Please turn with me to 1st Samuel 2, 1st Samuel chapter 2, where we will read together verses 12 through 17 and 22 through 36. And we're going to read that tonight in connection with our consideration of the fifth commandment. And if you would also turn to page 52, page 52 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, page 52. Now as you know, of course, the fifth commandment begins what we call the second table of the law. The first table deals with the first four commandments in our relationship, what is expected in us with regard to our relationship with God. and the second table, then, the remaining six commandments dealing with what is expected of us in our relationship with our neighbor. And in truth, we can say that the second table of the law, those which deal with our neighbor, really only has meaning in light of the first. And we can also say that the first table, the commandments dealing with our relationship with God and love for God above all, are visibly reflected in our love for our neighbor. The second table. And the second table then, those commandments reflect our love or lack of love for God. And it's fitting that the fifth commandment deals with parents and children. Children, obey your parents, honor your father and mother, because the first people that we are introduced to, obviously, are our parents. They are our closest neighbors. But even more than that, we know that the fifth commandment deals with authority. It's about authority, and it will tell much about how we view God's authority. So before we read from 1 Samuel 2, let's look together at Lord's Day 39, bottom of page 52. Again, you know what the fifth commandment says, Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. And we'll recite together the answer to question 104, the bottom of page 52. What is God's will for us in the fifth commandment? that I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me, that I obey and submit to them as is proper when they correct and punish me, and also that I be patient with their failings, for through them God chooses to rule us. Now, as we turn to 1 Samuel 2, you know that Samuel begins, obviously, with the birth of Samuel. And the first couple chapters really are about him and about how his life came to be and so forth. And then we come into chapter 2 and we read about Eli's wicked son. So really, we find here a contrast between Samuel and God preparing Samuel and raising Samuel up and the wickedness of Eli's sons. And for our purposes tonight, we're going to focus on the wickedness of Eli's sons, not on God's preparation of Samuel. Therefore, we'll read together verses 12 through 17, and then again 22 through 36. Hear now the word of the Lord. Eli's sons were wicked men. They had no regard for the Lord. Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, Give the priest some meat to roast. He won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw. If the man said to him, Let the fat be burned up first, and then take whatever you want, the servant would then answer, No, hand it over now. If you don't, I'll take it by force. This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord's sight, for they were treating the Lord's offering with contempt. Down to verse 22. Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So he said to them, why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord's people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, For it was the Lord's will to put them to death. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men. Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, This is what the Lord says, Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel? Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares, I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever. But now the Lord declares, far be it from me. Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your family line and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel in your family line, there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be assigned to you. They will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house and he will minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead, appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat. Beloved in Christ the Lord, our day has been called by some the day of the cult of the child in which children are worshipped by their parents. And as bad as that may sound, as difficult as that may sound, I think we might all understand what that means. For many parents, their lives revolve around the lives of their children. They think they owe it to their children to make them happy, to fulfill their every desire, to help them make the most of their talents and abilities, and to give them things and opportunities that the parents themselves never had. But of course, the danger then is that the parents really begin to treat their children as little gods. They idolize their children. So many parents try to be their children's friend and not their parents. And sadly, this is true even among Christians. Yes, we are called to encourage our children. We are called to help them to develop their talents and abilities. But we are called to do that within a context. And that context is nurturing them in order to become not, first of all, great athletes or great musicians or great craftsmen or great anything of that nature. But first of all, that they be godly people. Paul says in Ephesians 6, verse 4, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. That's the command to parents. To bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord and everything else then must flow from that training and instruction in the Lord. And with the exaltation of children, Many have adopted the attitude, well, my child could never do anything wrong. My child could never do anything so bad. And the sad truth is that many children get by with disrespect and disobedience