How do we love Him?
Scripture portion (I samuel Chapters 1 to 4 )

In this scripture portion there are many people. But let us look at Eli the high priest. Many people discard or portray Eli as a bad priest who did not discipline his children. When we go through the scripture portion more carefully there are great spiritual truths we can learn from here. Let us explore more of Eli's character verse by verse wherever he is mentioned.

1. The very first appearance of Eli in this scripture portion is when Hannah is praying and pouring out her heart to God. Eli first thinks that she is drunk but when Hannah explains Eli about her problem and that she was pouring out her agony and grief to the Lord, the words of Eli were "Go in peace May the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." He blessed her with the authority that God has given him out of compassion and love. He knew the heart of the Lord.

2. After Hannah offered Samuel to the service of the Lord, she came every year to offer annual sacrifice and brought robes for her first born son. And Eli would bless her and her husband saying, "May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord."

3. Eli rebuked his sons for the abominable things they were doing in the house of the Lord. Bible says "but they did not listen to the rebuke of their father since it was the Lord's will to put them to death". Many commentators argue that Eli did not use all the power God has given him to expel or stop what his sons were doing. That is true, Eli loved the Lord but he also loved his sons his own flesh and blood. He could not expel them since they are his own children. His love for his children has blinded him that he is from the tribe of Levi, whom God has chosen to be a tribe of Priests. The tribe of Levi not to have any possession or any other means of earning money, but to worship the Lord and offer sacrifices to the Lord. They are the Lord's choice. The purpose of their existence is to worship the Lord and offer sacrifices to the Lord on behalf of the whole congregation, who has the privilege to enter the most holy place. God did not accept the second place in the heart of Eli.

4. Eli asks Samuel to tell what the Lord has told him. When Samuel tells that the Lord is going to judge his household, Eli replied, "He is the Lord. Let Him do what is good in His eyes." Many commentators argue that Eli should have prayed for forgiveness of their sons. Many of them even go to the extent of saying Eli was arrogant in saying that. But when we carefully read scripture, we can see Eli's love for God. But his love for God was not strong enough to punish his own sons. So the Lord said "Do you honor your sons more than me?" Now Eli knew that the acts of His sons were unpardonable in the sight of God. He knew the will of the Lord that the Lord is going to punish his children for what they have done.

5.In Chapter 4 verse 13 God's word says Eli was sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. Eli's heart was longing to see the ark of the Lord safe. We can clearly see his love and devotion to God in this verse.

6.In the same chapter when we read verses 17 and 18. Its so moving to see Eli falling down and dying at the news that the ark of God had been captured, but not that his sons had been killed.

So, what went wrong in the life of Eli the priest? What can we learn from him? We can clearly see that Eli loved the Lord. What was wrong?

Let us see some scriptural answers:

Our Lord said In Luke 14: 25-27
If any one comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple

Yes God never accepts second place in our lives. He is the very source of our existence and life. He gives provisions for our life and provision for the entire life forms on earth. And when we forget that, we are controlled by the people around us and by our own likes and dislikes and decisions in life. We cannot please Him by this.

God's word says when we were baptized into Christ, we are baptized into His death. We died to ourselves and Christ lives in us. We are part of His kingdom. Children of the Almighty God who bought us/purchased us unto Himself by His own blood.

Scripture says in 1Pet 1:23
For you have been born again not of perishable seed (we are dead to the identity of the birth given by our parents), but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Let us pray
Almighty God, help us deny ourselves everyday and love you more. May we grow in love of you and carry our cross daily and follow you. May we die to our sinful nature completely and may You make Your abode in our heart. May we make You above everything in our lives, even our own life.