1 Samuel - Odessa, Missouri Community of Christ

14 Dr. Constable's Notes on 1 Samuel 2007 Editionthose who appear to be important become unimportant. The crucial factor for them asIsraelites was their response to the will of God as contained in the Mosaic Covenant.God will bless people who want to further His program in the world by making itpossible for them to do that. He will even do supernatural things to enable them to do so.Natural limitations do not limit God. Knowledge of what God has revealed about Himselfand His program is what God uses to inspire trust in Himself and interest in His program.God will even reverse the fortunes of people in response to their response to His will.B. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SAMUEL AND ELI'S SONS 2:11-36Samuel's innocence and the godlessness of Eli's sons contrast strongly in this pericope(section of text). Samuel would succeed and become a channel of God's blessing. Eli'ssons would fail, would become a source of frustration to Eli and to the Israelites, andwould ultimately perish."The section [2:11—4:1] poignantly illustrates the theme of 'Hannah'sSong' as it is epitomized in 2:7b, 'he brings low, and also exalts'. For it isunder the auspices of God who has determined the ruin of Hophni andPhinehas that Samuel makes his mark." 331. Eli's sons' wickedness 2:11-17Eli's sons were not only evil in their personal lives, but they flagrantly disregarded thewill of God even as they served as leaders of Israel's worship. They neither knew theLord (in the sense of paying attention to Him, v. 12) nor treated His offerings as special(v. 17; cf. Mal. 1:6-14). The writer documented these evaluations with two instances oftheir specific practices (vv. 13-14, and 15-16). The Law ordered the priests to handle theofferings in particular ways to respect God's holiness (cf. Lev. 3:3, 5; 7:34; Deut. 18:3).However, Eli's sons served God the way they chose (cf. Korah's behavior in Num. 32).The Law allowed the priests to take for themselves the breast and upper part of the rightrear leg of animals brought as peace offerings (Lev. 7:30-34). But Eli's sons took all thatthe three-pronged fork brought up when plunged into the remaining meat being boiled forthe sacrificial meal (vv. 13-14). The priests were to burn the best part of the sacrifices onthe altar as offerings to God, but Eli's sons demanded for themselves raw meat that wasnot cooked at all (vv. 15-16). Meat was luxurious food in Israel's economy, so Eli's sonswere living off the fat of the land. They were worthless men (v. 12, i.e., wicked in God'ssight; cf. 1:16)."To this day, arrogant assertiveness and self-seeking are temptations to allthose in positions of great power in society." 3433 Robert P. Gordon, I & II Samuel: A Commentary, p. 81.34 Payne, p. 18.