The Life of Samuel Series - Study #2

“Bearer of Bad News”

1 Samuel 2:12 – 3:21

Study #2 in The Life of Samuel Series 

INTRODUCTION:

How many times have you swept a problem under the carpet, only to have it become much worse? Maybe you thought the problem would go away by itself, or maybe you were too uncomfortable to confront it head on. Most of us try everything in our power to avoid confrontation. And nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. In the workplace, delivering bad news (e.g., reprimanding, firing, demoting, or transferring someone) is one of the toughest jobs that managers face. As a result, they often procrastinate or avoid the issue, rather than dealing with it. 

One of the hardest things chaplains and police officers must do is notify family members of a person’s death or injury. It is a painful, unpleasant task. It is said the ancient Roman emperors executed the bearers of bad news they did not want to hear. We do not do that anymore, but the fear of sharing bad news still lingers with most of us. 

Why are we so afraid of delivering bad news?

ü  We do not want to appear as the bad guy. On the job we do not want to be unpopular or thought of as a dictator.

ü  We tend to “awfulize,” that is, we think the confrontation will be worse than it really is.

ü  We avoid it because we do not know how to handle conflict effectively. 

TRANSITION:

It is bad enough for an adult to be called on to deliver bad news. But when a child must do it, it is especially painful. In our previous study we began an 8-part series on The Life of Samuel, one of the most remarkable men of the Old Testament. Samuel began his ministry in the house of the Lord in Shiloh as a little boy of 4-5 years of age. Even before his birth his mother dedicated him to the Lord’s service. Then she and her husband Elkanah took him up from Ramah to Shiloh and entrusted little Samuel into the care and keeping of old Eli, the High Priest. From that time on, Samuel lived in the courts of the tabernacle in Eli’s shadow, helping the old priest and learning from him. 

NOTES on the Text:

Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, the High Priest at Shiloh, are first mentioned in 1 Samuel 1:3, although nothing is said there about their character or reputation. However, in 2:12-13 we start to get the lowdown on them. They were “worthless” and “did not know the Lord.” Neither did they follow the accepted protocols for priests. They were rude and ruthless and greedy. According to verses 15-16 when people would come to Shiloh to offer up their sacrifices Eli’s sons would use threats, extortion, and intimidation to get meat for their barbeque. Verse 2:17 sums up the situation: “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord.” This word “despise” does not mean to hate, but rather to underestimate, to look down on, or to think little of. They were guilty not only of the sins of greed and gluttony but also of treating the holy things of God with total disrespect. 

Verse 18 tells us that one day young Samuel was “ministering before the Lord” wearing his little Junior Priest outfit. His mother, Hannah, kept him outfitted with clothes that she made herself. She would bring them to Shiloh each year when she and Elkanah would come to make their yearly sacrifice to the Lord and receive a blessing from Eli, the priest. 

In verse 22 we learn that Eli was aware of the sins of his sons. He knew the awful things they were doing, how they were treating the people and how they were molesting the women who came to worship. He finally said something to them about it, but he did nothing to stop their sinful behaviors. Because of this fact, before God he was complicit in their sinning. As the High Priest he had the authority but because they were his own sons, flesh of his flesh, he failed to act. In so doing he chose them over God. He neglected his sacred duty perhaps out of fear of what they might do, or hoping to avoid a scandal, or hoping upon hope that they would listen to his warning and stop on their own. But he had the obligation to remove them immediately and punish them, but he chose to do nothing. 

In verse 25 we see that Eli knew that his sons were sinning against the Lord, so he too was without excuse. It says that “the Lord desired to put them to death.” Maybe if Eli had acted earlier, years earlier, things would never have gotten to this point. We will never know. 

God has His people in places where we would never look for them. Several times in Scripture God would send a nameless, unknown prophet to deliver a message. That is what happened here. In verses 27-36 we learn that God sent “a man of God” to deliver a message to Eli. It was a horrible message, frightening and sad, and it left no doubt what God had planned for the House of Eli. 

Through His messenger God said to Eli in verse 29, “Why do you scorn My sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for My dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by My people Israel?” You see God knew exactly what was going on. Apparently, Eli was getting some of that stolen meat himself. 

God said that He would “cut off” the descendants of Eli so that there would be none left. His line would be broken with nothing remaining. To put a fine point on it, in verse 34 God said, “And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.”   

Moving into chapter 3 we find Samuel again “ministering to the Lord before Eli.” Josephus, the Jewish/Roman historian, tells us that Samuel was approximately 12 years old at this point, so some time had passed, perhaps even a few years since the prophecy at the end of chapter 2. 

In 3:1 we get an interesting tidbit of information. It says, “And word from the Lord was rare (lit. precious) in those days, visions were infrequent.” Why was that do you think? I think it was because there were so few people in Israel who were walking in faith and obedience during that time that there were very few who were worthy to hear from God. Samuel was the exception, so he became God’s chosen instrument to carry God’s message. 

In the early morning before dawn God spoke to Samuel. Never having heard the Lord speak before Samuel thought that it must have been Eli who called him, so he ran in and asked the old priest what he wanted. This happened three times and finally Eli realized that God was speaking to young Samuel, so he told him to respond next time saying, “Speak, LORD, for Thy servant is listening.” So, Samuel went back to his cot in the tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant and he lay down waiting. Verse 10 says, “Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, LORD, for Thy servant is listening.’” 

At this point the LORD unloaded the message He had for Eli and his sons. The day of reckoning had finally come. Several years had passed since the warning was given and yet no changes were made, no sins were repented of and now it was too late. If Eli and his sons had heeded the warning and turned from their wicked ways and thrown themselves on the mercy of God, I believe that judgment could have been averted but now that ship had already sailed. 

Verses 11-14: And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 

The next day Samuel went about his duties hoping to avoid any awkward questions from Eli. But Eli was perceptive and asked Samuel directly what the LORD had said to him. So, Samuel unloaded his burden. Verse 18 says, “So, Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he [Eli] said, ‘It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him.” Eli was too late smart. There was no remedy for what was to come. The LORD had spoken. The divine sentence was carried out in short order as recorded in chapter 4. In a battle against the Philistines Israel lost, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the enemy, and Hophni and Phinehas were both killed, on the same day just as the LORD had said. A man of the tribe of Benjamin ran to Shiloh to carry the news. As he approached Eli, the old priest asked him how the battle had gone. Verse 17 says, The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” ¹⁸ When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken, and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years. 

CONCLUSION:

Samuel was indeed a choice servant of God. He was a man like no other in his time. He walked with the Lord. He trusted God, and he served Him with his whole heart, from his childhood through his old age. 

Verses 19-21 sum up the evaluation of his character and ministry. “Thus, Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail. ²⁰ All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” So, the Lord was with Samuel, and He backed Samuel up, standing by him, and He revealed Himself to Samuel. I would draw your attention back to 3:1. Samuel was the exception because he had his ear attuned to the Lord’s voice, so God could easily speak to him. I think there is a message in that for each of us as well.