Eli's Sons Disrespect the Holy Offering, Intermediate - I, Lesson - 14

INTERMEDIATE

AGE: 12 - 13 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: VII & VIII

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LESSON – 14

ELI’S SONS DISRESPECT THE HOLY OFFERING

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Eli, the High Priest

Eli was one of the Judges of Israel. He was also a High Priest of the Tabernacle of God at Shiloh. Eli had two sons Hophni and Phinehas, who were also priests serving at the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was a special tent, where the Israelites went to worship God. The Holy Bible says that the sons of Eli, who were priests themselves did not know the Lord. They did not obey God’s commandments and were doing things that angered God. One day a little boy was brought by his mother to the Tabernacle at Shiloh. He was left in the care of Eli, the High Priest to serve the Lord. His name was Samuel. He feared God and obeyed His commandments. He was well-loved by the people of Israel. On the other hand, Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas were called the “Sons of Belial” which meant wicked individuals, because they continued to sin against God and harassed the people who came to worship God in the Tabernacle.

Worship at the Tabernacle

The people of Israel brought animals to be sacrificed as a part of worship. The animals were sacrificed, and then the fat of the offering was burned as the Lord’s portion of the sacrifice. The remaining portion of the offering became the property of the priests, and they were allowed to share it with members of their families. In this way the priesthood was supported by the Lord during their time of service. God also allowed various grades of offerings depending on the financial situation of the individual. People could bring a male ox or bull, a male sheep or goat, a turtle dove or pigeon depending on their ability. This indicated God’s mercy and showed that “With God it is not the gift that counts but the intent of the giver’s heart”. 

Tabernacle in the wilderness, Illustration from Holman Bible (1890)

Eli’s wicked sons

However, Eli’s sons disrespected God and His holy offering. Hophni and Phinehas wanted the best portion of the offering for themselves. They wanted raw meat along with the fat instead of boiled meat and they insisted on getting their share before the parts dedicated to God were burned on the altar. Hophni and Phinehas compelled the priest’s servant to extort the best portions of meat from the person offering the sacrifice. 

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If the person refused to hand over the desired portions of meat, the sons of Eli made the servant to take the meat by force. This made the worshippers to detest bringing offerings to the Lord. Even though, the Israelites wanted to offer sacrifices and worship the Lord, the behaviour of Eli’s sons was a hindrance to them. The Lord was displeased and angered by the sinful behavior of Eli’s sons and was ready to punish them.

God warns through a Prophet

Instead of being a good example, the family of the High Priest had corrupted the worship of God at the Tabernacle. Eli, the High Priest was old and weak. When he came to know about the wrongdoings of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, he warned them, but did not discipline them enough to stop their behaviour. God sent a prophet to caution Eli. God reminded Eli how he had chosen the sons of Aaron to be priests, to serve at the altar, to burn the incense, and to wear the ephod. God had also given them the right to keep a share of the sacrifices burnt on the altar. God questioned Eli and his sons, why they greed after the sacrifices and offerings that had to be offered at the altar. Eli honoured his sons more than God by letting them usurp the best parts of all the sacrifices the Israelites wanted to offer God. God’s message was clear to Eli, “I will honour those who honour me, and I will treat with contempt those who despise me.” God’s warning was severe. Both his sons Hophni and Phinehas are going to be punished. God also let Eli know that, He will choose a new priest who will be faithful and do everything God asks him to do.

God speaks through Samuel

Another warning message was conveyed to Eli through Samuel also. The Lord told Samuel that He was ready to punish Eli’s family and a very shocking thing was going to happen. The next morning, Samuel told Eli everything what God had spoken. Eli knew that the Lord was righteous and just. He told Samuel, “He is the Lord; Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

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Eli’s sons Punished

Sometime after that, the Philistines came against Israel and killed about 4,000 men. When the elders of Israel heard about it, they decided to take the Ark of God from the Tabernacle and take it to the battle ground to help them in their battle. Hophni and Phinehas, who were the priests in the Tabernacle did not know the Lord or His commandments and they went along with the elder’s plans. 

The Ark of God manifested the holy presence of God and hence it had to stay in the “Most Holy Place” of the Tabernacle. God was not happy with the Ark of God being taken to the battle ground. That day Philistines won the battle against the Israelites and Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas were killed in the battlefield as warned by God. 

