Anthony Mathenia explains in this video that when we read 1 Samuel, we learn about Eli and his sons. We see how Eli treated his sons. He honored his sons instead of God and he didn't correct his sons. God ultimately put to death Eli's sons for their disobedience and dishonor. One thing we as parents need to be mindful of is to not put our children above God.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) - "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
When we read 1 Samuel chapter 2, we read initially Hannah's wonderful song, Worshipping the Lord, for the gift of Samuel. But then there's really a sad turn of events and we see the dark reality of the culture in which they lived, particularly that of Eli with his sons, Eli with his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. And we read in verse 25 that they would not listen to the voice of their father, and it appears to be all their fault at that point. Here's just some hard-headed, rebellious kids. They're not listening to their father.
But as we read on in chapter 2, verse 29 tells us, This is God talking to Eli who says, why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I've commanded in my dwelling, and honor your sons above me? So evidently, Eli had made it a pattern in his home and in his life to give precedence to what his sons preferred and what they wanted rather than what God had said and what God wanted. That was the accusation from God himself to Eli. You prefer your sons. You honor your sons over me." And as a result, they had learned not to listen.
Eli didn't listen to his father, God. They had no expectation then to listen to their father, Eli. God goes on to say, those who honor me I will honor and those who despise me will be lightly esteemed. And the reason that God ends up killing Hothnai and Phinehas is because they did not listen to their father, but it's because they didn't listen to their God. And it goes back to Eli and his failure to actually raise his sons in the way that God had commanded.
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