Daily Lesson for April 7, 2020

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from 1 Samuel chapter 2 verses 12-17 and 22-25a:

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord 13 or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, 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. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take whatever you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord; for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt . . .
22 Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If one person sins against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord; but if someone sins against the Lord, who can make intercession?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father . . .

The story of the birth of Samuel is set amidst a time of grave exploitation and abuse within the priesthood. Hofni and Phineas, the sons of the priest Eli, were probably not the first Elmer Gantry’s; but they fit the mold, stealing from the LORD’s pot and sexually exploiting the vulnerable by their abuse of office. And Eli, for his part, acted cowardly, doing nothing to put a real stop to the misbehavior.

So God raised up another priest, the little altar boy Samuel, who would eventually rise to see the House of Eli fall and the priesthood to be restored to a place of integrity.

These stories have real resonance today, with all that has come to light around clergy child abuse and the #Metoo movement. We know what shame and dishonor has been brought on the church by so many so-called preachers and priests; and we shutter to think what devastation has been wrought on the lives of their victims.

But the good news in this text tells us that God is not blind to abuse; nor is God cowardice to do something. For as the text tells us of the young reformer Samuel who would arise: “This child has been prayed for.” And God had heard those prayers — the prayers of the simple folk wanting a decent minister, and the prayers of the abused wanting justice, and the prayers of the exploited wanting accountability — and did answer.

Lord, hear our prayers still . . .

NOTE: We’re reading the Bible through this year. Tomorrow’s Lesson will be from 1 Samuel 4-8.