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Worship, Sacrifices & Offerings in the New Testament

In the Old Testament period, the main function of the priests, i.e., the descendants of Aaron was to carry out the worship of God through the offering of sacrifices. But in the New Testament all Christians are called to be priests to offer spiritual sacrifices unto God (1 Pet. 2:5).

In the Old Testament all the sacrificial offerings that were presented could be divided into two main categories

1.      Sin offerings which were offered for moral offenses,

2.     Thank offerings which were offered to express gratitude for God's goodness and blessing.

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament sin offerings through his death once and for all (Heb. 9:11-14; 10:1-14); Hence we need not offer any bird or animal as a sin offering to God ever again in the New Testament. But as Christians who have been delivered from sin through His sacrifice from the requirements of the law and received eternal life, we have the privilege to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. There are many spiritual sacrifices and offerings mentioned in the New Testament such as

ü  Physical body presented as Holy and pleasing to God (Romans 12:1,2)

ü  Prayer (Revelations 5:8; 8:3)

ü  Faith (Philippians 2:17)

ü  Praise & Thanksgiving (Hebrews 13:15)

ü  Offerings (Philippians 4:18)

ü  Charity and Doing Good Works (Hebrews 13:16) 

Worshipping in Spirit and Truth

Giving a sacrifice involves permanently laying on the altar or giving away something that has value to the giver, and hence involves giving up something that we would rather keep for ourselves. The central idea of sacrifice is therefore “surrender”. When our self-will and its desires are surrendered to the will of God, it dethrones “self” and enthrones “God”, as the ruler of our life. But if we live self-oriented and self-indulgent lives, then our worship will be like Cain’s offering, a mere drudgery and worthless.

A popular opinion of our time is that it does not matter how we worship God, as long as we receive some uplifting feeling or positive experience out of it. However, the scriptures reveal that since the beginning of time, and in every age, God has been very particular about what He has accepted as worship. Worship is not about us, our feelings or our experiences, it is all about God who is worthy of our worship. Our soaking and delightful experiences, uplifting feelings, deliverances are all the byproducts of our worship, and not the main objective of our worship. The main objective of our worship is glorifying God for who He is, because He is worthy of our worship. Worship should not be done according to the interests or convenience of the worshipper, but according to the mandate and directive of the one who receives our worship. Worship is not a platform to garner attention or to display talents but it is a spiritual service which ought to reflect the holiness, the divine nature and the immutable characteristics of God as revealed in the Holy Bible. To offer the best worship, sacrifice and offerings to God, we have to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can truly appreciate God for who He is, and also for what He has done.

Bible Reference: I Samuel 2, 3, 4

Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

I. Give one- word answers:

1. Hophni and Phinehas were called the “Sons of ………….”

2. Hophni and Phinehas wanted raw meat along with the ………….   

3. God’s prophet warned Eli that God was going to take away ………………… from Eli’s family.

4. The Ark of God had to stay in the “……………………”    

II. Give short answers:

1.     Who was Eli?  .....................................

2.    Why were Hophni and Phinehas called the “sons of Belial?

.....................................................

3.    What was burned as the Lord’s portion of the sacrifice? ………………………..

4.    What was the caution given by the prophet to Eli? ............................... 

III. Give brief answers:

1. Write about the worship pattern, sacrifices and offerings in the New Testament and how it differs from the Old Testament worship.

Ruth - Under the Wings of God, Junior, Lesson - 14

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

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LESSON – 14

RUTH – UNDER THE WINGS OF GOD

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There was a great famine in Israel during the time when judges ruled. A man named Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, lived in the city of Bethlehem in the land of Judah. They had two sons named Mahlon and Kilion. There were no rains for a long time and the crops failed, soon food became scarce. Elimelech and Naomi decided to move to another country, and they went to Moab. After some years Elimelech passed away and Naomi continued to live with her two sons Mahlon and Kilion in Moab. Mahlon and Kilion married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. 

They lived there for almost ten years, when both the sons also died leaving Naomi with her two Moabite daughters-in-law. The Moabite culture was different and they worshipped differently from how Naomi and her family did. The Moabites were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. They were gentiles who were not part of the 12 tribes of Israel. They did not continue to worship Jehovah and they worshipped the god Chemosh. Even though Naomi and her family had travelled to Moab from Bethlehem because of the famine, they continued to worship Jehovah even in Moab. The Israelites had particular ways of worshipping God including taking rest on the Sabbath and observing it holy as taught by the Law of Moses. 

