1 Samuel 3:11-14 Judgement is Coming!

 ”Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”“

‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

a. Both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle: God will give young Samuel spectacular news. In other places in the Old Testament, tingling ears are signs of an especially severe judgment (2 Kings 21:12, Jeremiah 19:3).

b. For I have told him that I will judge his house: Through the word of the man of God in 1 Samuel 2:27-36, Eli already heard of the judgment to come. This word to young Samuel was a word to confirm the previous message from God.

i. “The Lord sends him a word of threatening by a child; for God has many messengers.” (Spurgeon)

c. For the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile: Eli knew of this iniquity from his own observation and from the reports of the people, but especially because God made it known by the message of the man of God.

d. And he did not restrain them: Eli’s responsibility to restrain his sons was not only or even mainly because he was their father. These were adult sons, no longer under Eli’s authority as they were when they were younger. Eli’s main responsibility to restrain his sons was as their “boss” because he was the high priest and his sons were priests under his supervision. However, Eli’s indulgence towards his sons as a boss was no doubt connected to his prior indulgence of them as a parent. 

e. The iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever: What a terrible judgment! This means, “It’s too late. Now the opportunity for repentance is past. The judgment is sealed.”

i. Probably, the judgment declared by the man of God in 1 Samuel 2:27-36was a warning, inviting repentance. Because there was no repentance God confirmed the word of judgment through Samuel. Or, perhaps Eli pleaded that God might withhold His judgment, and this is God’s answer to that pleading.

ii. Do we ever come to a place where our sin cannot be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever? Only if we reject the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. As Hebrews 10:26 says, if we reject the work of Jesus for us, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. (Guzik)

Judgment is coming!

Just as with Eli’s judgment foretold, we are foretold of the coming judgment of all mankind and all those that reject the sacrifice of Gods Son Jesus!

”Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.“

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20‬:‭11‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Is your name written in the Book of Life?

Blessings