“Why do you show more honor
to your sons than to me,
making yourselves fat with
the choicest parts of all the
offerings of Israel my people?’”
-1 Samuel 2:29
Today we confront a common problem believers struggle with…
I’m talking about the issue of blind devotion to one’s family members just because they are family members...
It doesn’t matter how ungodly they are…
Or how abusive or toxic they are…
Some people are handcuffed to this unbiblical idea that one needs to “honor” their family members no matter what the circumstances are…
Well the story of Eli and his sons Hophni and Pinchas speak otherwise.
God condemns Eli by saying he showed more honor to his scoundrel sons than he did to Him.
Here’s the thing…
Eli didn’t steal sacrifices from the altar…
He didn’t harass and oppress the Israelite worshippers who traveled from afar to pay respects to the Lord.
Nor did he have sex with the Levite girls on the holy sanctuary grounds…
It was his sons who sinned.
But all of this sin occurred on his watch and under his authority.
Eli was the appointed High Priest…
Which means he should’ve put a stop to the blasphemous behavior of his boys…
But instead he let his messed up value system take priority over his emotions…
And now he was going to pay for it.
The Torah makes it clear that God takes precedence over family.
Recall the Golden Calf incident.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he knew that those who had sinned had to be judged.
Moses told the people:
“Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.”
And all the Levites rallied to him.
Then he said to them,
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
‘Each man strap a sword to his side.
Go back and forth through the camp
from one end to the other,
each killing his brother
and friend and neighbor.’”
The Levites did as Moses
commanded, and that day about
three thousand of the people died.
Then Moses said, “You have been
set apart to the Lord today,
for you were against your
own sons and brothers, and
he has blessed you this day.”
-Exodus 32:27-29
Imagine that?
God blessing people for literally killing their own sons and brothers and neighbors.
Or how about this excerpt from Deuteronomy?
“‘If your very own brother,
or your son or daughter,
or the wife you love,
or your closest friend secretly
entices you, saying,
“Let us go and worship other gods”
(gods that neither you nor your
ancestors have known,
gods of the peoples around you,
whether near or far,
from one end of the land
to the other),do not yield to
them or listen to them.
Show them no pity.
Do not spare them or shield them.
You must certainly put them to death.
Your hand must be the first
in putting them to death,
and then the hands of all the people.
Stone them to death,
because they tried to turn you
away from the Lord your God,
who brought you out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery.'”
-Deuteronomy 13:6-10
And don’t think this is some harsh “Old” Testament decree…
I don’t even believe in the idea of an “Old” Testament anyway…
The “Old” Testament IS what Paul was referring to when he said “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”.
Paul certainly wasn’t talking about some New Testament because it didn’t even exist at the time.
Anyways, I don’t wanna get off track with that topic.
My point is Yeshua echoed the same notion in many things he said…
Like the following:
“If anyone comes to me and
does not hate father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters
—yes, even their own life—
such a person cannot be my disciple.”
-Luke 14:26
Or how about the reply he gave to the man who said…
“Lord, first let me go and bury my father”.
Yeshua said to him…
“Let the dead bury their own dead,
but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
-Luke 9:60
Afterwards, another person came up to him and said…
“I will follow you, Lord;
but first let me go back and
say goodbye to my family.”
Yeshua replied to him saying:
“No one who puts a hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for
service in the kingdom of God.”
-Luke 9:62
The problem is Eli elevated the position of his sons above that of God…
And now he was going to be judged.
How about you?
What are some ways you let ungodly or possibly toxic family members take precedence over your relationship with the Lord?
Don’t be bullied by those who use the Bible as a weapon of guilt to pressure you to honor those who don’t deserve your honor, your time or your energy.
The Words of the Lord in verse 30 of this chapter speak clearly to this point:
“‘I did indeed say that your
family and your father’s family
would walk in my presence forever.’
But now Adonai says,
‘Forget it! I respect those
who respect me, but those
who despise me
will meet with contempt.'”
-1 Samuel 2:30
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