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for¡¡God¡¡and¡¡humanity¡¡than¡¡may¡¡be¡¡achieved¡¡in¡¡this¡¡our¡¡day¡¡by¡¡those¡¡who¡¡will
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¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Chapter¡¡56
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Eli¡¡and¡¡His¡¡Sons
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or¡¡punish¡¡them£»¡¡he¡¡would¡¡submit¡¡to¡¡their¡¡will¡¡and¡¡give¡¡them¡¡their¡¡own¡¡way¡£
Instead¡¡of¡¡regarding¡¡the¡¡education¡¡of¡¡his¡¡sons¡¡as¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most¡¡important
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priest¡¡and¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡Israel¡¡had¡¡not¡¡been¡¡left¡¡in¡¡darkness¡¡as¡¡to¡¡the¡¡duty¡¡of
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Eli¡¡shrank¡¡from¡¡this¡¡duty£»¡¡because¡¡it¡¡involved¡¡crossing¡¡the¡¡will¡¡of¡¡his
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the¡¡terrible¡¡consequences¡¡that¡¡would¡¡follow¡¡his¡¡course£»¡¡he¡¡indulged¡¡his
children¡¡in¡¡whatever¡¡they¡¡desired¡¡and¡¡neglected¡¡the¡¡work¡¡of¡¡fitting¡¡them¡¡for
the¡¡service¡¡of¡¡God¡¡and¡¡the¡¡duties¡¡of¡¡life¡£
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justice¡¡and¡¡judgment¡£¡¨¡¡Genesis¡¡18£º19¡£¡¡But¡¡Eli¡¡allowed¡¡his¡¡children¡¡to
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instead¡¡of¡¡becoming¡¡more¡¡reverent£»
576
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come£»¡¡hence¡¡it¡¡was¡¡of¡¡the¡¡greatest¡¡importance¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Lord's¡¡directions
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especially¡¡an¡¡expression¡¡of¡¡thanksgiving¡¡to¡¡God¡£¡¡In¡¡these¡¡offerings¡¡the¡¡fat
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reserved¡¡for¡¡the¡¡priests£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡greater¡¡part¡¡was¡¡returned¡¡to¡¡the¡¡offerer£»
to¡¡be¡¡eaten¡¡by¡¡him¡¡and¡¡his¡¡friends¡¡in¡¡a¡¡sacrificial¡¡feast¡£¡¡Thus¡¡all¡¡hearts
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threatened¡¡to¡¡take¡¡it¡¡by¡¡violence¡£
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holy¡¡and¡¡solemn¡¡significance£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡people¡¡¡¨abhorred¡¡the¡¡offering¡¡of¡¡the
Lord¡£¡¨¡¡The¡¡great¡¡antitypical¡¡sacrifice¡¡to¡¡which¡¡they¡¡were¡¡to¡¡look¡¡forward
was¡¡no¡¡longer¡¡recognized¡£¡¡¡¨Wherefore¡¡the¡¡sin¡¡of¡¡the¡¡young¡¡men¡¡was¡¡very¡¡great
before¡¡the¡¡Lord¡£¡¨
These¡¡unfaithful¡¡priests¡¡also¡¡transgressed¡¡God's¡¡law¡¡and¡¡dishonored¡¡their
sacred¡¡office¡¡by¡¡their¡¡vile¡¡and¡¡degrading¡¡practices£»
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡577
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to¡¡a¡¡fearful¡¡extent¡£
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excusing¡¡their¡¡course£»¡¡on¡¡one¡¡pretext¡¡and¡¡another£»¡¡he¡¡became¡¡blinded¡¡to
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deeds£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡high¡¡priest¡¡was¡¡grieved¡¡and¡¡distressed¡£¡¡He¡¡dared¡¡remain
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themselves£»¡¡and¡¡now¡¡they¡¡cared¡¡for¡¡no¡¡one¡¡else¡£¡¡They¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡grief¡¡of¡¡their
