One Leak Will Sink A Ship, So Don’t Be Lenient Toward SinSample

Who Was Eli?  

Eli was a descendant of Ithamar, the fourth and youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. Eli was also the only one who wore two crowns, for he was both Judge and High Priest. He became judge at the age of 58 years, after the death of Samson, holding this office for forty years, until his tragic death at the age of 98 years. The story about Eli is recorded in First Samuel, chapters 1-4.

He was a priest and judge over Israel during one of the lowest points in its history—at the end of the era of judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Eli’s life is a great lesson for us because his key failure was a passive approach to parenting. He failed to plug the leak in his home.

Eli was the father of two sons Hophni and Phinehas. They were supposed to be his successors. Shockingly though in 1 Samuel 2:12  the Bible says both of them were worthless men who didn’t know the Lord. (NASB) 

They are referred to as “sons of Belial” (2:12), which is a term of derision used elsewhere in the Bible. The word Belial basically means “wickedness” or “worthlessness.”

"They did not know the Lord" (NIV) implies that the conduct of these high priestly officials showed they were utter unbelievers

The wicked lifestyle of Hophni and Phinehas indicates Eli had neglected the spiritual growth of his sons when they were children.

We read in 1 Samuel 3:13 that God passed judgment on Eli because he knew his sons were behaving wickedly but “he did not restrain them.”

A.C. Grant says – “The character of Eli, while sincere and devout, seems to have been entirely lacking in firmness. He appears from the history to have been a good man, full of humility and gentleness, but weak and indulgent. He is not a strong personality; he is always overshadowed by some more commanding or interesting figure” 

The word “restrain” implies application of teaching and disciplining. Certainly, Eli’s failure to restrain his children did not start when they were adults; it surely began with a lack of willpower and teaching when they were young.  Eli’s neglectful behavior with his sons became  a pattern of poor conduct beginning very early in their lives.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6 ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’

Parenting starts when the children are small. Right foundations have to be laid.

Quote: Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~ Charles Swindoll.
 

Prayer: Lord we pray that we would remember the importance of right foundations in childhood. Amen