old wineskins would hold the new wine . . . If only the old leaders would accept the young blood . . . If only the curators would stop polishing the marble floors of the Reformation Heritage Museum . . . If only we would learn that God is fully willing to overthrow His appointed leaders.

Take this lesson from God’s playbook. Reformations are messy. Do you pray for reformation in the church? Well and good, but you are praying for a mess. This is not said to discourage you—we are called, like Hannah, to exult in God’s pattern of doing things. God overthrows people who should know better. Creative destruction is something that He knows how to do well. But we still wince. Sometimes we think that they had it coming like Hophni and Phinehas did, and other times we think (deep down in our hearts) that the Lord was a bit severe, as with Eli. But reflect and learn wisdom.

The David Chronicles 5: Ichabod

Joe Harby on March 27, 2011

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Introduction

The sign that had been given to Eli about the fall of his house was the fact that his two sons would die on the same day. He heard this news just seconds before he himself died. He had also heard the news that disaster for his house was disaster for all of Israel as well—the ark of the covenant was taken by a heathen army. The glory departed from Israel, and it was left desolate.

The Text

“And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men . . .” (1 Sam. 4:1-22).

Summary of the Text

The word of Samuel came to all Israel (v. 1). In this time, Israel pitched near Ebenezer and the Philistines in Aphek (v. 1). The two armies arrayed against one another, and battle was joined. Israel got the worst of it (v. 2). As a result, the elders of Israel called for the ark of the covenant to be brought up from Shiloh (v. 3). This they did, and Hophni and Phineas came with the ark (v. 5). When the ark came into the camp, Israel shouted so that the earth shook (v. 6). The noise, and the reason for it, rattled the Philistines (v. 7). The Philistines came to the conclusion that they were done for (vv. 7-8). But they were in desperate straits, so they encouraged one another to the fight (v. 9). The battle was joined again, and Israel was utterly routed (v. 10). On top of that disaster, the ark of the covenant was captured and the two worthless sons of Eli were killed (v. 11).

A messenger from the tribe of Benjamin came to Shiloh, his clothes torn and earth on his head (v. 12). Eli was waiting by the road for news about the ark, and when the messenger came, the whole city cried out (v. 13). Eli asked about the tumult, and the messenger came and told him the news (v. 14). Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes were dim—he could not see (v. 15). The messenger identified himself (v. 16), and told Eli of the defeat, the death of his sons, and the capture of the ark (v. 17). At this Eli fell over backward and broke his neck and died. He had been judge for 40 years (v. 18).

The wife of Phinehas was pregnant, and when she heard about the ark, and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor, and then she died (v. 20). But before she died she named Eli’s grandson Ichabod, which means “the glory is departed.” She did this because of the ark, and because of Eli and Phinehas (vv. 21-22).

The Sanctuary Violated

We sometimes think that God is not careful enough with His holy things. God Himself is going to desecrate this holy place. But God is Himself holy, and He would never do such a thing unjustly. The ark of the covenant is captured in battle, which means that the holiest object in Israel’s possession was in the hands of the Philistines— and God was the one who did that. But why?

As we have seen, the Lord’s sacrifices were being polluted by Hophni and Phinehas. Phinehas was named after a faithful man who had speared a fornicating couple in the time of Moses (Num. 25:1-9). By contrast, this Phinehas was immoral with the women who were serving at the tabernacle, uncovering their nakedness. As Peter Leithart has observed, this was tantamount to “ripping down the curtains of the tabernacle.” In short, when God desecrates His own holy things, it is because they have already been desecrated. On top of everything else the ark of the covenant was taken out onto the battlefield as though it were a sort of talisman. No prophet had commanded this, and yet the Israelites thought that God could be whistled up through their manipulation of a sacred object. But it doesn’t work that way.

His Eye Was Dim

Right before Samuel hears the word of the Lord for the first time, we are told that Eli’s eyes were dim (1 Sam. 3:2). In this he was not like Moses, who at 120 was still vigorous, and his eyes undimmed (Dt. 34:7). The same thing is repeated here in this text (v. 15), which is quite striking. We are told that Eli could not see right before Samuel saw the Lord, and was given the prophetic word by Him. And here we are told the same thing again, just before the events foretold by Samuel are reported to Eli as accomplished.

