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also with men". When Luke the apostle writes of the youth and boyhood of the Lord
Jesus, he uses almost identical words:
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man"
(Luke.ii.52)
It is evident that Eli realized that Samuel was destined for some great work in
connection with the people of Israel, and that the Lord intended to use him in His service.
In contrast to this boy was the baseness of his own two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
These must have been a tragedy to the saintly old man. Brought up in the shadow of the
Sanctuary, to be the successors to their father in the position of high priest, instead of
being honoured they are called "sons of Belial" (2: 12). The word Belial simply means
"worthlessness", and does not signify either Satan or any pagan deity. It is used 9 times
in I & II Samuel, but only 7 times in the remainder of the O.T., and once only in the
N.T. by the apostle Paul in II Cor. 6: 15. "They knew not the Lord" cryptically sums
up the condition of these two who, as priests of God, should have been the ministers of
His holy law to the people.
Unbelievers base the conduct of their lives according to the dictates of their hearts.
Some are good and some are bad. Some have strong sense of duty to society, others have
none. Unrelieved by the light of the knowledge of the love and grace of God, some seek
mental relief through good works. Others through selfish indulgence, and this was the
course taken by Hophni and Phinehas. Despite their godly rearing and education, and the
exalted position they came to occupy as sons of the high priest, it would have been
expected that the atmosphere of the Tabernacle would have permeated their being and
seeped into their hearts and minds. On the contrary, they used their sacred office merely
as affording an opportunity for selfish extortions; their unbelief was the source of their
moral worthlessness.
These two were evil men indeed, who basely abused the high office they held and the
privileges they were entitled to under God's generous provision as commanded by
Moses. Hophni and Phinehas, not satisfied with the share of the peace offerings to which
they were entitled, robbed the officers and seized for themselves some of the part of the
sacrifice that belonged to the offerers:
"And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice,
the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth
in his hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the
fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the
Israelites that came hither" (I Sam. 2: 13, 14).
The priests were allowed by the Law to keep the "wave breast", that is, the portion of
the breast of the animal that was waved before the Lord. It was waved to the four
quarters of the compass. The right shoulder of the sacrifice, called the "heave shoulder"
was also lifted up to Jehovah. Both these portions were the legitimate rights of the
priests. Not content with this, these two men sent their servants to demand more, both
before and after the offerings had been made. Such was the veneration of the people who
came to worship and observe the feast days, that they allowed this extortion to become a
custom: