Don't Feel Sorry for Eli

The story of God's judgement on Eli the priest and his lineage is a sobering one. I've always felt a little sorry for ol' Eli, and I know others feel the same way. Recent re-readings of this story, though, have caused me to change my mind--I don't feel sorry for Eli at all, and neither should you.

For those unfamiliar with Eli, let me summarize his story: Eli was a priest of Israel. His two sons were also priests, but they would disrespect the priesthood by doing wicked acts such as stealing from the sacrifices given to God and sleeping with women at the temple. God told Eli to restrain his sons, but he did not. As a consequence, God pronounced that Eli's sons would be killed on the same day and that Eli's offspring would always die young and never be prosperous. Furthermore, the priesthood would be taken from Eli and his family and given to someone else. And indeed, that is what happened.

At Least Eli Tried to Stop Them

One reason I felt sorry for Eli was because it was his sons, not him, who were being bad and Eli even attempted to stop them. You get the impression that Eli was too much of a softy to get tough with his boys. I don't think Eli was a softy, though. Consider how harsh he was with Hannah:

As [Hannah] was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. "Must you come here drunk?" he demanded. "Throw away your wine!" 1 Sam 12-14 (NLT)

Compare that rebuke with the gentle reprimand he gave his sons:

Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? 1 Samuel 2:23-25a (ESV)

Eli Cared for the Ark of the Covenant

Another reason to sympathize with Eli was because he seemed genuinely concerned about the Ark of the Covenant. The Bible says Eli "was deeply troubled about the Ark of God" after it had been taken into battle and that, "at the mention of the Ark of God [being captured in battle], Eli fell backwards from his seat by the gate and broke his neck, for he was an old man and heavy."

But why did Eli care so much about the Ark? Was it because he loved God? Maybe, but I think he loved something even more: his own livelihood.

Israelites were required once a year to bring the best of their herds, livestock, and harvest to the temple for a big feast, which they and the priests would eat before the Lord. The Bible indicates Eli was a fat man, so you know he was eating his fair share of the sacrifices. If there was no Ark of God, there was no reason for the Israelites to visit, and thus no more feasting for Eli and his family.

Eli's daughter-in-law understood the ramifications of the Ark's capture, too. When she heard the news, she went into premature labor and in her dying moments named her newborn Ichabod (which means "No Glory"); "'Glory has departed from Israel,' she said, 'because the Ark of God is taken.'

Basically, the Ark was Eli and his family's sugar momma, and when it was taken by the Philistines, they knew the gig was up. In fact, the city of Shiloh, where they lived, ceased to be Israel's religious center after the Ark's capture.

Eli Acknowledged the Sovereignty of God

The final reason I had felt sorry for Eli was because he seemed godly. When he was informed of God's judgement, his response was "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him." (1 Sam 3:18, ESV). On the surface, this seems like the response of somebody who knows God. Whereas a heathen might get angry at God or protest, Eli respectfully acknowledged God's sovereignty and levied no complaint.

Now when I read Eli's response, I think "You fool!" His response was not one of godliness, but one of sloth. Eli knew what he needed to do--restrain his sons. Eli also knew that God might change his mind about this decision, too. After all, God had changed his mind already:

"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.'" 1 Samuel 2:30 (NIV)

So instead of Eli taking action which could have preserved the blessing that God had originally pronounced upon his lineage, Eli instead did absolutely nothing. How pathetic.