Eli vs Samuel

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Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#1
Aug 13, 2014
26,520
8,822
113
#1
Can someone explain this to me?

When God told Samuel to go be a prophet, God also had some rough things to say about Eli. Eli was the high priest and Eli's boys were abusing their position, for fun and profit. God said he was gonna deal with all three of them, Eli and his boys too, personally.

Later on Samuel had boys of his own. And they were also in positions of authority. And they also abused their positions, for fun and profit. But there's nothing about God remonstrating with Samuel about this.

Mind you, I'm not accusing God of a double standard. I'm just saying I don't understand the apparent contradiction. Also life is already massively unfair, in our favor. More or less relatively unfair in our favor is not something to complain about. And if I never understand this apparent discrepancy, I reckon it won't wreck my faith.

But if someone does have an answer, I'd be much obliged.
 
Susanna

Susanna

Well-known member
#2
Apr 14, 2023
1,548
477
83
48
Galveston and Houston
#2
Lynx said:
Can someone explain this to me?

When God told Samuel to go be a prophet, God also had some rough things to say about Eli. Eli was the high priest and Eli's boys were abusing their position, for fun and profit. God said he was gonna deal with all three of them, Eli and his boys too, personally.

Later on Samuel had boys of his own. And they were also in positions of authority. And they also abused their positions, for fun and profit. But there's nothing about God remonstrating with Samuel about this.

Mind you, I'm not accusing God of a double standard. I'm just saying I don't understand the apparent contradiction. Also life is already massively unfair, in our favor. More or less relatively unfair in our favor is not something to complain about. And if I never understand this apparent discrepancy, I reckon it won't wreck my faith.

But if someone does have an answer, I'd be much obliged.
Click to expand...
Maybe the connection between Eli, Samuel and Hannah could be a clue? I don’t know.
 
Moses_Young

Moses_Young

Well-known member
#3
Sep 15, 2019
9,660
5,304
113
#3
Lynx said:
Can someone explain this to me?

When God told Samuel to go be a prophet, God also had some rough things to say about Eli. Eli was the high priest and Eli's boys were abusing their position, for fun and profit. God said he was gonna deal with all three of them, Eli and his boys too, personally.

Later on Samuel had boys of his own. And they were also in positions of authority. And they also abused their positions, for fun and profit. But there's nothing about God remonstrating with Samuel about this.

Mind you, I'm not accusing God of a double standard. I'm just saying I don't understand the apparent contradiction. Also life is already massively unfair, in our favor. More or less relatively unfair in our favor is not something to complain about. And if I never understand this apparent discrepancy, I reckon it won't wreck my faith.

But if someone does have an answer, I'd be much obliged.
Click to expand...
Maybe it was the degree of abuse? The bible doesn't indicate how bad Samuel's sons were, but it does indicate Eli's sons were very terrible (using the office of priest for extortion and fornication). Samuel also seemed to have a good relationship with God, whereas Eli did not. Perhaps Eli did not rebuke his sons enough, but Samuel did? I think the answer is that the bible doesn't say.
 
Mem

Mem

Senior Member
#4
Sep 23, 2014
6,949
2,013
113
#4
1 Samuel 2 in regard to Eli's sons

17 Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

and reason given in Eli's admonishment that God dealt with those boys as He did

24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
25 If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?”
But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

and reason God set Himself against Eli's house.

29 Why then do you kick ate My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’

And God confirmed Samuel's calling as His prophet

11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end.
13 I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”

And his son's wife gives birth to Ichabod after learning about the capture of the Ark and the death the Eli and her husband before she also dies.

In 1 Samuel 7

9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.

And in 1 Samuel 8 the reason is given why the people reject Samuel

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.
3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5 “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

It seems that the transition from priests to judges to kings might be relevant here, especially if you consider a similar correlation of differentiation between Saul, who had (wrongfully) assumed the office of prophet and priest (for self-serving reasons), and David.
 
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