Saturday, January 16, 2010
Sons of Belial
(I Samuel 2:12-17)
Though Eli was the priest of the Lord, he failed in the rearing of his children. Their great tragedy may be summed up in the words, “They knew not the Lord” (12). Eli, though the Lord’s priest, had failed to lead his sons to a saving knowledge of Jehovah. Though he had served the Lord and others, Eli failed his sons miserably.
Some commentators think that Eli’s sons were born when he was older. They theorize that Eli had become more of a grandfather than a father to them. Whether that’s true or not, the Bible lays the blame for their failure squarely upon Eli’s shoulders. Though Eli was aware of His son’s many sins, “he restrained them not” (3:13). In other words, Eli failed to discipline his sons. For whatever reason, he refused to take them to task for their rebellion.
Ultimately, the boys’ sins caught up with them. God cursed Eli and his descendents for Eli’s slack parenting (2:27-36). In fact, God promised that both of Eli’s sons would die on the same day. That promise was fulfilled in 4:11. Eli’s heart would be forever broken.
There is perhaps no greater tragedy than wayward children. Sometimes their rebellion may be traced to parental failure; other times it’s simply a matter of the child exercising his own sinful nature. Whatever the reason, wayward children bring shame and reproach upon a family and sorrow to the hearts of parents. Parents would do well to avoid Eli’s mistake. While they can not guarantee success, good, old-fashioned discipline and restraint can go a long way in assuring children will honor the Lord.
