Who’s Your King? (1 Samuel 2:11-36)

Ever been in a room with someone really important? Your boss. Your boss’s boss. It changes you. You act differently. You talk differently. You’re on your best behavior. If the King of Malaysia walked into our church – whether you’re Malaysian or not – there would be a level of respect and recognition of the weightiness of his presence here. Position – Authority/Power – Reverence – Changes us. (What’d you do this weekend?) – The most important person defines you.

This morning – Ask…Who is your king? I’m talking about – Who holds that kind of weight in your life? Who makes the rules? Who is calling the shots? King – Rule. Reign. Power/Authority. Gives you – Identity. Security. Purpose. Prosperity. – Whoever your king is – Determines who you are and what you live for. And we all have one. We’re all searching for a king to rule in our lives…

And that’s the story we’re going to walk through together for God’s people in our series…

Text: 1 Sam. 2 11 … And the boy (Samuel) was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. (In other words – God was not their king.) 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

There was no king… Two aspects: 1) There was no man king for Israel like the other nations of the world. And it wasn’t supposed to be a problem. 2) But it was a problem – There was a king – God. Indictment against the people of God. The people just rejected God as king. And they acted as if God wasn’t king over his people. And so everyone did what was right in their own eyes – own kings. – Disaster.

What we’re going to see repeated in the text – Contrast – Those who are king over their own lives – Eli and his sons vs. Those who have God as King – Samuel.

Samuel – Just a boy doing ministry for God. While Eli’s sons, priests, on the other hand – When people were coming to offer sacrifices – Symbol of repentance and making payment for their sin – These guys were sinning with these offerings. They were stealing from God to advantage themselves. And even the people knew it was wrong. “Treated with contempt” – Disrespect. They didn’t care. God was no one to them. He wasn’t their King, they were their own king.

1A. When you’re king – ME, MY, MINE. You don’t care about God or honoring his good ways. You’re concerned about your life, your own well-being, your stuff, your desires, your plans. Everything becomes about you. You become ME-Centered. Others – To serve you and to make your life better. You do what you want, when you want, you’ll take advantage of situations and people without any regard for God or the people around you. These are the worst kinds of people to be around because they’re full of themselves. If you are king – natural.

18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home. 21 Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

Samuel wasn’t a priest. Priestlike clothing – ephod. Dedicated to serving the Lord. Later – Prophet. Judge. He just went about his business faithfully serving.

1B. When God is King – He is all you need. Trust him to provide for all your needs. – Seek first the kingdom of God. I know my King’s goodness, his provision, his security. I don’t have anything to worry about. My greatest joy is to be in his presence and serving him. Life can be completely falling apart all around you but you have an unshakable joy in Jesus – that he’s a good and loving King and there’s nothing to worry about in his kingdom – because he’s in charge.

Difference between Eli’s sons and Samuel – Both ministered in regards to the Lord. Eli’s sons – worthless. But Samuel knew and grew in the presence of the Lord – he dwelled/he was changed by being with God.

You can be around the church. But you can be far from God. There’s a difference between knowing and doing. Jesus – Wise man – The one who builds his house on the rock. The foolish – builds his house on the sand. Most people – The difference is between those who trust in Jesus and those who don’t. Yes. But Jesus makes the distinction clearer – Between those who hear Jesus’ words and do them vs those who don’t. There is a difference between those who say Jesus is their King but their lives show that they are their own king.

Which – ME, MY, MINE vs. God is all you need?

22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. 26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

2A. When you’re king – Treat sin lightly. Give room for it in your life.

The problem wasn’t so much that Eli’s sons sinned. The problem is that he allowed his sons to continue to sin. He kept hearing all the terrible things his sons were doing. And he did nothing to stop them. In other words – He enabled them, he positioned them to keep sinning. So he was just as much in error as his sons who committed the sins.

Eli knows and says the right things. But his heart doesn’t truly honor God. The sins being committed weren’t weighty enough to make a change. – God wasn’t that weighty to him. Ask – Is that true of you? Do you ever grieve over your sin? Not make excuses – Well, the situation made me sin or another person did something that made me sin. No. – That was you. Hate your sin? – Not hate yourself. But hate when you dishonor God. – Have to get serious. Have to change. Life or death.

Sin is not something to be treated lightly. – You have to be killing sin or it will be killing you. (John Owen. Ro. 8:13)  It wants to rule over you. To be your master. It wants to take you out completely. 

And it’s not something you can do on your own. (Wildlife) If you’re in isolation and you don’t have community – You need people in your life that are going to challenge you, keep you accountable, and make you more like Jesus. Ps. Raudel – I love you so much. If you ever do something as stupid as to cheat on Grace – I’m going to come to your house, punch you in your face, and then sit and cry with you. You need other people in your life who love you enough to help you rightly deal with the sin in your life.

Again you see the difference with Samuel… 2B. When God is King – God is your delight. – Samuel, in v.26, given maybe the best God wasn’t that weighty to him. you can ever be given – he grew both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man. It’s the same words to describe Jesus –   Lk. 2 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. – That should be your prayer, your delight – that you’re growing in Jesus. Prayer Grace prayed for me. 

