The Sons of Belial Are Among Us

When Leaders Mislead and "Close" Becomes Acceptable

In I Samuel 2 we read of Eli the priest and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. According to the Scripture, the sons were wicked men who "knew not the Lord" (I Sam 2:12), who displayed no awe or respect for the Lord and who tampered with and showed contempt for the Lord's offering. Though religious (at least by position), the sons usurped there priestly roles to take advantage of the people (2:13-17) and to satisfy their own immoral lusts (2:22). The King James Version actually identifies them as "sons of Belial" (2:12) - a horrible condemnation, which associated them with the most evil of the Philistine deities synonymous with Satan himself. They did then, what so many religious leaders have done throughout time - they replaced God's standards, adopting instead manmade religion and unbiblical practices that suited the fancy of their evil hearts. Though Eli's sons held position and power, they sought to maintain and enforce only a form of the Law for their own selfish purposes. It was religious deception and it stinks before a holy God.

As we see illustrated here, Jehovah's judgments against leaders who show insubordination for His will and Word is both stunning and decisive. God completely rejected Hophni and Phinehas and their works as an abomination in His sight. And His ire was not only reserved for Eli's two misguided sons but for the old priest himself. In fact, God's rebuke came not to the sons but instead to the father. The dreadful prophetic proclamation that Eli's family would be forever cut off from serving in the house of God and that all of his descendants would "die in the flower of their age" (the prime of their lives) (2:33) was made not to the wayward sons but to Eli himself. This vividly illustrates God's order and chain of command in both priestly service and family affairs.

It would appear that he made the fatal mistake of disregarding the responsibilities of priestly and family leadership. Eli knew about and even benefited from the evil acts his sons were carrying out (2:29). We know that he was also aware of their ongoing sexual immorality as well (2:22). Though he recognized the error of his sons, he did virtually nothing to stop it. In fact, the only opposition that Eli could muster was to merely question his sons on why they did "such things!" (2:23-24) Though he recognized that his sons were perpetuating wickedness (2:23), Eli's lack of any stern rebuke and the fact that he took no action to stop them from continuing in their folly indicates his complete lack of family and priestly leadership. The outcome was a summary rejection and condemnation of Eli and his whole house (3:11-14) bringing about an end to the line of priests that had served God for over 350 years!

Eli, his sons and those entrusted to his care by God had lost their way. During the days of the Judges, there was a void of leadership from the top down (i.e. no king) and "every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25). Truth had faded, becoming religious error and as it has since before Samuel's day, religion ALWAYS fails. Disobedience had become commonplace. Being "close" had become acceptable. The priests had become lazy, sloppy and misguided. So misguided that eventually Eli's sons earthly demise came because they imagined that the mere presence of the Ark of God - without their hearts being yielded to God - would protect them from the Philistines (I Sam 4:4-11). In their perverted thinking, they perceived that religion without surrender to God would save them. Instead, they and 30,000 Israeli foot soldiers paid the price with their lives. We see this same sort of error continue today when people rely on the merits of church membership, baptism, or good works instead of on the shed blood of Jesus Christ for redemption.

WHEN ERROR BECOMES NORMAL

There is surely a message for us in the sad story of Eli's family. When leadership strays from God's Word, becoming blind and repentantless, it isn't long before the people being led accept counterfeits and error as normal. No wonder that I Samuel 3:1 tells us that in those days the Word of God was "precious" (rare) and there was "no open vision" (lack of Godly spiritual direction). It should be noted that as long as we live here on earth there will be constant cycles of spiritual victory and truth followed by a collapse of doctrine ending in error. These times of victory and demise don't happen overnight. But they are often facilitated by the failure of just one leader to boldly rise to the occasion and stand against evil.

The Church, both leaders and laymen, are now obviously exhibiting many of the same troubling characteristics as in Eli's day. It would appear that great numbers are either ignorant or willingly complacent to follow a religious pretense without regard to God's changeless, righteous standards. The rise of ungodly leaders who claim theirs is "the only way" or that any way is acceptable indicates how far removed the hearts of some of the people are from God. Whether by cause or effect, when unrighteous leaders attain and then remain in power it is largely due to the scriptural ignorance and/or the biblical apathy of the people being led. The Scripture speaks directly to this in Jeremiah.