The Weight of Glory

We are told that Eli was a heavy man, a fat man (v. 18). We were told earlier by the nameless prophet that Eli had (indirectly) made himself fat through the best offerings of the people (1 Sam. 2:29). The word for heavy here is kebed. The word for glory is kabod (which you can hear in the name Ichabod). One is a true glory and the other is a counterfeit glory—and both kinds of weight depart from Israel in judgment.

What it is to Hear the Lord

We see in this passage a culmination of themes. Eli heard about the loss of the ark, and the death of his sons because he had not heard the previous warnings the way he ought to have. Samuel had heard the Lord speak in a time of Israel’s history when very few heard the word of the Lord. When Eli did admonish his sons, they did not listen to him (1 Sam. 2:25). And why? Because it was the Lord’s purpose to destroy them—it was past the time for listening.

Someone has wisely said that the course of the kingdom of God is a series of great triumphs cleverly disguised as disasters. In the midst of this chaos, Samuel is growing up into a faithful prophet, ministering as a holy young man in the precincts of a doomed temple.

The David Chronicles 4: No Open Vision

Joe Harby on March 13, 2011

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Introduction

And so we are expecting the rise of Samuel, and the fall of the house of Eli. Eli warned his sons of this, and a prophet warned Eli. And now the word of the Lord comes to Samuel for the first time, and it is a word that highlights the loneliness of a prophetic calling. The word of the Lord was rare in those days, and perhaps part of the reason is that those who carry that word are frequently in trouble.

The Text

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see . . .” (1 Sam. 3:1-21).

Summary of the Text

Eli raised two worthless sons, but we must also recall that he is the one who brought up Samuel. Samuel ministered unto the Lord “before Eli” (v. 1). This was an era when there was a drought of prophetic utterance; there was no open vision (v. 2). And so it was that Eli laid down to sleep and he could not see (v. 3). This is speaking of nighttime, but it provides an apt metaphor as well—Eli could not see. Samuel was sleeping inside the sanctuary, where the ark of the covenant was, and before the lamps went out (perhaps early morning), Samuel was sleeping (v. 3). The Lord called to Samuel, who thought it was Eli calling him (vv. 4-5). The same thing then happened again (v. 6). We are then told the reason why Samuel was making this mistake—he did not yet know the Lord (v. 7). When this happened for the third time, Eli realized that the Lord was calling Samuel and so he told him what to do (vv. 8-9). The Lord came a fourth time, and Samuel did as Eli instructed (v. 10). This time the Lord stood there (v. 10).

The Lord gave Samuel a message of severe judgment, one that would make the ears of everyone who heard of it tingle (v. 11). He will lay waste to the house of Eli, and finish it off (v. 12). The Lord says that He warned Eli about his failure to restrain his sons who made themselves vile (v. 13). The sin committed cannot be addressed by sacrifice, but only by judgment (v. 14). Samuel lay (presumably awake) until morning, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, afraid to tell Eli what was said (v. 15). But Eli called to Samuel, just as the Lord had done, and as Samuel had thought he had done before (v. 16). Eli wants to know the message, and he charges Samuel solemnly to tell him everything and to not hold back (v. 17). And so Samuel tells him, and it appears that Eli responds well (v. 18).

Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him. Not one of Samuel’s words fell to the ground (v. 19). All Israel, from north to south, knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet (v. 20). The prophetic word came again to Shiloh through the ministry of Samuel (v. 21).

He Did Not Know the Lord

The text says that Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Lord (v. 7). Now the sons of Eli did not know the Lord either, but theirs was a moral problem. With Samuel, the issue was vocational; he did not know the Lord as a prophet would. Samuel is being established as a prophet here; the sons of Eli are in the process of being thrown down from their office. Moreover, we are told that Samuel comes to know the Lord in quite a remarkable way— like Moses had. The Lord calls three times. The fourth time it says that He came, and stood, and called as before (v. 10). A few verses later, this is called a vision (v. 15). This is an Old Testament theophany, an appearance of God. The chapter concludes with the Lord appearing again in Shiloh (a place already condemned), and revealing Himself to Samuel in Shiloh (v. 21).

