Hophni and Phinehas were sons of the High Priest in ancient Israel. They were “worthless” men.
“The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas]
were worthless
(dishonorable, unprincipled) men;
they did not know
[nor respect] the Lord.”
– 1 Samuel 2:12
To God, they were worthless because they conducted their lives dishonorably, without principles. They did not trouble themselves to get to know the Lord. They did not respect God. And they were unrepentant sinners.
– 1 Samuel 2: verses 6-9
6
“The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave].
7
“The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and He lifts up.
8
“He raises up the poor from the dust,
He lifts up the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor and glory;
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the land on them.
9
“He guards the feet of His godly (faithful) ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced and perish in darkness;
For a man shall not prevail by might.
– 1 Samuel 2: verses 6-9
We do not “prevail by might”
“The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and He lifts up.”
Being unrepentent
Hophni and Phinehas were unrepentant sinners serving in the Temple. They both willfully did only what was evil in the sight of God. They “were worthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the Lord.” (v12)
Because of this, “it was the Lord’s will to put them to death” (1 Samuel 2: verse 25).
God still shows His displeasure dramatically – even today
The Lord God is the One who has power of life and death on earth. He knows the number of your days (Job 14:1,5), and is so attentive to you that he even knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). (Not many hairs on mine, but He keeps count!)
1 “Man, who is born of a woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil….
5 “Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You [in Your control],
And You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time].”
– Job 14: verses 1 and 5
Be warned. Living without a clue as to what God will one day require of you – is living like the dumbass lamb… narry a thought about what is coming after death. Living without regard to God – seals your fate.
Turn to Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life – the only way to Father God.
“I am the [only] Way [to God]
and the [real] Truth
and the [real] Life;
no one comes to the Father
but through Me.
– John 14:6
FOR MORE:
God still shows His displeasure dramatically – even today
* Don’t be like Elymas the sorcerer:
Acts 13:10
“You [Elymas] who are full of every [kind of] deceit, and every [kind of] fraud, you son of the devil, enemy of everything that is right and good, will you never stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord?
* Don’t be like Eli’s Sons
1 Samuel 2:12 The Sin of Eli’s Sons
“The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas] were worthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the Lord”
1 Samuel 4:11
“Also the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli,Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.”
God forgives all wrongdoings of all repentant sinners, no exception
The Kingdom of God is very exclusive, very luxurious, very special
What will you do with Jesus?…a series on Jesus
What decides and settles your burning questions?
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