Derelict in Duty...
The Word of the Lord was Rare in
those days: an Old Testament comparison for God's House today...
"A man of Benjamin ran from
the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with
dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road
watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into
the city and told the news, all the city cried out.
When Eli heard the sound of the
outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told
Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could
not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled
from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?”
He who brought the news answered
and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a
great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are
dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of
God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck
was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel
forty years."
1 Samuel 4: 12-18
COMMENTARY:
Sadly, Eli was a priest derelict
in his duties to oversee his house and minister judiciously. Although he had
some measure of godly fear, he did not hold his sons accountable for their sins
and did not judge Israel according to the Word of the Lord given to him by the
prophet Samuel.
The Bible says that the Word of
the Lord was "rare" in those days and there was no frequent vision.
It sounds so much like today where there is such a lack of pure Full Gospel
Preaching and authentic Vision from God. Oversight in God's house has been
reduced to no accountability. Instead, there seems to be a secret society
formed within individual ranks that covers sins and misdeeds of leadership
rather than bring rebuke and demand for reparation as part of a process of
restoration.
There's a lot of mixture of man
made philosophy with scripture and men boasting about dreams and visions while
corruption, sexual and spiritual abuse, favoritism, nepotism and misogyny runs
rampant in the House of the Lord. God is warning but who is listening? It seems
those in leadership who are guilty of such crimes have turned a deaf ear and a
blind eye just like Eli did.
Although Eli was warned by a
younger Samuel, the prodigious young prophet in the making (see 1 Samuel 3),
Eli failed to take any action about God's warnings to him. Some years later, he
heard the outcry of the Israelites and the "uproar" going on from the
crowd about the ensuing attacks and ultimate defeat, but Eli remained
completely clueless as to what was really happening. He failed to
"see" the consequences of his lack of righteous judgment in
leadership. What he 'heard' was the result of his dereliction of duties.
Apparently, it was too late for him to reverse the consequences. After 40 years of holding a position of
authority but overseeing a dysfunctional priestly ministry resulting in defeat,
he fell backwards, broke his neck and died an old, overweight and blind man.
It took that long for the Word of
the Lord to be fulfilled and for Eli to face judgment. God is longsuffering and
not doubt gave Eli many opportunities to repent and change. Eli was warned, but
obviously didn't heed. Likewise, the exposure happening in the Body of Christ
among corrupt leaders today, should make us all tremble with fear and turn to
God in an attitude of repentance for anything we have failed in our service to
God. God is loving, but He is also Holy, righteous and just. We can't excuse irresponsibility
and gross misjudgment for "grace".
Many guilty ministers are turning
a blinded eye and deaf ear to the “outcry” about the abuse, misuse and lording
over the flock of God. Rather than repent for said actions, they are calling it
demonic gossip and slander and blaming the victims. They like Eli have become
“dull” in their spiritual senses. At the same time, we must be patient in this
season regarding those who have been exposed and warned. Many in leadership are
being admonished but somehow fail to read the writing on the wall and take heed
lest they fall. We must pray for them and pray for ourselves.
We must remember that God's
timing is not ours and the consequences of His judgment are His to decide. Be
encouraged, though. God's word will not return from the earth void and empty.
Judgment has begun in the House of the Lord and no one is exempt regardless of
tax status or not. Since judgment begins in the leadership, so we each must
check ourselves and be humble before the Lord. We have a Great High Priest who
always makes intercession for us and never once sinned. He is the ONE we should
have been following all along. Selah.
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