God Deals with Eli

by C

Ironic how God was trying to speak to Samuel and Samuel kept thinking it was Eli calling him. Also ironic that one of the first things he said was that he was not finished with Eli and his family. A good lesson in that you just can't ignore your sins and think they are automatically forgiven. We all sin daily some worse than others but those sins should be recognized and truly addressed when praying for forgiveness. Eli chose the path of ignorance and it looks like he will pay for it.



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by K

You meant you can't expect God hasn't noticed our sins and won't decide at some time to discipline us for them, right? I'm pretty sure that's what you meant when you said we can't expect to ignore our sins. Of course I don't think we can ignore our sins, but when we are saved, our sins are covered- past present and future-- as if it doesn't matter.

I was reading in a Bible study I'm doing with a friend called "Search for Significance" that if you picture sitting next to Jesus in front of God, try to imagine what God sees when He looks at the two of you. Do you really get that He loves Jesus and loves you equally?

That just blew my mind. I don't think I feel like I'm seen as righteous as Jesus is, but it's not my righteousness that makes me clean, so it IS possible, because of Jesus-- wiped clean-- the sins are completely gone. So actually, once you are surrendered to Christ, it IS as though you are automatically forgiven.

I think the discipline that God dishes out to Eli is interesting. First the way he delivers it-- communicated through Samuel- a boy. I like how Eli doesn't fight it- says something about him that he recognizes God power and surrenders to it.

I had to sneak ahead and check the next chapters of samuel because I got curious-- wait until you see what happens with the ark! It's like Indiana Jones.