Do you ever just desire to be in God’s presence? To abide in and dwell with him? – Like you desire to go on a nice holiday. Many – I need ME time – to take care of myself and do the things that give me life. Ever? – I wish I could just take a day off and be with God. God is a King that you don’t just do things for, he’s the kind of King you just want to be with. And when you do, when you spend time in his presence, you discover there’s nothing better than him and because you dwell with God, you become like him and become a blessing to those around you.

27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 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?’ 

Eli wasn’t just a passive observer that didn’t do enough to stop his sons. He himself, personally gained through the sin and wrongdoing of his sons. He took advantage of the situation himself. – He may have honored God with his mouth but he honored himself with his life. He didn’t give the weightiness God was due as King.

And he honored his sons more than God. He put his sons before God. That happens so often. It’s so easy to put our kids at the center of our world – to make them kings/queens – who run our lives. But love is not just letting kids do what they want and have their own way. (Daughters – Defense.) It’s our responsibility as parents to show our kids that the world doesn’t revolve around them – the world doesn’t exist to serve them – but we were all created to love and serve God. And if that’s what you want to disciple your kids this way – they have to see you take it seriously and live it out. – Why would Eli’s sons listen to him to stop their sin and to honor God when their father isn’t doing it himself?

Another Thing: Your business can’t be just “family business”. That’s just a way of saying you want to hide things from people. You need people outside of your family. – Families in isolation are just as bad as individuals in isolation. In my 15+ yrs of pastoral ministry – I’ve heard too many times – this is family business – We’ll take care of it ourselves. The church can stay out of it. – It never ends well! I’ve seen over and over again families make terrible decisions. It’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to destroy your family. I understand that many of us come from extremely strong honor/shame cultures – I do too. Realize – There is no condemnation. No one here is going to judge you. But we do want to come alongside you. Walk with you. Guide you. – Invite other people into your lives.

Which – Treat sin lightly vs delight in God?

30 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. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. 34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 

3A. When you’re king – You will be cut off. Is God’s punishment too harsh for Eli and his sons? Not at all. What they deserved. Sin corrupted their hearts. They were already dead. God just let them see the end of their own choices.

There can only be one king. It’s you or it’s God. There’s room on the throne for just one. And if you don’t want God to be King of your life – You want to be king of your life? You want to cut me off? He’s going to say, your will be done. – You’re cut off. – Death. You’ve cut God off.

Who is your king? – What kingdom are you living for? Not just what you say with your mouth. But what does your life say you are living for? For many – You are living for your own kingdom and the kingdom of this world. Time. Money. – You’re more concerned about your pleasure, your comfort, your job, having a good life, than you are about the things of God. – You’re kind of around church, but not engaged. You don’t have any kind of meaningful time with God in the Word or prayer. Usually Sundays are the only time you’re thinking about God.

When you try to be king over your own life – It will always end in disaster. You will ruin your life. You, in control of your own life, is the worst possible thing for you. – Power – You weren’t meant to have. “Power corrupts” – No it doesn’t. Power magnifies and gives way to what’s already in your heart. And when you take control of your own life as king, when you have that power, all the nasty and evil things in your heart start to manifest. But when God is in charge of your life – his goodness is what emanates and comes forth. 

3B. When God is King – He brings you in. He makes a way for you. Look how he does that…

35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

Eli and his sons were priests – people closest to God. the most spiritual/holy – But even the priests were failing. All men will all fail you. The best of men will fail you. You will fail yourself. 

Eli was right – If you sin against man, maybe there’s hope for you. But if you sin against God – Who will save you? Man is not going to be able to intercede between God and Man. So who will? We need someone who hasn’t sinned against God and will honor God perfectly and stand in the gap for us. – Doesn’t exactly sound like the role of a king. What does the promise of a priest have to do with searching for a king? The king God’s people were searching for was an ordinary king – but the king God promised and would send would be a priestly king.

Melchizedek – Gen. 14 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” 

1 Sam. 2

David – Ps. 110 The Lord (Father) says to my Lord (Son) : “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! (King) … 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Heb. 7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, … 2 … He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

14 For it is evident that our Lord (Jesus) was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

19 … a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Jesus is the promised one – 

Prophet – Didn’t just tell us God’s words – Word of God in the flesh. Fulfilled all the promises of God. Declared the work of salvation – It is finished.

Priest – Not just offer sacrifices to God but was the sacrifice – the Lamb of God – that takes away the sins of the world. Intercede. Mediator. A great high priest who is able to sympathize with us in our weakness…

King – King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Kingdom has no end. Ruler of our hearts.

Jesus is the priestly king who honored the Fathered perfectly. Obedient even to the cross – to fulfill God’s love and plans for us to be forgiven and redeemed.

Is Jesus the King of your life? Will be apparent by who or what you’re living for…

ME, MY, MINE. Sin – Lightly. God – Cut off.

OR

God is all you need. God is your delight. God brings you in.

Nonbeliever/EV: A man of God came like to Eli…not to condemn you. But to save you from your sins that separated you from God. Jesus loved you so much that as a faithful priest to God and King – He’s made a way for you to be forgiven of your sins and saved. As King – he desires to be good and gracious to you.