Eli was the high priest of the Temple and father to his greedy and unscrupulous sons, Hophni & Phinehas. It tells us that their sin was very great in the Lord’s sight…for they were not following the prescribed practices laid out by God in Leviticus and Deuteronomy for sacrifices…and they were taking advantage of their positions in the Temple to treat the Lord’s offerings with contempt. When Eli confronted them they refused to listen to his rebuke and warning…but neither did Eli take control of the situation…rather turning a blind eye & further enabling them. Eli was then confronted by a unnamed prophet of the Lord who asks, “Why do you honor your sons more than God?” The key word in this question being “honor”. Whatever we value the most, we honor…and we worship what we value. Sadly for Eli, not confronting his wicked sons carried more weight than obeying God’s laws.
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