Sunday, August 29,2021

Today’s Featured Scripture: 1 Samuel 2: 29-30

29. So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me–for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! 30. Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

Good evening and Happy blessed Sunday WBFWE Family. It’s another blessed day we’ve never seen before and after today we will never see it again. I pray that you are enjoying your day and making the best of the day you’ve been blessed with. I pray that all is well and that as you go into the evening that you can reflect and see the hand of God over/in your life and the blessings He’s bestowed up on you.. .in Jesus name. I thank Yahweh for you and I thank you for blessing me with your presence on the site today. Enjoy the post because I’ve enjoyed sharing what I feel God has given me to share. Continue to have an awesome day and a blessed evening.

The featured scripture is about Eli being aware of his sons (Hophni and Phinehas) transgressions against the LORD; he was aware of their transgressions against the people of Israel who came to make sacrifices to the LORD; he was aware of his sons seducing the young women who assisted at the tabernacle. And though Eli knew of his sons many sins, he did not stop them. To Eli’s credit he did offer some words of wisdom to his sons and said they must stop. But something stronger was needed, like action, to put an end to the things his sons were doing. Though Eli didn’t commit the awful acts, knowing about them made him culpable and liable as if he actually physically did the acts. With Eli standing idly by and allowing things to continue the LORD sent a Man of God, Samuel, to say what thus says the LORD, which verses 29 and 30 is part of what The LORD had to say.

What I want to focus on is the bold parts of the scripture in verses 29 and 30. The LORD asked Eli through Samuel, why do you give your sons more honor than than you give me. With Eli not doing anything to stop his sons, he was honoring his sons actions over doing what he knew was right by The LORD, doing what was right by the people of Israel, and doing what was right morally. Eli came across as if he cared more about his sons than he did about the LORD. Eli allowed his sons to rob The LORD and offend God’s people. Eli stood on the sidelines albeit he was a high priest (and responsible for what went on in the tabernacle), a judge, and a parent. His loyalty, responsibility, and obedience to The LORD should’ve been his #1 priority, but instead his loyalty and priority was with his sons. Though the Bible doesn’t state how long Eli’s sons have been doing wrong, I’m going to say this wasn’t their first or second time doing this. It’s safe to say they’ve been at it a while and Eli had more than enough time to step in and do something before The LORD stepped in.

God gives us warnings directly. God gives us warnings through messengers. God gives us warnings before He takes action. Yahweh does all this while WE know what we are doing is wrong, but we figure as long as we haven’t been caught… no harm no foul. BUTTTTT… If we don’t listen… change…. stop … uhhhohhhhh spaghetti-oooooos. So again back to The LORD wanting to know, in verse 29, why is Eli giving his sons more honor than what he is getting. There was nothing Eli could say. He could stutter like porky pig, but in the end The LORD says THAT’S ALL FOLKS. We as Christians have to be mindful that we don’t pull an Eli and disregard doing what is right in The LORDS eyes and doing what’s right morally. That sometimes the situation needs more than just warning, talking, and prayer… but action. When we know and idly stand by that makes us guilty and complicit. Then we get on God’s radar and get in line to get disciplined/judged just like the ones actually doing the wrong doing… just like Eli did.

So with Eli not being able to give an excuse, justification, or answer to The LORD’s honor question, that’s when verse 30 comes in to play. The LORD said, via Samuel, “I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. And The LORD kept His Word that He spoke against Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas (read 1 Samuel 4)… meaning since Eli and his sons didn’t honor The LORD, honor would not be shown to them by The LORD. Not only was The LORD not honoring them… The LORD was despising them. Despise is a very very very… did I say very … very strong word/verb. I know hate and despise basically have the same meaning, but despise, to me, sounds so much more harsher and final. And for The LORD to say He will despise those who think lightly of Him, that is something that should wake you up more than the strongest of strongest, blackest of blackest, most caffeine laden coffee. Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us there are SEVEN things The LORD detests and those SEVEN things are heart stoppers. Now throw in He despises those who think lightly of Him… am I the only one with the BIG GULP swallow right now?

Today’s society has painted this picture… given the impression… and shows with actions daily that it thinks lightly of The Creator. We as Christians have to be very mindful and very careful that we don’t follow in the footsteps of Eli and his sons and not honor The LORD. We have to be very mindful and very careful that we don’t let society and it’s nonchalant, absentminded, out of sight out of mind attitude cause us to think lightly of Yahweh. We have a habit of thinking lightly of The LORD when all is gum drops and wagging puppy dog tails going well, smooth sailing, no problems/issues. We give Him our left overs, scraps, ohhh I forgot time, energy, and attention. But when that brown smelly stuff hits the fan and blows back at us we are looking/searching for God like where’s Waldo. We are inundating heaven with prayers like releasing a million balloons in the air. We have a habit of doing this as society, as Christians, and as people. This cycle recycles over and over and over. When will we stop the cycle? When will we stop turning our head to what’s wrong in God’s sight? When will we stop being silent thus giving the nod that we are ok with the wrong being done? When will we stop honoring people, places, and things more than The LORD? When will be stop ignoring His messages and messengers? When will we stop ignoring His Holy Spirit/conscience within us? Are we waiting for The ALMIGHTY to say I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me and have Him ACT accordingly/swiftly as He did with Eli and his sons? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again today… our relationship with The Father is personal… so we should take it personal. We know the effort we give or don’t give. And so does He. He’s not asking for perfection just consistency, care, love, and real sincere effort. He wants us to act like He matters and not just in our time of need/calamity/disaster.

When we know better we do better. The problem isn’t KNOWING… The problem is DOING! Let’s make the choice individually and collectively as Christians to HONOR The LORD so that He will HONOR US.

Food For Thought: We want God to bless us… but what are we giving to Him! It’s a QuidProQuo relationship… not a one lane one road that leads from Him to us.

WBFWE

Song: Amazing God by William Murphy