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? 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. 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?’ 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
(1 Samuel 2:27-36 ESV)
An entitlement mentality. That is one of the criticisms of our current culture: everyone believes he or she deserves whatever is wanted. It does not just apply to immature children or people dependent upon government; it can apply to leaders - political and religious - as well. Such was the case with the sons of Eli. They were "in". God had promised Aaron, since that time way back in Egypt, that his line would be the priests. Talk about job security! But such presumptive "security" is not what God meant at all. There were many qualified descendants of Aaron. God was about to shake things up. These men who were stuffing themselves with God's offerings were going to be severed from office and the face of the earth, and their sons would be scrambling for bread. We ought not presume. We cannot take forgiveness or the blessings or the calling we have from God lightly. It's a privilege. What job, what opportunity, what people, what ministry, do you presume to deserve? Not so. All is from the grace of God alone.
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