in the home with no consequence. And that then spills over to the school, to the church, and to society in general. Many parents, even Christian parents, tend to forget that our children are conceived and born in sin. They are not born innocent as some people would have us believe. But our children are born totally depraved. They start out on the wrong path. And as parents, beloved, we must remember that God has given us our children that we might teach them about their sin. It's one of the greatest things we could teach them, right? We are to teach them about their sin and the consequences for their sin and that they will be accountable to God for all that they think and say and do. God has given to us our children that we might teach them about the authority of God represented by the authority of parents through whom God chooses to rule children, as answer 104 says. And dangerously, the results of the cult of the child are the same as we find in this episode in 1 Samuel 2, is we see there that Eli and sons transgress the fifth commandment. Now, that may be hard to understand. Maybe when you read that, you thought, well, that must be a misprint. Surely he meant to say Eli's sons transgress the fifth commandment. Because the fifth commandment is about honoring your father and mother. No, it's not a misprint. Some of you caught that, I know. Eli and sons transgress the fifth commandment. You see, beloved parents have a great responsibility when it comes to their children obeying the fifth commandment. And children don't get too comfortable. Don't get too comfortable thinking, okay, my parents are going to hear it now. Because put on your seatbelts because you might not like what your parents are about to hear because it affects you. You see, parents are to demonstrate love for God above all by loving their children enough to train them and instruct them in the way of the Lord, including that they are to honor their parents. And children are to demonstrate love for God above all by honoring God by honoring their parents. Apart from this, both transgress the fifth commandment. Eli and sons transgress the fifth commandment, first of all, through Eli's failure to train. Now, we cannot help but notice the corruption of the priesthood in this episode, And that corruption is visible through Hophni and Phinehas. I grew up hearing Phinehas. Some of you might say Phinehas. But I say Phinehas. That's how I'm going to say it tonight. That's what I'm used to. It's visible, that corruption, through Hophni and Phinehas. Verse 12 says, Eli's sons were wicked men. They had no regard for the Lord. Now that, beloved, is a heartbreaking picture. They had no regard for the Lord. It's also translated this way, that they did not know the Lord. These men were sons of a priest. They themselves were serving in a priestly office that had everything to do with the Lord and they did not know the Lord. And how devastating for Christian parents to learn, to come to the realization that their children do not know the Lord. But it gets even worse. They were sons of wickedness. When it says Eli's sons were wicked men, literally it says the sons of Eli sons of wickedness it says they were sons in two respects sons of eli and sons of wickedness and that word wickedness or worthlessness there is the hebrew word belial and i trust you recognize that word from second corinthians chapter 6 where paul makes it clear that belial is satan he is the devil and we see the significance already that that how one honors his earthly father or mother speaks volumes about whom that one is honoring in the spirit world. And Eli's sons were honoring Satan. They were serving in the Lord's house. But they were sons of the devil. And we're clearly told here about the wickedness that they practiced. Verses 13-16 again. Now, it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever, and it's talking about these guys, that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, give the priest some meat to roast. He won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw. If the man said to him, let the fat be burned up first and then take whatever you want, the servant would then answer, no, hand it over now. If you don't, I'll take it by force. Very clearly, a sacrificial violation which took place in connection with a thank offering. In Leviticus chapter 7, Moses clearly specified what was the priest's portion, the right thigh and breast. But here, through their servants, the priest, by sticking in that three-pronged fork, taking out whatever it might grab, they stole the portions that belonged to the offerer. And they did so even worse. They did it before all of it had been consecrated to God by burning all the fat off the animal at the altar. The sacrifice was not yet finished. And notice, even if the offerer said, Oh, let it be burned first, then take what you want. They were willing to give up their portion, but please, let the sacrifice be complete. They wouldn't do it. It's a little bit similar to if I would command the deacons to give me all of your offerings, and even to take them from you before you entered the building. If I did that, you would hate giving offerings to the Lord, and you wouldn't think much of me either. And the true violation we read about in verse 17, this sin of the young men was very great in the Lord's sight, for they were treating the Lord's offering with contempt. See, beloved, very clearly they were stealing from God. They were robbing God. And at the very same time, causing the people to hate offering sacrifices to the Lord. God was displeased, and good men hated the sacrifices. These sons of Eli affected the worship of others. Hophni and Phinehas, in effect, blasphemed the name of the Lord because they treated the sacrifice of the Lord with contempt as if to say, it's not a big deal. It's not that important. God doesn't need it. And their further sins are described in verse 22. Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. In Exodus, we read about a group of women who gathered together and who served in that place at the door to the tent of meeting. And it was there before the very place where God met with His people, before the very place where sacrifice for sin was made, before the very place where devotion to God was given, And in that place, these sons of Eli practiced horrible sin. Before the very place that represented forgiveness and reconciliation with God and devotion to God. Through sexual immorality, the priests made a mockery of God's forgiving grace. Those whose very task it was to turn men from sin, caused them to engage in sin. Now, this point is called Eli's failure to train, but we've only talked about the sons so far. But you see, their failures, you see, are pointing to a broken parent-child relationship. You see, beloved, no matter how good a parent-child relationship may seem, it may seem to be absolutely great. But if there is not training and instruction in the Lord in all things, everything the way God has commanded, then that relationship is not as God intended it to be. And no matter how good it may seem, it is broken. And notice Eli's rebuke in verse 23 of his sons. He said to them, Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord's people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him. But if a man sins against the Lord, Who will intercede for him? His rebuke sounds good, doesn't it? It sounds like he said all the right things. But very simply, it was not enough. See, the fifth commandment comes with a presupposition. And that is this. That in order for children to rightly honor their parents, parents have the responsibility to train them in the way of God. The way that God commands. As one preacher said, and I believe rightly so, should we really expect a child to know how to honor someone if they have never been taught the right way? And beloved, this commandment is broken when parents neglect their duty to train their children in the way of the Lord. Because that neglect, in turn, harms their children. Now boys and girls and young people, you may like it when you get by with something and you are not corrected. You are not disciplined. But you need to understand that it is not for your good. It is a neglect on your parents' part. And it harms you. It does not do you good. Now, Eli was an old man. Some say he did all that he could. His sons were grown up. He was no longer responsible. We might say, well, yes and no. Yes, they were grown up. They were responsible for themselves. That is true. But the implication here is that Eli knew very well what his sons were doing and that he had neglected his duty to admonish them to discipline his sons for many, many, many years. And even here it seems that he waited until the fact of their sin was too plain to be denied. And it was too public to be concealed. He didn't have a choice. And indeed, Eli was willing to point out their sins. He was willing to say, you're wrong. He was willing to say, be careful. There might be no one to intercede for you. But he was unwilling to do anything about it. We would expect that he would rebuke them and say, now this is what I'm going to do. But he doesn't. He should have put a stop to the mockery. He should have taken them out of their priestly office. But he simply was not willing to act. And beloved, that's the danger of the cult of the child. That as parents, we let our children rule us. That as parents, we go along with their desires and their decisions and their interests, even when we know that it's not in their best interest. Oh, if they do something that they shouldn't, we will scold them, but often without any sting. And in that way, they are not taught that sin hurts. And most likely, it doesn't put an end to the problem. So many parents often put the feelings and the wants and the abilities of their children and the nurturing and providing for those feelings and wants and abilities before the child's relationship with God. We don't mean to, but that's what happens. But instead, as parents, we must guide and direct and train and discipline our children in the way that is best for their soul, not for their flesh, not for their occupation, not for their talents and abilities. but in the way that is best for their soul. Many children today are not learning the danger and the consequences of sin. And I'm not talking necessarily about the children here. We are very blessed. But many children are not learning about the danger and the consequences of sin. And because of that, they cannot even begin to identify with the cross, where our sin has been paid for. And beloved, when we fail to properly correct and instruct our children, we make a mockery of the cross of Jesus. We must stop trying to be their friend and instead be their parents, as God has called us to do. And that begins in the home, doesn't it? In family worship. Family worship. Through which we teach them about God. We need to reclaim some of our busyness. We must give up some of our extracurricular activities that once again we sit together as a family and read the Bible and pray together and even sing of God's redemptive grace. Family worship, but also discipline. Discipline in the positive way. Teaching them the way they are to walk, live. But also in a negative way, the consequences for disobedience. Notice in verses 27 and 29, Eli is rebuked. Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, This is what the Lord says. Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar to burn incense and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel? Eli is rebuked. He is rebuked for honoring his sons more than honoring God. How? By not putting a stop to their wickedness. He shared in their guilt by association. And in reality, beloved, spiritually speaking, we might say that Eli also dishonored his sons because now they were hated by the Lord. Now, Eli was not responsible for his son's sin, their sinful actions, but he was responsible for his failure to correct them. And the sad truth is, by not correcting them, he did not seek their soul's salvation. By not correcting them, he neglected their soul's salvation. He should have disciplined them. Proverbs is very clear about that. This is where the boys and girls and young people might start to squirm a little bit. Proverbs 13, verse 24 says, He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Did you hear that, children? He who spares the rod doesn't use the rod of correction shows hatred. The Lord says the way to despise your own children is to not exercise discipline correctly and appropriately when they're doing something wrong. Whoever loves his child disciplines. Proverbs 23, verses 13 and 14. Do not withhold discipline from a child. If you punish him with a rod, he will not die. Punish him with a rod and save his soul from death. Of course, this is not to be inappropriate or abusive sort of punishment. but it is to be correctly applied. But notice what it says. If you punish him with a rod, he will not die. In essence, if you don't punish him with a rod, he will die in this sense. No discipline, in effect, is for the parent to move aside and invite the child right down the path that leads to hell. Because if the child does not honor his parents, he will not honor God. we must see how closely related love for our children is reflected in how we discipline them. The goal and the desire of every Christian parent is that their children believe in Jesus Christ. And through discipline and training correctly, God helps that goal to be reached. He sees that goal to be reached. And of course, some might rebel. Samuel's sons rebelled. and parents are not perfect parents can't force their children to believe and were not called to but children who have been taught correctly will be responsible children you are to still obey even though your parents are not perfect as the catechism rightly says you are to be patient with their failings that means you are to obey to honor and obey and respect your parents even if your parents don't discipline and train and instruct you or even if they do treat you badly, you are to honor them unless they would have you do something that disobeys the law of God. But other than that, it doesn't depend on whether or not you think they deserve it. You are to honor them. God commands, as the catechism says, to honor, love, and be loyal to them and all God-given authority. Again, it spills over then into the school, the church, into government. And when you do honor that God-given authority, that shows how much you love God. Otherwise, there is danger. Eli and sons transgressed the fifth commandment in the second place by the sons' godless rebellion. Now again, we've considered most of this. We know what the sons did. And what they did was evidence of rejecting Eli's authority. The second part of verse 25, His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the Lord's will to put them to death. but they were responsible that they did not listen to their father's rebuke. These two sons enjoyed a privileged position as priests and growing up in a priestly family. And we can be sure that even though Eli may not have corrected them, disciplined them as he ought to have, we can be sure that he did teach them, with his mouth, the way of righteousness. And they had a responsibility to be obedient to God. And, of course, that's true of all believers, isn't it? It's true for all who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's not just true of preacher's kids. I remember Steve Hauerzile telling me after I first came that years ago when he and his siblings were still in the house, his dad made it very clear to his own children, Reverend Hauerzile did, that he says, I don't expect any more of you as my children than I do from any other child in the congregation. In effect, he was saying, I expect as much from you and every child in the congregation. The same high standard. And that's true for all of you, the youth here who have been baptized. You who have God's name on you, His mark on you through the sacrament of baptism. He has set you apart. He has placed you in a believing family with instruction. And you have a responsibility. And you see, rejecting parents' authority is to despise, it is to hate what God has given to you for your own good. It's clear that Hophni and Phinehas, by rejecting Eli, God's representative for them, they rejected God. And again, what a sobering statement. It was the Lord's will to put them to death. It's not my intention to spend time on that phrase, but very simply, the wicked are a danger to others. These guys were a danger to others. They were forcing the people to commit sin through sexual immorality. They were causing the people to hate offering sacrifices. They were affecting the worship of the people. Very simply, the wicked are a danger to others. Proverbs 10, verse 17 says, He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, But whoever ignores correction leads others astray. And that's what these sons were doing. And therefore, they were rejected by God. And the sentence was death. Again, God honors those who honors Him. He disdains those who despise Him. And Proverbs 10, verse 27 says, The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. All these sons knew that they were wrong. And after constant, over and over and over again, rejection of God, they would be cut off. Children are called to honor and obey your parents. Why? Because it's for your good. Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment, with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. He took that from Deuteronomy chapter 5. You see, children, it is God's choice to rule you, including to correct you and to punish you through your parents. And you are to learn from their correction and from their punishment, which is tolerable. You will not die. So that you might not have to learn from God's punishment. Those who must submit to God's punishment will be forever lost. Hophni and Phinehas transgressed the fifth commandment finally with the promise forfeited that they would live long, that it would go well with them in the land. Notice again the announcement of pending death beginning at verse 31. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your family line and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you. They will both die on the same day. Verse 35 talks about raising of a faithful priest. And then verse 36, Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him, that faithful priest, for a piece of silver and a crust of bread, and plead, appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat. Notice the announcement that Hophni and Phinehas would be cut off at a young age, and all the males would be cut off at a young age. Their posterity, one after the other, would be cut off, a sign of judgment. And those who would be left would beg. Please, they would say. Because it would no longer go well for them in the land. But notice the mercy that is promised in verse 35. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house and he will minister before my anointed one always. Now, some believe that points to Samuel in the history of Israel. Others believe that it points to Zadok the priest who served before King David, but ultimately it points to Jesus Christ. But what a wonderful promise of mercy that they would live long in this life. And we say, wait a minute, wait a minute. We have had loved ones, we've had sons, we've had daughters, we've had loved ones who have been cut off, believing sons and daughters and loved ones who have been cut off in younger years. So what does this say to them? Well, indeed, God has chosen to take some from this life in what we might call the prime of life, to take them to Himself. To deliver them from this body of death. And that is His plan. But generally speaking, those to whom He gives many years of life. To those who are righteous, those who are obedient by the grace of God, those who love God above all and their neighbor as themselves, they live well in the sense that they avoid trouble. They do not make many enemies. As Proverbs 16.7 says, when a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. Of course, we know that doesn't mean a perfect life. We have those who hate us because we're believers and so forth. But children, you know that your home life is more pleasing, it is more enjoyable when you are obedient to your parents, when you honor them, when you obey the rules of the house. And in this life, when we obey the rules of the government, when we live according to the laws of the land, things go well for us, generally speaking. Sometimes someone is convicted of something they really didn't do. But generally speaking, it goes well with us. It goes well for those who are obedient to God. But even more so, what a promise of mercy for long life for eternity. This promise points to the heavenly land, the place that Jesus has promised, the place that He prepares for you and me even now. Beloved, parents, parents through training and discipline are to point our children to the mercy of God. And what a precious gift that is. That's a precious gift of correction. To point them to the mercy of God. And children, you are to see in your parents' discipline, you are to see your need for a Savior. You are to see the cross. And you are to understand the contrast between your parents' discipline, again, which is temporary, and the cross. Where Jesus Christ took the eternal punishment for our sin, all of our sin, even the sin of dishonoring God's authority because we have dishonored the authority He has placed over us. But all of our sins are forgiven. That those who believe in Him will live forever in heaven. That's long life. True believers will honor their parents as long as their parents live. Not perfectly, but in Christ they do. In Christ they will. Bearing with their failures and their weaknesses and showing honor for them also by repenting and apologizing when we as children fail to honor them. Beloved, we seek to obey only in the light of Christ's righteousness. His righteousness lived for us. The one who honored His Father all the way to death. See, our obedience is meaningless. Our obedience is worthless without His obedience, but in Him by faith. Our obedience is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the one who saves us. Beloved, God's commands are not a burden, not even this one, to honor your father and mother. But God's commands are a delight. As He demonstrates, and as we recognize by faith, His love poured out on us through God-appointed authority. Let's pray together. Father, once again, as children, tonight You have shown us what we are to do. how we are to demonstrate love for You above all and for our neighbor, our parents, and our children as ourselves. As parents, teaching them, instructing them, including correcting them in the ways of the Lord. Teaching them how they are to walk in obedience before You. And help us, O Lord, that through us You would give that great gift to our children, that they might learn that. Only for the sake of Jesus Christ. And as children, too, we pray that You would help us. As those who understand that we are saved only by grace through faith in Christ Jesus alone. Help us, O Lord, to more and more day by day show honor and love and respect and obedience to our parents. May we show them day by day how thankful we are to You for giving them to us. May they show them by our honor and respect as a way to say thank you to you for your precious gift of salvation. Oh, Father, forgive us when we fail. Correct us and make us ever more faithful by the power of your Holy Spirit. Hear us now, we pray, for Jesus' sake. In His name alone we pray. Amen.