Jewish woman observing Sabbath

Picture credit: “Welcoming the Shabbos” by Elena Flerova, Alexander Gallery (ATV Gallery INC).

One day Naomi heard that the famine in Judah was over, so she decided to go back to Bethlehem. Naomi’s daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth also started on the journey with her. Naomi loved and cared for Orpah and Ruth, but she knew that it would be difficult for them in a foreign land. She prayed for the Lord to deal kindly with Orpah and Ruth, then she requested both of them to go back to their families where they could be taken care of by their relatives or they could even start their own new families. When they heard it, they were sad to part each other and they wept together. Orpah decided to go back to her family as requested by Naomi and kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth was determined to go with her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. 

Ruth firmly told Naomi not to talk about going back to her relatives anymore. She even said, “Wherever you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.” Naomi knew that Ruth’s mind was made up. So, they went on together to Bethlehem. Ruth would be a stranger and foreigner in Bethlehem. Yet Ruth chose to leave her own country, Moab, she was familiar with, to stay with and support her mother-in-law, Naomi, in a foreign land. Ruth not only chose Naomi, but she also chose to worship the God Naomi worshipped. Naomi would have led a pure and exemplary spiritual life for her daughter-in-law to follow her ways. 

It was harvest time when they got to Bethlehem. Naomi’s old neighbours and friends came to know that she had returned. They were happy for her. But Naomi was not excited. She had led a hard life in a foreign land and she had lost her husband and both her sons. Naomi thought her life had become bitter. She told everyone not to call her Naomi but to call her “Mara” which meant bitter. Even though Naomi and her family had faithfully worshipped Jehovah in Moab, many misfortunes had fallen on them. But her bitterness and sadness did not last, because God had a great plan for her life. 

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Ruth decided to go into the fields to pick up leftover grains, since it was barley harvest season. Barley is a grain that is commonly used to make bread. 

                                            Barley plant                                        Barley Grains

During the harvest season, the Israelite farmers would not gather all the grains. God had commanded them to leave some grains behind, so that they could be gathered by poor and destitute people (Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-21). The field that Ruth went to glean incidentally belonged to a man named Boaz who was a relative of her father-in-law Elimelech.

 

When Boaz saw the young girl gleaning in his fields, he enquired of her and found that, it was Ruth who had returned from Moab with her mother-in-law Naomi. Boaz went to Ruth and told her she could work safely in his fields and get a drink from his water jars when she was thirsty. Boaz told his reapers not to harm her and asked them to leave extra grains in the field for her to gather. Ruth was surprised at his kindness, since she was a Moabite woman and a stranger. Boaz told her that he had heard of Ruth's kindness toward Naomi after her husband died. Boaz also blessed her saying that she would be repaid for her kindness and also richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings she had come to take refuge.

 

Ruth worked very hard in the fields to provide enough barley for her and Naomi. When Ruth returned from the fields, Naomi could tell that someone had been really kind to Ruth. When Ruth told Naomi that it was Boaz’s field, Naomi was happy, since Boaz was a close relative of her husband. So, she told Ruth to continue gleaning from that field in the coming days also. Naomi wanted Ruth to have a family of her own. According to the law of Moses, if a man died without having a son, then his brother or any other close relative was supposed to marry the widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). He would be called a “Kinsman Redeemer.” The firstborn son would be the heir of the man who died. The land would stay in the family, and the widow would be cared for. Boaz was a close relative and one of the kinsmen redeemers. Naomi hoped that Boaz would agree to marry Ruth, like the law said to. There was another close kinsman redeemer, but he refused. So, Boaz agreed to marry Ruth. 

Boaz also purchased the land that had belonged to Elimelech and Naomi. Boaz married Ruth and had a son named Obed. Naomi was not bitter any more. Obed was special for Naomi, because he was borne by her daughter-in-law, who loved her better than seven sons. That’s what her friends and neighbours said! Obed was the great-grandfather of King David, whose genealogy would come to the Savior Jesus Christ. 

Thus, Ruth, a gentile woman from Moab was given the privilege of being an ancestor of Jesus Christ and to be a part of God’s eternal plan. Like Boaz told her, Ruth was richly rewarded by the God of Israel, under whose wings she had come to take refuge. Ruth’s life gave a glimpse of God’s incomprehensible grace for the undeserving in the Old Testament; this grace was fully revealed to us through Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Bible Reference: The Book of Ruth

Memory Verse: Ruth 2:12

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. Elimelech and Naomi were from ……………………. in the land of Judah.

