Have you ever ignored a warning and suffered the consequences? Most of us as children were told not to touch something hot, or not play in the street. Our parents warned us because they loved us and didn’t want anything to harm us. The Lord, in the His mercy, had warned Eli about the evil behavior of his sons, but His warnings were not taken seriously.
1 Samuel 3:11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.” [1]
The Lord could have easily done away with Eli’s family without any warning, but the Lord is merciful. The Lord wanted Eli’s sons to repent and turn away from their sin and be restored. Repeatedly in the Bible, God warns people and nations to give them a chance to turn back to Him. Jonah warned Nineveh and they repented and were not destroyed. Noah is called a preacher of righteousness, yet people did not respond and were wiped out in the great flood.
God warns us today as He convicts us of our sin. God does this out of love because sinful behavior is so destructive. Conviction of sin is really an act of mercy by the Lord.
Christ’s disciples today continue the Lord’s mission of mercy. Too many people around us are spiritually lost and heading for hell. Our commitment to share the good news of Jesus and His forgiveness and mercy is part of God’s plan to save them. John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[2]
In God’s mercy, He repeatedly warned the sons of Eli, but there came a time when God’s patience ended, and they fell into judgment. We can be very thankful as we journey through life that our Lord warns us for our own good.
Prayer – Help me Lord to better hear Your voice and enable me to correct my sinful of life when I hear your warnings. Thank you for Your mercy that is new each day and giving Your life for me on the cross, paying for my sins. Help me to remember the words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 4:1. Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.[3]
To hear more about the sons of Eli, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/the-call/the-call-samuel
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.