Fathers and Sons and Adoption into the Kingdom
1Sam 4:10-19
Synopsis 1Sam 4:10-19 8/19/2018
Despite the presence of the Ark of God, the Israelites lost the second day of battle. In all, they lost thirty-thousand men including the sons of Eli. And, the Israelites lost the Ark of God.
A Benjamite escaped the battle and made the report at Shiloh. So, panic and lament set in. And so in time, Eli the High Priest heard the report. “The Philistines captured the Ark of God.” Thus, in a convulsion of grief, he fell over backwards in his chair and died.
Priests, Fathers and Sons
Although it seemingly didn’t start out that way, Eli had more regard for his sons than he did for God. When the younger two priest had first been born, Eli gave them strong names. Hophni means pugilist. And Phinehas after the great forbearer. It’s clear that Eli wanted his sons to grow up to be mighty men of valor.
But something went wrong. Somewhere along the way, Eli lost control of the priesthood. And he also lost his influence over his sons. In the end, he feared injuring his relationship with his sons more than he feared injuring his relationship with God.
Eli and his sons shared a preference for pleasure. This was their mode. For they had learned to prefer the subjectively satisfying more than the truly good.
Fathers and Sons and Adoption into the Kingdom
Now I am a father of four sons. And as they grow, I occasionally find myself shocked and saddened to see them exhibiting behaviors that I know I have.
There is in me the temptation to think all of this is hopeless. I remember the expression, “The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Are my children are consigned to live out the same moral failures and bad habits that I have lived? Is it genetic? Is it learned? Does it matter?
Somehow my generation is transmitting this to the next. Somehow I am infecting my sons. And knowing the influential power of fathers over sons, it might seem hopeless. But thanks be to God for our adoption as sons unto the Lord. For, because of this hopeful reality, I see for my sons a possibility for life that they could never learn from me. At least not without the power of God slowly taking root and working through me.
“So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Col 2:6-7
