1 Samuel 2:11-17 – Don’t offer wayward service to God

Hannah came to Shiloh to dedicate the son whom God had given to her, in answer to her prayer. Having offered Samuel to serve the Lord, she left him with Eli so that he could learn to serve in the House of God. Like Samuel, the privilege of serving the Lord through Christ Jesus is now accorded to each one of us. And there is nothing more invigorating in life than to have the opportunity to serve God. Like all privileges, every opportunity comes with responsibility. God expects us to be accountable for the service He has granted us to do for Him. Therefore, it is needful that we must walk and serve Him in a worthy manner. We mustn’t forget that God deserves our very best. So, the critical question to ask is, how can we do well? Are there things we must avoid?   

First Samuel 2:12-17 describes the lives of Hophni and Phinehas, who were serving God as priests with their father Eli. What was said about them are examples for us to avoid. When we were first introduced to them, nothing much was said about them. But now in six verses, we see how irresponsible they were. Let’s allow what we discover about them to help us walk reverently before God. The first thing we learn about them in verse 12 is that “they were worthless men; they did not know the Lord.” These expressions are not so much about their ignorance as it was their defiance. They were exactly as the Apostle Paul had described in Romans 1:21 “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Knowing God is not defined by the knowledge we have of Him in our minds, but the conduct we display that reflects His nature. Hence, we must be careful with our attitude and behavior. Let’s learn to walk humbly and gingerly before Him. Remember what Hannah said earlier in verse 3. She exclaimed:

“Boast no more so very proudly,

Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;

For the Lord is a God of knowledge,

And with Him actions are weighed.”

Verses 13-17 show us their character by the things they did. They had a blatant, flagrant disregard for the holy things of God. They were literally trampling on the instructions of God concerning the offering, and what was due to them from the offering. God had set proper ways to handle those offerings but these two violated them all. They were not only greedy but also lazy. In cahoots with their servants, they would make demands not stipulated in the priestly instructions. They were demeaning and denigrating and showing contempt for the offering of the Lord. How could they, who were called to emulate the Holy God, be so unholy in their behavior and conduct? They had sinned grievously and that’s totally unacceptable for one called to serve God.

From the lives of Hophni and Phinehas let us be warned. Let it not be said that we are worthless people who do not know our God. Let us never trample on the holy things of God. Instead, let us be found faithful and accountable, diligently walking, following and serving God according to what He has specified for us in His Word. Serve God on His terms, not ours!