Eli was a Jewish priest serving God in the tabernacle of Shiloh, and he is most

remembered for blessing Samuel’s mother at the beginning of the book, as well as being a part

of Samuel’s first prophecy. Eli was very close to God and was described as a good and

honorable man. However, Eli lacked in the ability to have proper authority over his two sons,

who were wicked and went against the word of God. His sons, Phineas and Hophni, served in

the Tabernacle but did not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). They disobeyed the law, stealing and

eating sacrifices that were not meant for them, treating the Lord’s offering with contempt (1

Samuel 2:17). Everything the men did went straight to Eli, but he lacked the ability to show

authority over his sons. The Bible says that instead of being stern with his sons, Eli would say

“Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours…” (1

Samuel 2:23). The fact that Eli did not punish or stop his sons from their wickedness was

dishonorable to God because his heart was with his sons and not the Lord. In 1 Samuel 2:27,

God sent a prophet to Eli to warn him of his actions and tell him that no one in his household

would live to old age. A short time after, the Philistines came to attack Israel, and because the

Lord was not with Phineas and Hophni, they both were killed. The story of Eli shows how we as

humans are supposed to raise up our children with authority guided by the word. Parents are

not supposed to cower beneath their children, but rather raise them up to be strong in their

faith and leaders. Eli did none of this, and therefore his children were wicked and evil, which led

to their own destruction. This is also a big lesson on love and what Biblical love is instead of

wordly love. Biblical and Godly love is stopping those around you from doing harmful things or
acts that lead them away from God. Eli let his sons do whatever they wanted, which was the

least loving thing he could possibly do for them. This ultimately led to their destruction.