1st Samuel 4:16 And the man said unto Eli".... 17 ... "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. 18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: 19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel"...
This passage of scripture describes in graphic form, the untimely demise of Eli's family, all because he and his sons refused to take the necessary steps in reforming the service of the sanctuary which had been polluted by their daring misdeeds. The Lord had warned Eli that urgent changes in his sons' behavior needed to take place, but year after year went by, with no apparent or substantive changes in their attitudes, and instead of confessing and repenting of the grave evils they had set in motion, they instead dug in, and committed worst crimes than heretofore. Let's read:
1st Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father"....
What is worthy of note in this whole episode, is that Eli was never found to be in blatant, high-handed rebellion against the word of The Lord, he just never stepped up to the plate to take remedial actions against the specific evils that had been pointed out by God. This inaction on his part is what is described as being "Passive rebellion", for it is never manifested in robust, deliberate disobedience to the commands of God, but is instead displayed by a lack of will, to take the bull by the horns and deal head-on with those issues that are causing moral decay and anarchy.
This mode of thought and action is to be seen in many households across the land, and even in Christian circles, where the parents have clear concepts of right and wrong, truth and duty, but in order not to cross paths with their children, they permit evils to grow and strengthen, for fear of being ridiculed or despised by their kids. Thus, instead of taking a firm stand for the right, the habits and evil tendencies of teenagers are left to ripen into open rebellion against God and man, and the end result is seen in individuals who inevitably despise both Divine and human authority, and who view the law of God as a restriction to their liberties, instead of the good, beneficial rule of life, which it really is.
But there comes a time when God takes matters into His own hands, and the sinful neglect of parents and guardians is visited with the sure results of judgments that become due, because evil will never be left to run riot, without God interposing to stem the tide of rebellion, whether it be active, or passive, as in the case of Eli. And it was because of his passive refusal to correct and discipline his sons, that the two of them died in battle in one day, and the son of Phineas was left fatherless and motherless, all because it was not a pleasant duty to restrain his sons. Let's read:
1st Samuel 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Question: What does a living person do, after hearing that their probation is permanently closed? It was with fearful foreboding that Eli looked forward to the future, because he knew that from this point forward, anything that was worth living for will now be a total failure, for that sentence hanging over his head will now spread a thick layer of darkness over all of his family's fondest hopes and dreams. Hence the reason why God saw it fit to include this fearful experience in the sacred canon of scripture, so that future generations may understand the responsibilities devolving upon parents, to train and discipline their children, even when it may not be popular or easy to do so.
It is therefore a fatal deception for Christian parents to believe that we will pass through the pearly gates, if we have neglected our sacred, parental duty, and have left our children to do as they well pleased, regardless of what God has stated in His word. When children reach the point where they cannot be spoken to, and when they despise the authority of God and man, they must be removed from the home if they have reached the legal age of adulthood, lest the same pronouncements against Eli and his household become a nightmarish reality in our own experience. Children will not always agree with the decisions and instructions of their parents, however the father and mother should always hold the reins of control firmly, yet with love, and should never, ever surrender their God-given duties, so as to avoid crossing paths with their children.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us to be faithful in raising our children to honor and fear God, for at the end of life's journey when the chips are finally tallied, it will be seen that those who stood firmly for the right, even in the face of fierce opposition, will be granted an abundant entrance into God's kingdom, whilst those parents who pandered and buckled to the wishes of their children, will be forever debarred from the gates of heaven. Let's read:
Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: 12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!