Pretending To Not See

This morning I was reading the first few chapters of 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel 2 introduces the sons of Eli the priest. His sons were stealing God’s sacrifices and seducing the young women who came to serve at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 1 Samuel 2:12 actually describes Eli’s sons as “...scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord” Yet they held the most prominent position, which requires the highest reverence for the Lord!

Eli ends up rebuking his children in 1 Samuel 2:23-24 but, we later see that whatever he did or said wasn’t enough. We know this because by the end of the chapter, God sends a prophet to speak potential judgment on Eli and all his descendants.

Secondly, we see this when God calls Samuel and he mistakes it for the voice of Eli. When Eli realizes the boy was hearing God’s voice, he makes him tell him everything God said and to leave nothing out. What did God tell Samuel? 1 Samuel‬ ‭3:12-13‬ ‭says, “I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them.”

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God in His patience and long suffering gave Eli a chance and his sons a chance to deal with the sin. They didn’t take God’s offer so, now God was going to carry out the consequences.

I dare to say that we “get away with” a large percentage of our sins without immediate consequences. By immediate consequences I mean, we aren’t instantly and radically judged. There’s no smiting, fire and brimstone, or earth opening and swallowing us like in the Old Testament. Because of this, we can mistakingly become more comfortable than fearful of dwelling with sin. Just because God isn’t routinely pulling Ananiases and Sapphiras doesn’t mean He’s become soft on sin. (Acts 5) God hasn’t changed His position on sin. However He has repositioned our fate, by way of Jesus’ death in our place. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

The story of Eli shows us that ignoring sin doesn’t make it go away. Slapping sin on the wrist isn’t dealing with it. Sin needs repentance and removal. God in His mercy gives us time to repent, correct the wrong, and change our ways but, the mercy of God isn’t to be taken lightly. Mercy is a gift not a right. God owes us nothing yet, He’s given us everything by way of Jesus. When we turn a blind eye to sin the sin doesn’t vanish we just continue to see less clearly. Let’s put the eye drops of truth back in, tempered with love, and deal with things He’s pointing out to us. We are all works in progress but, sometimes the only way to progress is through obedience.