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God rejects Eli and chooses Samuel

We find in chapter 2 of I Samuel that Eli, the priest of God, did not receive good report about his sons who were wicked in their ways before God whereas Samuel who was serving God along with him in the Temple "was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men" (I Sam.2:24-26). The sons of the priest did not please God whereas the son of an ordinary man, Elkanath, pleased God though young. These days, we find two groups of servants of God. One group, who are spiritually young, pleases God, whereas another group who are spiritually old does not please God. A man of God came to Eli with a prophetic message. The man of God spoke to Eli about how God blessed the people of Israel and then about his transgressions.

"Wherefore, kick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering, which I have commanded in My habitation; and honors thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel, My people?" (I Sam.2:29).

The man of God revealed the heartache of God and told Eli that his house and the house of his father were supposed to walk before God for ever. There was a word of warning that God would honor those who honor Him and that those who despise Him would not be lightly esteemed.

The man of God finally gave a loud and clear message of impending divine judgment on the house of Eli.

"Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

And thou shalt see an enemy in My habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age." (I Sam.2:31-32).

According to the man of God, there would be a sign of the premature death of his two sons in one day and there would be a rise of another "faithful priest".

Eli kicked at God's sacrifice and offerings and honored his sons above God. Eli and his sons made themselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of the people of Israel. They made a self-indulgence of the offerings given by the people of God. They did not bother about the people of God but about themselves. They misappropriated the offerings given by the people of God because they did not use the same for the services in the Temple.

We find a similar situation in the house of God today. The servants of God covet the offerings of the people of God for leading very comfortable and luxurious lives. They have the best limousines, the best bungalows, etc. They do not follow the One who had no place to lay His head. They do not minister to the poor saints in the Body of Christ but extract tithes and offerings from them. Paul said in I Cor.4:11-12, "Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: ....."

Sadhu Kochu Kunju, an apostle of Christ Jesus raised by God from South India (Kerala) during the nineteenth century once said: "Anything above ordinary may be defined as luxurious and, therefore, undesirable. Trying to possess more than what is enough for the time being also comes within the purview of luxury"

Eli honored his sons above God. We find some ministers of God promote their own people or their kith and kin in ministries in place of their "co-workers".

God now rejects the old ministers of God or the likes of Eli and chooses the new ministers, the likes of Samuel. God thus changes the order. God wants to raise "a faithful priest" like Samuel in place of Eli. God will not allow the "old man" to sit in His house. God is now judging the old man in the Body of Christ.

-Job Anbalagan