I internally sighed watching my high school teacher joke with the football players and cheerleaders gathered around his desk while we ordinary students did busy work. I didn’t learn much biology that year. My teacher cared more about scoring points with the cool kids than teaching. Have you ever had to function under a passive leader? 1 Samuel shows how God views passivity and the neglect of responsibilities.

Eli and his two sons served as priests in Israel. Eli’s weakness and his sons’ wickedness created a malignant situation for Israel and a sober warning for us.

“Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests. …Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.

…Eli said to them, ‘I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? You must stop, my sons! …If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?’ But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father” (1 Samuel 2:12, 13, 22-25 NLT).

Eli confronted his sons about their sins, but he didn’t stop them. In fact, he joined them at mealtime.

“You and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!” (1 Samuel 2:29 NLT emphasis added).

A Distorted View of God

Where did Eli get the idea no one could pray for one who sins against God? Isn’t all sin against God? Godly Abraham prayed for Sodom. Moses, Samuel, and Daniel prayed for Israel when they sinned against God. Did Eli’s inaccurate view of God lead to passivity, or did passivity create a god that condoned apathy?

God warned Eli twice (1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3:1-21). Instead of crying for mercy, Eli shrugged. “‘It is the Lord’s will,’ Eli replied. ‘Let him do what he thinks best’” (1 Samuel 3:18 NLT). Contrast Eli’s response with wicked Cain’s and Ahab’s reactions to God’s pronounced judgment.

Cain

After the Lord pronounced Cain’s punishment,

“Cain replied to the Lord, ‘My punishment is too great for me to bear! …Anyone who finds me will kill me!’

“The Lord replied, ‘No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him” (Genesis 4:13-15 NLT).

Ahab

“Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him.” (1 Kings 16:30 NASB 1995).

Yet, when he heard God’s judgment against him he “put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days’” (1 Kings 21:27-29 NASB 1995).

God’s mercy to these wicked men astounds me! What would have happened if Eli had—

• Humbled himself?
• Confessed his misplaced loyalty?
• Prayed for his sons?
• Courageously acted?

Based on God’s history, genuine remorse and humility would have protected Eli and possibly Israel. Instead, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat in battle and Eli, his two sons, and his daughter-in-law died the same day.

Noble Engagement

In contrast to my passive biology teacher, I had a strict and fair English teacher. He tolerated no slack and gave assignments that stretched us. That teacher pushed me to reach new limits.

Passivity may masquerade as peace and patience but partners with evil. What do passivity and evil have in common? Both disrespect God and destroy good.

Strength Finder

“But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NLT)

Have you ever been under a passive leader, teacher, or parent? What was it like? Faith is not passive. Weakness, like wickedness, brings harm. God asked Eli, “Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me?” Let’s apply that.

• Merely acknowledging something is wrong without resisting it puts us in Eli’s company.
• What do I need to say and do that needs to be said and done?
• What fear holds me back? (Eli didn’t want to upset his relationship with his sons, and he enjoyed eating the best cuts of meat.)
• Remembering God’s mercy, we can confess our apathy, ask God for wisdom and courage to live Christ-honoring lives, and trust Him with any consequences we experience.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT).

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Resources

I recently started No Reason to Hide: Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture by Erwin W. Lutzer. I’m finding it informative and inspiring. 

Blessings,

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#InstaEncouragements, #TellHisStory, #Let’sHaveCoffee, #Grace&Truth

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