Eli Removed

Narrator: Ivona Gentwo

• 2 min. read • grade level: 11

In the Book of Judges it is the condition of the people that is shown, but the writer is strangely silent concerning the priesthood. Only once is it mentioned, and then somewhat casually (Judges 20:28²⁸And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. (Judges 20:28)). The influence of the priesthood seems to have been practically nil. The first book of Samuel opens, not with the condition of the people, but with the condition of the priesthood itself. It was truly appalling. Eli was scandalously weak and his sons (one of whom might be expected to succeed him) were grossly wicked. The Lord's patience had reached its limit. The order of things established by Himself when Moses passed away must now end in judgment. Here let it be noted that Eli and his sons were not in the line of succession from Phinehas, to whom the Lord promised an everlasting priesthood because of his faithfulness at Baal-Peor (Num. 25:10-13¹⁰And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, ¹¹Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. ¹²Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: ¹³And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. (Numbers 25:10‑13)). Somehow during the disorderly period of the judges, the true line had been thrust aside by the family of Ithamar. This the Lord overlooked for the time being, but the hour had now struck for judgment. Eli and his sons must lose their priesthood and Phinehas's line was to be restored, but the king was henceforward to be God's anointed, and the priesthood must serve under him.

In 1 Samuel 2 a few touches concerning Samuel are found interwoven with the story of the terrible wickedness of Eli's sons, as if the Spirit would show the contrast between God's newly chosen vessel and those men of Belial. We read in verse 11, “The child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest,” then follow the corrupt practices of the priests, whereby all respect for divine things was destroyed in the minds of the people (vss. 13-17). We are told, “but Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with a linen ephod” (vs. 18) (which emphasizes Samuel's purity amidst the vilest surroundings) followed Eli's final remonstrance with his sons. In verse 26 we are told that “the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men” (comp. Luke 2:52⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)). Then comes the pronouncement of the solemn sentence that was about to be executed upon the priestly houses. Finally we read, “the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli”(1 Sam. 3:1¹And 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. (1 Samuel 3:1)).

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