Their Ears Shall Tingle

One writer has aptly said that the God of the Bible is no buttercup. He promises such a severe judgment that the mere news of it will astonish those who hear of it (v. 11; 2 Kings 21:12; Jer. 19:3). When God judges the earth, He doesn’t mess around. We who live in the times of the new covenant need to understand that to whom much is given much is required. The abundance of grace (which we have) ought not to make us complacent. Judgment of God’s covenant people is judgment for despising His grace. Do not be high-minded, but rather fear (Rom. 11:20-21).

Acquiescence is Not Submission

Eli appears to accept the prophetic word brought through Samuel. But this acquiescence is not the same thing as submission. Eli appears to be a good man, but deeply flawed. The appropriate response would have been to take the word of the Lord and immediately restrain his sons. God says that his sin was in not doing so—Eli acquiesces to his sons, and then he does the same thing with God. When the word of God comes to you, repentance often causes God to relent. Think of the inhabitants of Nineveh (Jon. 3:9). Think of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 7:11). Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Do not put it off. Obedience can only occur in the present.

The Prophetic Office Today

Now that the canon of Scripture is completed, one aspect of the prophetic office has been completed. No one will arise in the Church today to be a new Jeremiah, or Isaiah, or Samuel, or Agabus. The library is completed. But this does not mean that God is done with prophets. The Puritans used to rightly identify the preaching of the Word as prophesying. John Knox was nothing if not a prophet. The words of God are still declared today. But in a time of “no open vision,” they fall to the ground. When God establishes a prophetic word, all Israel knows it, from Dan to Beersheba, and the words go forth to accomplish what God has intended for it. Those words do not return void. When this happens, the people of God hear and heed. Our name for it is reformation and revival.

The David Chronicles 3: The Song of Hannah

Joe Harby on March 6, 2011

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Introduction

God heard the prayer of Hannah, and He gave her a son. She understood what was at stake, and utters a glorious psalm of triumph, a prayer that served as a model for our Lord’s mother, Mary, when she triumphed in much the same way. The horn of Hannah was exalted—and this is a striking image of masculine authority and power. But in order to do this, God would have to bring about a great reversal.

The Text

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. . . .” (1 Sam. 2:1-36).

Summary of the Text

Recall that the first chiasm in this book ends with v. 11 here in chapter 2, when Elkanah and family return to Ramah without Samuel. This chapter also includes another chiasm (vv. 12-26) that is worth noting.

a The sons of Eli are worthless and do not know God (2:12)
b The wickedness of Eli’s sons is described (2:13-17)
c Samuel ministers before YHWH (2:18)
d Hannah is given more children (2:19-21b)
c’ Samuel grows up before YHWH (2:21c)
b’ The wickedness of Eli’s sons described(2:22-25)
a’ Samuel grows in favor with YHWH (2:26)

Hannah prays in exaltation; her horn is exalted (v. 1). No one else is a rock like our God (v. 2). God is a God of knowledge, and so human boasting and arrogance must cease (v. 3). Mighty men are brought low, and the lowly are raised (v. 4). The full are empty, and the empty full. The barren are fruitful, and the fruitful come to nothing (v. 5). The Lord kills and raises to life (v. 6). He makes poor and rich, and brings low and raises up (v. 7). He brings the poor from the dust and the beggar from the dunghill, and sets them among princes, on thrones of glory (v. 8). He keeps His saints, and the wicked are silenced (v. 9). He brings His enemies low, and sustains His king (v. 10).

