1 Samuel 3:12-13 (ESV) — On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

Sin always catches up with you. This principle is true now just as it has been true from the beginning of man’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. Many people think their sins are not that bad. They believe God overlooks or ignores most of them. But that is not true. He sees our sins. All of them. It is why we need to not only strive for personal obedience and holiness, we need other believers to help us in our pursuit of honoring God. We need Christians that love us enough to call us out on our sins. 

Our passage today shows us an example of a father that didn’t do that. Eli had two sons that were in a position of prominence and influence in Israel. But they used their position to sin against God. They slept with young women and desecrated themselves. We read in our passage God’s promise of punishment, delivered through the prophet Samuel to Eli. God says, “On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.”

God promises to fulfill what He said about punishing Eli’s house. Why? Eli’s sons were living in sin, and Eli knew it, but did nothing. Eli ignored his sons’ sins. He did not restrain them. Eli was a man of God who loved the LORD. He honored and obeyed the LORD in his own life, but he failed to instruct his sons in obedience or rebuke them when they blasphemed God with their rebellion. God brought judgment. We read later in 1 Samuel that Eli’s sons are killed in a battle. 

There are two principles in this passage we should remember. First, God sees our sins and demands repentance from us. If we do not repent, His wrath will fall on us, either now or when we face Him in judgment. Second, we help others in godliness through calling them to repent of sin and obey the LORD.

Each of us need others that will help us to live holy. And we should commit ourselves to helping others live holy. We do not serve others when we ignore their sin and leave them prone to the judgment of God.

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Reflection & Journal:
- Why are Eli’s sons punished by God?
- What was Eli’s great fault in this passage?
- How do the principles of this passage teach us about the importance of the church in our lives?

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