2. The Moabites were descendants of Abraham’s nephew ………….

3. The field that Ruth went to glean belonged to a man named …………….

4. Boaz married Ruth and had a son named …………….. 

Give short answers:

1. Who are the Moabites?

 

 

2. What did Ruth tell Naomi when she asked her to go back?

 

 

3. Why did Naomi tell everyone to call her Mara?

 

 

4. What did Boaz tell Ruth, when he found her gleaning in the field? 

 

Answer in brief:

1. What happened to Ruth after she came to Bethlehem?

  

Samuel - Asked of the Lord, Sub-Junior, Lesson - 14

SUB-JUNIOR

AGE: 8 - 9 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: III & IV

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LESSON – 14

SAMUEL – ASKED OF THE LORD

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In this lesson, we are going to learn about the birth story of one of the most important and also the last judge of Israel called Samuel. A man named Elkanah lived in the hill country of Ephraim, in a place called Ramathaim. He was from the Levi Tribe (I Chronicles 6:16 - 28). His wife’s name was Hannah. Hannah did not have any children. Elkanah had another wife also, whose name was Peninnah. Peninnah had many children.

 

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Three times a year all the Israelite men would make a special journey to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to offer sacrifices. Every year Elkanah took his family to worship and offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle. Hannah too went along with her husband Elkanah on their annual journey to the Temple at Shiloh.

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In the olden days animals were sacrificed as part of worship. At those times Elkanah always gave a portion of meat to Peninnah and her children to offer as a sacrifice. Because of his love for Hannah, Elkanah gave her a double portion. But this did not cheer Hannah up, since Peninnah made fun of her, which made her desperate and she wouldn’t eat.

Once on their journey to the Tabernacle, Elkanah offered the sacrifice and they finished eating and drinking. But Hannah quietly slipped away to pray at the Tabernacle. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the Tabernacle of the Lord. Hannah was very sad that she did not have a child, so she wept and prayed fervently. Her distress was evident. Hannah made a vow before God saying, if the Lord would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service to serve God all the days of his life and his hair will never be cut.  A vow is a promise or pledge, made to God. Hannah was so intense in prayer that she didn’t notice Eli observing her.

The High Priest Eli who was sitting by the doorpost, observed Hannah moving her lips without sound. He was confused and wrongly concluded that she was drunk with wine, which made her to speak that way. He immediately reprimanded her for being drunk at the Tabernacle. That is because drinking alcoholic drinks intoxicates people and makes them to lose their judgement and act or speak in inappropriate ways. Hannah explained that she was not drunk but was praying in this manner because of her sorrow. Eli, the High Priest realized his mistake and immediately blessed her for her prayers to be answered. Hannah’s sadness and bitterness left her after she prayed at the Tabernacle, she went her way and did not stay hungry and upset anymore. She ate food, and her face was no longer sad.

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Elkanah and Hannah returned home, shortly after that a son was born to Hannah. She was overjoyed and named her son “Samuel” saying, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” Hannah did not forget the vow she had made before God. After Samuel was weaned and started to eat solid food, Hannah took Samuel to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to be brought up by Eli. Hannah returned home, leaving Samuel to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle.

God blessed Hannah and Elkanah with three more sons and two daughters. Every year Hannah made a new coat for Samuel and took it to him when she went to the Tabernacle to offer the yearly sacrifice and to worship the Lord.

 

Samuel served God in the Tabernacle. Samuel grew up to be one of the important prophets in Israel’s history.

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Bible reference: I Samuel 1

Memory verse: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:24)

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Answer the following questions:

1. Where did Elkanah live?

    ......................................................................................

2. To whom did Elkanah give the double portion?

    ......................................................................................

3. Who was sitting at the seat near the doorpost in the Tabernacle?

   .......................................................................................

4. Why did Hannah name her son Samuel?

    ......................................................................................

5. Hannah took Samuel to Shiloh to be brought up by whom?

   ......................................................................................

Answer Yes or No

1. Peninnah had children (       )

2. Elkanah did not worship God (       )

3. Eli thought Hannah was drunk (        )

4. Hannah forgot her vow (      )

5. Hannah made a new coat for Samuel every year (       )