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.
This passage of scripture teaches us of one of the more serious mistakes that parents make, that of putting off the training and discipline of their children until later years. A child's basic character is formed within the first seven or eight years of life, and the traits and habits then formed only strengthen with the passage of time, and become all the more difficult to reverse or correct, if warranted. In the case of Eli and his sons, he knew of their evil deeds, but he only reproved them mildly, and never followed up his reproofs with stiffer punishments, when they persisted in doing wrong.
Thus the evil habits were left to germinate and take root, so that by the time they came to manhood, they were full of the seeds of rebellion against God and man, and even though Eli tried in vain to correct the errors of earlier years, and though The Lord sent them dire warnings of coming judgments, yet neither father or sons took the drastic steps needed to make the much-needed u- turn, and the rest is history, for their entire family came to a sudden and untimely end in one single day. Let's read:
1st Samuel 4:11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. 12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. 13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching"... 17 And the messenger answered and said".... "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".... 21 "She named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel"...
A very interesting and important commentary has been written by the servant of The Lord upon this very tragic ending to Eli and his family, and it will be worth the while for every parent to read and reason soberly from cause to effect, for the very same issues of a lack of parental discipline, and a disregard of parental authority, have now ballooned into an epidemic of unprecedented proportions, prompting one of the most serious warnings coming from The Most High God. Let's read:
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
(Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 578 & 579) Eli did not manage his household according to God’s rules for family government. He followed his own judgment. The fond father overlooked the faults and sins of his sons in their childhood, flattering himself that after a time they would outgrow their evil tendencies. Many are now making a similar mistake. They think they know a better way of training their children than that which God has given in His word. They foster wrong tendencies in them, urging as an excuse, “They are too young to be punished. Wait till they become older, and can be reasoned with.” Thus wrong habits are left to strengthen until they become second nature. The children grow up without restraint, with traits of character that are a lifelong curse to them and are liable to be reproduced in others.
There is no greater curse upon households than to allow the youth to have their own way. When parents regard every wish of their children and indulge them in what they know is not for their good, the children soon lose all respect for their parents, all regard for the authority of God or man, and are led captive at the will of Satan. The influence of an ill-regulated family is widespread and disastrous to all society. It accumulates in a tide of evil that affects families, communities, and governments.
It is of critical importance then, that as parents, we do not try to avoid unpleasant duties, by allowing our children to grow up without discipline, hoping that one day out of the blue, they will just start to walk straight, after years of neglect. Let us now step up to the plate, grab the bull by the horns, and begin to do what we have so long avoided, by training up our children in the way they should go, so that when they are old, they would not depart from it.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to take up our God-given duties, and God will give us the grace to perform that which He has instructed us to do, if we ask Him. Let's read:
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!