In New Testament terms this means that not only are leaders who mislead under a curse from God but those who watch in idle silence and do nothing to deter those perpetrating error are cursed as well.

Today, the steady straying from and playing down of absolute truth is exactly why the aberrant theologies of Liberalism, the Emerging Church, Purpose Driven and other man-centered heresies and philosophies have gained such footholds and are now being offered as "Christian." Many denominations, churches and leaders may appear or sound as if they are authentic or "Christian." But close isn't good enough. When being almost accurate or kinda right becomes acceptable, destruction is soon to follow. This is a timeless truth, whether applied to a home, a church or an entire denomination.

SO, HOW ARE YOU DOING?

Hosea's warnings and the awful outcome experienced by Eli's clan are but two of the many examples that could be noted in God's word. Each of us is probably aware of a family suffering under the same prideful curse of Eli. It was common in the days of the Judges and there appears to be many parallels with us now. Don't we all know of a home whose leader has allowed his family to depend on religion, on the blessings or experiences of the past or on but a form of godliness? In so many cases, it appears that "close" has become good enough. How many families have forsaken prayer, Bible study and Christian service yet claim they are trusting God to supply their needs? How many have allowed the world to dictate the depth of their walk with the Lord? It would appear that nearly any excuse is now fashionable when ignoring the need to take one's family to church. Now, besides the well worn excuses of being too tired or needing a holiday, sports of all sorts and even TV schedules have joined the notion that "Sunday is the only morning we can sleep in" as top reasons to justify staying home from church. With this haphazard attitude being prevalent and people just seemingly looking for reasons to skip services what is it saying to our children and teens - let alone the unsaved around us? Is it any wonder that so many churches seem to have completely surrendered to Satan and have given up holding Sunday evening services, Bible studies or mid-week gatherings? Do those who treat church attendance, Bible study and prayer as optional not recognize that though we arrogantly claim to have wonderful relationships with Jesus are lives may actually be under a curse - the same curse that finally brought Eli down?

The chilling truth is that just as Eli's sons thought that a little religion was all they needed as long as it served their own selfish purposes, God only knows how many families are depending on their own religious misconceptions instead of on His perfect will and standards. Hophni and Phinehas formed their own religion much as in the same way that the idolater Micah had done (Judges 17). Micah's false sense of security emanated from his perverted theology when he stated "Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest." (i.e. his lucky religious icon or belief)  (Judges 17:13)

ALL IS NOT LOST!

Many lives were adversely affected by the misguided "ministries" of Eli and his two sons. Yet, in the midst of error, God raised up Samuel, calling him, anointing him and empowering him as a powerful prophet and leader for the people of God! Now, just as in those troubling Old Testament days, God is waking people up and the shaking is often disconcerting but tremendously needed. Fathers are arising from their spiritual apathy. Mothers are joining them in vowing to turn their families back to God. In the midst of this, God is raising up new prophetic, anointed leaders who will stand with the truth and openly reject religious heresy and foolish, misguided leadership. Praise the Lord!

But let's never forget that God has not changed. The warnings of the past are clear. Unless the leaders of our homes and churches return to a complete and total abiding in and respect for God's Word we can expect today's Evangelicals to follow those of yesterday who now find themselves steeped in the deceptive errors of Liberalism. It's either we reject the spineless silence of the spirit of Eli or we'll soon have to deal with the deadly folly of Hophni and Phinehas.

- Eric Barger

DON'T STOP!

Don't stop preaching the uncompromised word of the one, true and living God!

Jonathan - Idaho

Warnings for a Wayward Nation

"The great confusion that exists in the divergent positions of the Emergent Church results from their challenging the final authority of the Scriptures. When you no longer have a final authority, then everyone's ideas become as valid as the next person's, and it cannot help but end in total confusion and contradictions.

There are those who say that Emergent movement has some good points, but so does a porcupine. You are better off if you don't get too close!

So, let us not turn to our own understanding, but rather return to our own first love; and teach that the Bible is indeed the true word of God; and teach it in its entirety; nothing less and nothing more."
- Official Position of Calvary Chapel Outreach Fellowships

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
- I Timothy 4:3-4

That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, “See not”; and to the prophets, “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.”
Isaiah 30:9-11

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