Every now and then you come across a verse that is just a punch in the face. Consider this one from 1 Samuel 2:12

“Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD.”

Other translations opt for scoundrels, wicked or corrupt. Either way, history’s verdict on Eli’s sons are that they were worthless, wicked, scoundrels. Ouch.

That’s a pretty horrific parenting outcome.

Romans 1 paints this picture clearly: when people stop acknowledging God, everything else decays — greed, deceit, lust, pride, and cruelty. That’s Hophni and Phinehas. Sexually immorally, financially dishonest and spiritually bankrupt. The sons of Eli were worthless men. 

They. Did. Not. Know. The. Lord. 

Knowing the Lord reshapes your moral compass — your money, your body, your life align with His will. Why? Because your identity is now fundamentally different. 

Eli then asks his sons one of the most piercing questions in Scripture:

“If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” (v.25)

Sadly Eli is complicit too. His sons might not be listening to him but Eli is judge and chief priest. He has authority but he has not used it. He might not be able to stop his sons from sinning but he could have stopped them sinning as priests.

Eli failed to uphold the standards of the covenant but he has given sin a free pass at the doors to Israel’s holiest place. Sins bring their own reward but come at a price: a dulled conscience towards God. Churches too, should not expect God to look kindly on giving sin a free pass in their ranks. We’re called to encourage one another to pick up our cross and follow Christ, to crucify the sinful flesh and put sin to death not invite into our homes for dinner. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!”  

When churches tolerate sin, the presence of the Lord will depart and all we will be left with is an outward show, empty rituals, and living in days ‘when the word of the Lord was rare’. We want to be Emanuel, God with us – not Ichabod, ‘the glory has left’.

But there is hope for Israel. True worship will be restored. 

“I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.” (v.35)

Eli asked who will intercede for us when we sin against God? The Gospel answers – God will. And His Son, Jesus Christ, is ‘the faithful priest who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind.’

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I spoke on Eli at Grace Church. If you’d like to hear that talk, you can do so here