Sin In The Sanctuary

Presented to:

Bethel Chapel Pentecostal Church

Auditorium Sunday School Class

Granite City, IL

12 May 2019

Updated: May 11, 2019

By:

Boyce Belt

Sin In The Sanctuary

Opening:

• Happy Mother’s Day
• Series: Flesh vs. Spirit
• Prayer

Text:

1 Samuel 2:12-36 (KJV) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. 13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home. 21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

Introduction:

The Scripture calls Hophni and Phinehas sons of belial.  This is a Hebrew word which means worthless.  It suggests also wickedness.  All wickedness in the church is not due to out right sin but sometimes we are simply worthless to the kingdom of God.  James 4:17 (KJV) Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

The priests were taking to themselves that which belongs to God.  The faithfulness of a minister may be determined by whether his life brings glory to God or to himself.

1. True Ministry

1. Despite abuses God will always have ministers who are true to His Word.  Even though there are those who have abused their positions and wrought folly in the house of God we must be careful to not write off all as a fraud because of those who have misused their positions.
2. Environment Does Not Make The Man

1. Samuel is taken in by Eli’s family, and frankly, it isn’t a very godly environment in which to grow up.  Little Samuel enters a home occupied by two rebellious older brothers and a father who is losing touch.  But Samuel never succumbs to the pressures of his godless surroundings.  Instead, he becomes like a fragrant rose growing near a cesspool.^[1]
2. Samuel was not led astray by the evil example of those who were older than he and to whom he would naturally look up to because of their high office.  This dear child escaped contamination because God’s grace preserved him and also because his mother’s prayers , like a wall of fire, were around him.^[2]
3. Eli’s sons could not have been raised in a place closer to the things of the Lord, yet they showed themselves to be sons of the devil.  There is no guarantee that just because we are born again our children will believe in God.  By the same principle, you may be the child of a pastor or missionary or Christian worker, but that does not determine your eternal destiny at all.  Each person stands before God alone.^[3]

2. Rebuke without Discipline

1. A Mild Rebuke
2. Failure to Remove from Office

1. Eli protested the evil actions of his sons, yet he failed to remove them from their ministerial office.  Eli’s failure was regarded as equivalent to despising God.^[4]
2. Eli demonstrated neither the will nor the spiritual authority necessary to discipline them before the Lord and Israel by removing them from their leadership positions.^[5]
3. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (KJV) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
4. Many have continued to use individuals who they know are not living right because they are talented and they mistakenly believe that by keeping them involved in the church this will eventually lead them back to God.  This is especially true in the case of one’s children.  Scripture teaches that evil doers must be cut off in order to restore them.

3. Danger Signals from Eli^[6]

1. Eli was preoccupied with his profession to the exclusion of his family.  This does not simply have to be our occupation.  It can even be our profession of faith our social standing.
2. Eli refused to face severity of his sons’ lifestyle
3. Eli failed to respond correctly to the warnings of others
4. Eli rationalized wrongly and thereby became part of the problem.  He even fattened himself on what they were doing

3. Sure Judgment^[7]

1. A Decline in Respect for the Office of the Priesthood
2. General Spiritual Decline
3. Departure of the Glory of God

4. Purity Restored — 1 Samuel 2:35-36 (KJV) And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

1. Faithful
2. Obedient
3. Restored Respect

Conclusion:

Next Week: A Prophet Called—1 Samuel 3

Prayer