Eli The Priest & His SonsEli The Priest & His Sons

“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations” (Mark 11:17)

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Eli The Priest & His SonsEli The Priest & His Sons

Eli The Priest

Eli was the highest priest and judge in Israel.

His position was the highest and most responsible among the Jews.

He was looked up to as an example and therefore his actions had a great influence over the Jews.

Hophni and Phinehas

He had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.

They were both priests serving in the temple but they weren’t following God’s commandments and they had many evil deeds.

Hophni and Phinehas didn’t have God’s fear in their hearts.

Eli’s Two Sons

Their father Eli didn’t discipline them nor correct their evil habits.

He didn’t exercise his authority as a parent and as a priest to teach his sons God’s ways and to stop them from doing evil because he didn’t want to upset them and he didn’t consider disciplining them as an important responsibility.

Lost Sense Holiness

From their childhood they

were used to serve in the

altar with their father.

As they grew older, instead

of becoming more

appreciative of God’s service,

they had lost all sense of its

holiness and significance.

Sacrifices Offering

Offering sacrifices was one of the most important responsibilities a priest had and God gave the most specific directions in offering sacrifices.

The people and the priests had to follow these directions with the utmost care because the sacrifices symbolized the death of Christ and His redemption to our sins.

In the “peace offering” for example, which was an expression of thanksgiving to God, the fat alone was to be burned upon the altar; a certain portion was reserved to the priest, but the greater part was returned to the person who submitted the offering, to be eaten by him and his friends in a sacrificial feast.

Evil Deeds

Instead of following these rules, Eli’s sons used to demand an additional portion from the sacrifice to themselves.

They refused to wait until the fat had been burned as an offering to God, and they persisted in claiming whatever portion they wanted and if the people refused they threatened to take it by force.

The Jews Got Upset

The Jews became very upset with those priests’ actions. As a result of that, many people stopped going to the altar to worship God and fulfill their commandments.

Therefore the service, which God had ordained, was neglected.

The people complained to Eli of his sons’ evil deeds and he could no longer remain silent. He gently talked to his sons and advised them not to do that again.

Samuel the ProphetThe two sons didn’t consider their father’s advice and continued on doing what they pleased to do.

Eli still permitted his sons to bring corruption into the holy alter of God.

God was angry with Eli and his sons.

Samuel the prophet, who was still a boy, was living in the temple with Eli the priest and one night Samuel heard a voice calling him.

God SpeaksSo he got up and went to Eli to ask him why he had called but Eli told him that he didn’t.

This was repeated three times and on the third time Eli told Samuel when he hears the voice calling him again to say “speak Lord for your servant hears”.

Then God spoke to Samuel and told him that he decided to kill Eli and his sons. Eli knew the judgment of the Lord and was sad but he knew that he deserved it.

God’s Punishment

There was a war at the

time and the Israelites were

defeated. Hophni and

Phinehas were killed in the

battle.

When Eli heard that his

sons died and the Ark of

Covenant was stolen, he fell

to the ground and died.

Conclusions & Applications

The message that we learn from this lesson is that we have to show clear love and respect for the house of God because it is the place where we meet with God and care to spend quality time with Him in it.

We have to be very conscious of the way we act inside the church because God is watching us and we don’t want to upset him.

STMARYCOMPUTERCENTER, EASTBRUNSWICK, NJ, Sunday School Computer Program© 2004

QuizQuiz

Q1 - Eli was a

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Priest

King

Servant

Minister

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Q2 –As a consequence of Eli’s sons evil

deeds the people of Israel

Were happy and continued on going to the temple.

Were very upset and killed Eli and his sons.

Didn't care because they weren't influenced.

Were very upset and stopped going to the temple.

Q3 - Who told Eli the priest about God’s

plan for him?

OK

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People of Israel

David

Samuel

His Sons

Q4 - God’s punishment was

Killing Eli's sons in the war and Eli died when he heard that.

Killing Eli and his sons in the war.

Killing only one son

OK

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Q5- This story mainly teaches us to

Be peaceful

Pray

Respect the house of GodOK

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STMARYCOMPUTERCENTER, EASTBRUNSWICK, NJ, Sunday School Computer Program© 2004

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