#DailyDevotion The LORD Won’t Let His Name Be Blasphemed.

1 Samuel 3 ¹¹“I am going to do something in Israel,” the LORD said, “that will make both ears of everyone who hears it tingle. ¹²On that day I will do to Eli everything I said about his family, from the first to the last. ¹³And you shall tell him I will condemn his family forever for his guilt: He knew his sons were bringing a curse on themselves, but he didn’t restrain them. ¹⁴This is why I swear to Eli’s family that no sacrifice or offering will ever wipe out the guilt of Eli’s family.” ¹⁵Samuel lay there until the morning. Then he opened the doors of the LORD’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. ⁶ Then Eli called Samuel. “Samuel, my son!” he said. “Here I am,” he answered. ¹⁷ “What did He tell you?” he asked. “Please don’t hide it from me. May God punish you if you hide from me anything He told you.” ¹⁸So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. He answered, “He is the LORD. May He do what He thinks is right.” ¹⁹Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and didn’t let any of his words go unfulfilled. ²⁰All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew Samuel was the LORD’s appointed prophet.

We often see evil around us. What is worse we see what is evil around being done by those who shouldn’t be committing such evil acts by religious leaders. Now Eli’s evil was not restraining the evil of his sons. As blind as Eli was physically, he had become blind, by his own choice spiritually not correcting the sins of his sons and not disciplining them. Because of this, the LORD was going to bring down a curse upon Eli and his sons. It was pretty bad as Eli’s sons were not offering the sacrifices to the  LORD as prescribed and were abusing the people of Israel, including the women, who came to the LORD for strength and comfort.

Now hear what the LORD God was going to do them. He would never forgive them. He would not accept the sacrifices they made for themselves and their family. They would die and without atonement for their sins. They would experience the full brunt of God’s Wrath at the Judgment. What is most strange to me is the Eli resigns himself to this and doesn’t repent. Neither does he call his sons at that point to repent. “Well what good would that do? God has made us his mind,” you may say. The LORD our God’s default is always grace, mercy, love, faithfulness and forgiveness. What does David prophecy? “A broken and contrite heart you will not despise.” Remember how the LORD had pronounced judgment upon Ninevah, a pagan town of Assyria. Jonah prophesied to them, 40 days and Ninevah is no more. What did Ninevah do? They repented in sack cloth and ashes and the LORD relented. Eli does not remember the name of the LORD his God and does not repent but accepts his fate.

We should not lose heart when we see the religious leaders of our day doing foul and disgusting things, blaspheming the name of our LORD Jesus Christ. The LORD Jesus is not turning a blind eye to them. Unless they repent, which I doubt they will do, they will suffer the same fate as Eli and his sons. No one is getting away with anything. We should still call them on their sin, in hopes they will repent. They should be removed from their offices though. Those who cover them up will share in their fate as Eli did. Finally, we must also examine ourselves daily who bear the name of Jesus, confess our sins, repent of them, repair the damage we have caused if possible and trust in our LORD Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, correct all those who bring shame to the name of Jesus, have them turn from their ways and reprove us when we sin so we may repent of our sins, trust in Jesus for forgiveness and live for you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.