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admonitions£»¡¡but¡¡they¡¡were¡¡not¡¡impressed£»¡¡nor¡¡would¡¡they¡¡change¡¡their¡¡evil
course¡¡though¡¡warned¡¡of¡¡the¡¡consequences¡¡of¡¡their¡¡sins¡£¡¡Had¡¡Eli¡¡dealt¡¡justly
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condemnation¡¡upon¡¡them£»¡¡he¡¡sustained¡¡them¡¡in¡¡the¡¡most¡¡sacred¡¡positions¡¡of
trust¡£¡¡He¡¡still¡¡permitted¡¡them¡¡to¡¡mingle¡¡their¡¡corruption¡¡with¡¡the¡¡holy
service¡¡of¡¡God¡¡and¡¡to¡¡inflict¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡cause¡¡of¡¡truth¡¡an¡¡injury¡¡which¡¡years
could¡¡not¡¡efface¡£¡¡But¡¡when¡¡the¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡Israel¡¡neglected¡¡his¡¡work£»¡¡God¡¡took
the¡¡matter¡¡in¡¡hand¡£
¡¨There¡¡came¡¡a¡¡man¡¡of¡¡God¡¡unto¡¡Eli£»¡¡and¡¡said¡¡unto¡¡him£»¡¡Thus¡¡saith¡¡the¡¡Lord£»
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in¡¡Pharaoh's¡¡house£¿¡¡And¡¡did¡¡I¡¡choose¡¡him¡¡out¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡tribes¡¡of¡¡Israel¡¡to
be¡¡My¡¡priest£»¡¡to¡¡offer¡¡upon¡¡Mine¡¡altar£»¡¡to¡¡burn¡¡incense£»¡¡to¡¡wear¡¡an¡¡ephod
before¡¡Me£¿¡¡and¡¡did¡¡I¡¡give¡¡unto¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡thy¡¡father¡¡all¡¡the¡¡offerings
made¡¡by¡¡fire¡¡of¡¡the¡¡children¡¡of¡¡Israel£¿¡¡Wherefore¡¡kick¡¡ye¡¡at¡¡My¡¡sacrifice
and¡¡at¡¡Mine¡¡offering£»¡¡which¡¡I¡¡have¡¡commanded¡¡in¡¡My¡¡habitation£»¡¡and¡¡honorest
thy¡¡sons¡¡above¡¡Me£»¡¡to¡¡make¡¡yourselves¡¡fat¡¡with¡¡the¡¡chiefest¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the
offerings¡¡of¡¡Israel¡¡My¡¡people£¿¡¡Wherefore¡¡the¡¡Lord¡¡God¡¡of¡¡Israel¡¡saith£»¡¡I
said¡¡indeed¡¡that¡¡thy¡¡house£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡thy¡¡father£»¡¡should¡¡walk¡¡before
Me¡¡forever£º¡¡but¡¡now¡¡the¡¡Lord¡¡saith£»¡¡Be¡¡it¡¡far¡¡from¡¡Me£»¡¡for¡¡them¡¡that
578
honor¡¡Me¡¡I¡¡will¡¡honor£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡that¡¡despise¡¡Me¡¡shall¡¡be¡¡lightly¡¡esteemed¡£¡¡¡£
¡£¡¡¡£¡¡And¡¡I¡¡will¡¡raise¡¡Me¡¡up¡¡a¡¡faithful¡¡priest£»¡¡that¡¡shall¡¡do¡¡according¡¡to
that¡¡which¡¡is¡¡in¡¡Mine¡¡heart¡¡and¡¡in¡¡My¡¡mind£º¡¡and¡¡I¡¡will¡¡build¡¡him¡¡a¡¡sure
house£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡shall¡¡walk¡¡before¡¡Mine¡¡anointed¡¡forever¡£¡¨
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offering¡¡appointed¡¡by¡¡God¡¡as¡¡a¡¡blessing¡¡to¡¡Israel¡¡to¡¡be¡¡made¡¡a¡¡thing¡¡of
abhorrence£»¡¡rather¡¡than¡¡bring¡¡his¡¡sons¡¡to¡¡shame¡¡for¡¡their¡¡impious¡¡and
abominable¡¡practices¡£¡¡Those¡¡who¡¡follow¡¡their¡¡own¡¡inclination£»¡¡in¡¡blind
affection¡¡for¡¡their¡¡children£»¡¡indulging¡¡them¡¡in¡¡the¡¡gratification¡¡of¡¡their
selfish¡¡desires£»¡¡and¡¡do¡¡not¡¡bring¡¡to¡¡bear¡¡the¡¡authority¡¡of¡¡God¡¡to¡¡rebuke¡¡sin
and¡¡correct¡¡evil£»¡¡make¡¡it¡¡manifest¡¡that¡¡they¡¡are¡¡honoring¡¡their¡¡wicked
children¡¡more¡¡than¡¡they¡¡honor¡¡God¡£¡¡They¡¡are¡¡more¡¡anxious¡¡to¡¡shield¡¡their
reputation¡¡than¡¡to¡¡glorify¡¡God£»¡¡more¡¡desirous¡¡to¡¡please¡¡their¡¡children¡¡than
to¡¡please¡¡the¡¡Lord¡¡and¡¡to¡¡keep¡¡His¡¡service¡¡from¡¡every¡¡appearance¡¡of¡¡evil¡£
God¡¡held¡¡Eli£»¡¡as¡¡a¡¡priest¡¡and¡¡judge¡¡of¡¡Israel£»¡¡accountable¡¡for¡¡the¡¡mo