Old Testament Scriptural Summaries and Commentary

1 Samuel, Chapters 2:12-17; 22-25; 27-36; 3; 8; 12:9-12

Gospel Doctrine Class, Sunday School Lesson 21 -

God Will Honor Those Who Honor Him

Book reference, The Old Testament Made Easier, Part 2, by David J. Ridges

Publisher, Cedar Fort, Springville, Utah

1 Samuel 2: 12-17; 22-25; 27-36  Eli puts his  sons above the Lord

Eli, the high priest, has two sons, named Hophni and Phinehas who "were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD" (v. 12).

"The term Belial means “worthless” or “wicked” (see Bible Dictionary, “Belial,” 620). They were men of greed and lust. They used their authority as priests to extort from the people the best of the meat brought before them for sacrifice (see 1 Sam. 2:13–16). In essence they were taking their portion before giving a portion to God! They were also committing immoral acts with the women who gathered at the tabernacle (see 1 Sam. 2:22). Eli knew what they were doing, and when the people saw that the priesthood at Shiloh was corrupt, they 'abhorred the offering of the Lord' (1 Sam. 2:13-17). What was a father to do?" (Ensign, "Eli and His Sons," By Elder Paulo R. Grahl, Area Authority Seventy,  June 2002.)

Thus Hophni and Phinehas were stealing from the sacrifices made by the Israelites.  "Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for men abhorred the offerings of the LORD" ["The people began to hate offering sacrifices," Ridges, pt. 2, p. 353] (v. 2:17). 

Eli was now very old and had heard all that his sons did to Israel; "and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation" [who came to worship] (v. 2:22).   And Eli spoke to his sons saying, " Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear; ye make the LORD's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat [entreat; plead] for him?"   But they refused to listen to the voice of their father (vv. 2:22-25).

 A man of God comes to Eli and tells him that if his sons continue their corruption, he will destroy both him and his sons in one day (v. 2:34). 

Ridges comments: "A man of God (we don't know who it was) came to Eli and warned him to do something about his sons, telling him that he was placing his wicked sons above the Lord in his priorities" (pt. 2 p. 353).

And the man speaking for the Lord asks Eli "[why] kick ye at my sacrifice and at my offerings which I have commanded…; and honourest thy sons above me to make yourselves fat [wealthy] with the chiefest [best] of all the offerings of Israel my people?" (v. 2:29).  "Wherefore,…I [the Lord] said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father [the sons of Aaron, see Ex. 27:21], should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (v. 2:30).  He tells Eli “I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever” (v. 2:35).  And all the house of Eli will be cut off from the Lord (vv. 2:31-36). (See Eli, Bible Dictionary, p. 663.)

1 Samuel 3:1-9; 10-13; 19  The Lord appears to Samuel in a vision concerning Eli

 While Samuel was still just a young boy (similar to Enoch, Jeremiah, Mormon and Joseph Smith) the Lord calls him to be a prophet.  We are told in the first verse of chapter 3, “And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli.  And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision” [meaning there was no prophet who could receive revelation].  The scripture tells us, “Now, Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him” (v. 3:7).  One night when Samuel was asleep, he heard a voice calling him and he answered, "Here am I."  He thought it was Eli and ran to him. Eli said it wasn’t him calling and told him to lie down again. This happened two more times. The third time, Eli recognized that the Lord had been the one calling to Samuel and he told Samuel to answer: “Speak LORD; for thy servant heareth” (vv. 3:1-9). 

And the Lord came and stood before Samuel.  He tells him that Eli’s house was about to come to an end "for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not” (vv. 3:10-13).  In the morning Eli ask him what the Lord had said to him.  Samuel "feared to shew Eli the vision" but told Eli everything that was told him by the Lord.  And from that time, Samuel grew and “the LORD was with him” and all Israel knew that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord (3:19).

President Joseph F. Smith taught: “There should [not] be any of us so unwisely indulgent, so thoughtless and so shallow in our affection for our children that we dare not check them in a wayward course, in wrong-doing and in their foolish love for the things of the world more than for the things of righteousness, for fear of offending them” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 286).

1 Samuel 8  The Israelites demand a King 

From the time that Moses led them out of Egypt, the children of Israel lived under the direction of God through the guidance of prophets, high priests, priests and judges.  This type of government is called a theocracy.  A theocratic government will be restored during the millennial era when Christ comes to reign once more upon the earth. 

"When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel." These sons, Joel and Abiah, were not righteous and "turned aside after lucre" by taking bribes and perverted [unrighteous] judgment.  And the people are again, as in the time of Gideon, clamoring for a king.  The elders of Israel gathered and went to Samuel in Ramah, and said to him, "Behold thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (vv. 1-5).

Samuel was displeased but prayed to the Lord concerning the desire for a king by the people. And the Lord said to him: “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”  The Lord told Samuel to “protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them” (vv. 8:6-9). 

Samuel told the people all the Lord said in a warning about the consequences of having a king:  (1) "He [the king] will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots;" (2) "And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear [cultivate] his ground; and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots;" (3) "And he will take your daughters" to work in his kitchens; (4) And he will take your fields, vineyards, and oliveyards…"and give them to his servants;" (5) "And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants;" (6) "And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work;" (7) "He will take the tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants."  And Samuel warns them that they will "cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen"…but in that day the Lord will not hear them (vv. 8:10-18).

“Nevertheless, the people refuse to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said: "Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles." (vv. 8:19-20).  And when he repeated the people's words to the Lord, the Lord told Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice and make them a king” (v. 8:22).

"For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding" (Psalm 47:7).

"For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king" (Psalm 89:18).

"Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King" (Psalm 149:2).

1 Samuel 12:9-12

"And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

"And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth [idol gods]: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

"And the Lord sent Jerubbaal [Gideon], and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, [judges] and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

"And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king."