“Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties
as priests…So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight,
for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.”
1 Samuel 2:12, 17
The little fat, selfish cartoon man becoming kind and loving may be cute, but a despicable person in real life is not!
When God chose Levi’s family to serve Him in the Tabernacle, He assigned certain portions of the daily offerings to the priests as their food. But Eli’s sons demanded worshipers to give them MORE. And instead of appreciating the wives God gave them, they seduced young women who served at the Tabernacle! Their actions showed utter contempt for God’s generous gifts! No wonder different translations describe them as evil, good-for-nothing, corrupt, worthless, and even despicable!
Likewise, my Heavenly Father apportions generous gifts for my daily needs, but do I appreciate HIS provisions? Or do I demand more, as if HIS gifts are not enough? Years ago, God graciously gave us a condominium, but my demand that we search for another led our family down a very frustrating path. I learned the hard way to honor and trust my Shepherd instead of showing contempt for His provisions!
The dictionary labels contempt as being scornful, arrogant, or even brazen…an attitude that is truly despicable! One Bible translation says, “Eli's sons were despicable men who didn't know the LORD.” So perhaps, the more I KNOW my Shepherd, the more I will trust HIS provisions are enough…and NEVER be despicable me!
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