Plot Twist: Importance of Leadership
1 Samuel 2:11 – 3:11
May 21, 2023
Jay Haugh
One will be in “high” position and the other in a “low” position and by the end the roles have been reversed.
“Leadership is influence.”
Every one of us has influence.
Samuel is a great little servant.
Great leaders always start as great followers.
- There’s no one you won’t serve.
- There’s no deed that’s beneath you.
- You don’t gripe and complain when you serve.
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only. —1 Samuel 7:3-4 ESV
Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. —1 Samuel 2:12 ESV
The leadership is greedy.
The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. —1 Samuel 2:13-14 ESV
They use their leadership for personal gain, not to serve the people of God.
The leadership is abusive.
Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” —1 Samuel 2:15-16 ESV
Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt. —1 Samuel 2:17 ESV
Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. —1 Samuel 2:18 ESV
He might work for a wicked leader, but he’s not like him.
And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD.” So then they would return to their home. Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. —1 Samuel 2:19-21 ESV
And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD. —1 Samuel 2:21 ESV
Principle: Be faithful with the small things and God will elevate you in due time.
The leadership is sexually immoral.
Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. —1 Samuel 2:22 ESV
And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad.” —1 Samuel 2:23-24 ESV
They are leading the people in sin.
A nation can crumble because of shoddy leadership.
“If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death. —1 Samuel 2:25 ESV
God will take them out because of their high-handed greed, intimidation, abuse and immorality.
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man. —1 Samuel 2:26 ESV
“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.” —1 Samuel 2:34-35 ESV
God cut off His physical blessings.
“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 2:36 ESV
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. —1 Samuel 3:1 ESV
God cut off His word.
And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. —1 Samuel 3:1 ESV
There is no vision of God because the priest of God is blind.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. —1 Samuel 3:2 ESV
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. —1 Samuel 3:3 ESV
Great people live like Samuel; they live next to God.
Big Idea:
Leadership influences people to greater corruption or into a growing character of God.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Memory Verse: 1 Peter 5:5b-6 NIV
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Read 1 Samuel 2:11-3:11
Great leaders in Scripture – Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Elisha, and Samuel – each get their start as people who serve others. Have you ever wanted to be viewed as a leader within your profession, social group, or other circles of influence? How do the lives of leaders in Scripture model what the road to leadership looks like? What application can you make to your life?
Hophni and Phinehas leaned into evil instead of pursuing God. What corrupting influences are chasing after your heart? How can you guard yourself against them?
What do we learn about the importance of leadership from this story? Eli is the leader of his sons and his sons are leaders in Israel. What is going to happen to Eli’s family line because of his unwillingness to discipline his sons’ behavior? What happens to the people of Israel when there are corrupt leaders vs. godly leaders? Do you believe you are a leader and have influence? What inferences can we make about the responsibility and consequences of not leading well?
Samuel is living amongst a wicked leadership. Do you live or work in an environment that does not honor God? What challenges do you experience because of this? How can you respect those in leadership above you but not be like them? What strategies can be used to not conform to the likeness of those around you? What step can you take this week to help them come to know Christ?
Eli warns his wayward sons and rebukes them for their behavior. But this was not sufficient for the Lord. What should Eli have done (3:13)? What would you have done if you were Eli? Parents: what are some tactics you have used to move your child from destructive, unhealthy behaviors to ones that honor the Lord?
Eli cared more about his sons’ positions than exaltation of and obedience to God. Is there anything more important to you than God (people, positions, possessions, power, or prestige)? How can understanding our heart’s disposition toward these things help us to take steps back toward God?
Reflect on the significance of the phrase “the word of the Lord was rare” during the time of Samuel. In what ways can you experience a scarcity of God’s Word or a lack of spiritual discernment in your life? How can you cultivate a greater hunger for God’s Word and a deeper relationship with Him?
Samuel was just a young boy when he heard God’s voice. Do you hear the Lord speak to you, either audibly or in your heart? If not, why do you think that is? If you do hear Him, how obedient are you to what He has shared? Samuel was obedient to God’s message, and it brought about significant change in Israel. What lessons can we draw from this about the power of obedience in our own lives and its impact on the world around us?
Samuel’s response to God’s voice was, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” How can we cultivate a posture of listening to God’s voice in our busy lives? What practices or habits can help us hear from God?