Elkanah returns home (v. 11). The sons of Eli were sons of Belial, who did not know God (v. 12). Their custom with the sacrificial meat was to take the first for themselves (vv. 13-14). In addition, they took the fat (which was the Lord’s) for themselves by threat of force (vv. 15-16). Their sin was very great, and they brought the worship of God into disrepute (v. 17). But Samuel ministered before the Lord (v. 18). His mother would visit him annually, and bring a coat she had made (v. 19). Eli blessed her, and she had five more children (vv. 20-21). And Samuel grew before the Lord (v. 21b). Eli was old, and heard about all his sons were doing, including their adulteries. He didn’t stop them, but just admonished them (vv. 22-25). Samuel grew in favor with God and man (v. 26).

An unnamed prophet then came to Eli and delivered the word of God to him (v. 27). Didn’t God choose Eli’s line to minister in the first place (vv. 27-28). The prophet charges Eli with honoring his sons above the Lord, and with making himself fat with the offerings (v. 29). But God will honor those who honor Him, and will light esteem those who despise Him (v. 30). Eli’s priestly line will therefore be cut off (vv. 31-33). The sign that this will happen will be the death of his two sons on the same day (v. 34). God will then raise up a faithful priest who will serve forever (v. 35). The house of Eli will then serve this new house (v. 36).

What Reversal Means

Hannah’s song is filled with reversals. This is not a song that exalts a leveling spirit, but rather points to a series of reversals. The poor become rich, and the rich become poor. The mighty fall, and the powerless are raised to life. The lowly are exalted, and the exalted are humbled. Because this happens in time and in history, each group that is raised must remember that God must be honored before, during and after His action of exaltation.

Eli’s house was chosen, and was promised that it would remain forever (v. 30). But because God was dishonored by him, God then selected Samuel, and promised him that he would walk before God “forever” as well (v. 35). But Samuel’s sons took bribes, and a king replaced him. Later in this book Saul rises, then stumbles and falls. Then David does the same. Men love to think that their mojo, once it gets going, is the kind of thing that must last forever. Haman was really excited about getting a dinner invitation from Queen Esther. He thought he was headed for high places, which a gallows is, I suppose. Watching men try to be faithful over generations is like watching the tide go in and out. It will not come in completely until the Christ comes, and the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. The prophecy given to Eli is typified by Samuel, but is fulfilled in Christ alone.

A Model Psalm

Hannah’s description of “raising and lowering” is enacted immediately afterward. It is not just a model of history, but is also a model for the remainder of this chapter. Eli’s sons are set up for a humiliation, and the humble boy Samuel is set up for exaltation. They are brought low, and Samuel is promoted. At the center of the chiasm, Hannah is given a quiver full of children—she is given a seat of great honor in the Scriptures. She had the privilege of providing a model psalm to our Lord’s mother.

Eli’s Failure, Our Failure, and Gospel Promise

Eli admonishes his sons, but he does not stop them. The prophet who brings the charge against Eli says that he honored his sons over the Lord, even though Eli “agreed with” the Lord and not with his sons. It appears that Eli was in some manner dependent on his sons’ methods of getting the choicest meat—and had gotten fat through their impudence. Eli was in fact fat (1 Sam. 4:18).

Ironically, Eli’s warning to his sons actually applied to him. If a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? Here is Eli’s failure, and if we are honest, we will see our own problem with sin as well. And here is where we must grasp the gospel promise.

The David Chronicles 2: Birth and Dedication of Samuel

Joe Harby on February 20, 2011

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Introduction

We begin this story with the birth and dedication of Samuel. As with many of God’s great men, Samuel’s birth was remarkable. God loves the pattern of death and resurrection, and He also loves the pattern of barrenness followed by fruitfulness. We can see the same truth in how He makes the wilderness become a garden. God loves the narrative arc of salvation stories. So should we.

The Text

“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb . . .” (1 Sam. 1:1-28).

Summary of the Text

As we work through this book, we will go chapter by chapter. But as we have noted, these modern divisions were not in the original text, so we will also notice how their structures and divisions sometimes “slop over” the edges of ours. Here is the first example of that:

a Elkanah and family go up from Ramah to Shiloh yearly in order to worship (1:1-8)
b Hannah’s prayer of misery (1:9-11)
c Sad conversation between Eli and Hannah (1:12-18) d Samuel is born (1:19-23)
d Samuel is born (1:19-23)
c’ Happy conversation between Eli and Hannah (1:24-28)
b’ Hannah’s prayer of rejoicing (2:1-10)
a’ Elkanah and family return from Shiloh to Ramah, without Samuel (2:11) .

A man named Elkanah from Ramah had two wives, one of whom, Hannah, was childless (vv. 1-2). This man was a faithful worshipper of God at Shiloh, but Shiloh is introduced to us as connected to the two corrupt sons of Eli (v. 3). Elkanah provided a portion for both wives, but took special care of Hannah (vv. 4-5). Peninnah was Hannah’s adversary, and provoked her every year (vv. 6-7). Elkanah tried in vain to comfort her (v. 8). After one such episode, after they had eaten and drunk, Hannah went to the temple of the Lord to pray, and Eli was watching her (v. 9). She was in great bitterness of soul, wept grievously, and made a vow to God (vv. 10-11). She promised to dedicate any baby boy as a lifetime Nazarite (v. 11). Because of the way she was praying, Eli thought she was drunk and rebuked her (vv. 12-14). Hannah replies that she is not a daughter of Belial (a worthless covenant member), but rather that she was praying through her great grief (vv. 15-16). Eli responds by blessing her (v. 17), and she goes away contented (v. 18). They then worshipped first thing in the morning (v. 19), and returned to Ramah, where Hannah became pregnant (v. 19). In due time she had a baby boy, and she named him Samuel (v. 20), which means “God heard.” A few months later, Elkanah goes to Shiloh again (v. 21), but Hannah and Samuel stay behind until he is weaned (v. 22). Elkanah agrees with this (v. 23), and so she went up to Shiloh some time after Samuel was weaned (v. 24). They sacrificed a bullock to the Lord, and brought the child to Eli (v. 25). She reminded Eli who she was (v. 26), and tells him of her answered prayer (v. 27). Samuel is lent to the Lord, and he is left to grow up in the worship of the Lord at Shiloh (v. 28).

Biblical Fruitfulness

First, notice three things in this text. The first is that the Lord was the one who had shut Hannah’s womb (v. 6). Our God is the God who opens and shuts all things. The idea that we can control fruitfulness apart from Him is ludicrous. And secondly, note how Hannah thinks of her barrenness. Third, the point is covenant faithfulness, not simply numbers. If numbers were the only consideration, polygamy would be a great idea. But Peninnah is described as Hannah’s adversary (v. 6). There are different ways that quantity can cause quality to fall apart.

Corruption an Purity

At this point is Israel’s history, the corruption had set in deep. The coming monarchy was a sign of apostasy, but that apostasy was set up beforehand by corruption getting into Israel’s bones, and especially at Shiloh. And yet, even though Hophni and Phinehas were there at Shiloh, a true worshipper of God was willing to leave her son there as a dedicated servant of the Lord. And the Lord received him as such. The history of the church has been marked by imbalance at this point. Either we are perfectionists, separating into our own little sectarian bands over every little thing, or we just go with the corrupt flow. There has to be a faithful biblical way to identify with and challenge at the same time. But never forget that Jesus worshipped in a Temple that was every bit as corrupt as Shiloh was, and every bit as much under judgment.

Sons and Daughters of Belial

Eli rebukes Hannah for drunkenness, and Hannah responds by saying that if that were true, she would be a daughter of Belial, meaning worthlessness. But note also 2 Cor. 6:15. One of the reasons why things get this way is not because people are not rebuked. No, they are. But it is usually the wrong ones. Hannah is rebuked by Eli, even though his sons (who were far worse) were not. Elkanah comforts Hannah, but does not restrain his wife Peninnah. Often we rebuke, not the one who needs it, but rather the one who will take it. This is twisted.

But we have already been introduced to the sons of Eli (v. 3), and few verses later we are told what they were like and why. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD” (1 Sam. 2:12). They were covenant members, but unconverted. They were covenantally worthless. If you are attached to externals, if you wrap yourself up in your office, if you go through the motions, but do not know the Lord, what good is it?