Started in on 1Samuel this morning and I’m hovering over the tragic figure of Eli the priest. A high priest before God in Shiloh, a long-reigning judge over the people in Israel (1Sam. 4:18). His position and his work having all the makings of one who should have been highly esteemed, of one who should have been honored. And yet, by God he was “lightly esteemed”, or as some translations put it, “despised” or held in disdain. His failing? At least in part, it was the weight he placed on things other than God.

Eli’s sons were “worthless men” (1Sam. 2:12). Though they were priests of the Most High God they acted in the lowest of all conceivable manner. To satisfy the lust of their flesh, they used and abused — they used the office of priest, and they abused the people they were to serve. Rather than allowing the best of the sacrifices to actually be sacrificed to God they skimmed the best off the top for themselves, eating the fat (2Sam. 2:15-16) even though the fat belonged to the LORD (Lev. 3:14-16). Their sin was a great sin in the sight of the LORD, for they “treated the offering of the LORD with contempt” (2Sam. 2:17).

And Eli, their father, knew what his sons were doing. And, though Eli did speak up, he also ate up. His sons refused to listen to his correction (2Sam. 2:25) and he chose to participate in their derision. And God calls him on it.

“Why then do you scorn My sacrifices and My offerings that I commanded for My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel? Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from Me, for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.'”

(1Samuel 2:29-30 ESV)

Honor. Literally, to be heavy, or to make weighty. When it came to weighty matters, Eli’s family carried the greater weight. Eli’s food carried the greater weight. And so, while he may have rebuked his boys, he didn’t correct his boys. And while they stole what belonged to the LORD, Eli still chose to eat with his boys. Thus he honored his sons, and his own appetite, above the LORD.

The words of Jesus ring out in my mind . . .

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

(Matthew 6:24 ESV)

You can’t do it, you can’t serve two masters. Though you may have many responsibilities, though you may have shared affections, though there may be multiple priorities, there needs to be a prime responsibility, an affection above all other affections, and a priority that ranks as the one and only, non-negotiable, top priority. There can only be one Master.

. . . for those who honor Me I will honor . . .

O, that our Master, Jesus, would in everything be regarded as preeminent. That we would make Him “weighty” above all things and that all things would fall in line with a desire to honor Him.

By His grace. For His glory.