But that was Samuel. The sons of Eli, sad story. Chapter 4 verse 15, “Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were dim and he couldn’t see. And the man said unto him, I am he who came out of the army and I fled today out of the army,” and he said, “Where…what is there done, my son. And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines and there hath been a great slaughter among the people and thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead and the ark of God has been taken. And it came to pass when he made mention of the ark of God that he fell from off the seat,” still there in the same seat, leaning on the same pole, “and his neck broke and he died for he was an old man and heavy. And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child near to be delivered, and when she had heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed herself; for her pains came on her. And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said unto her, Fear not for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it and she named the child Ichabod, which means the glory is departed.”
Sad ending, isn’t it? They all died. Never a name of a mother mentioned in the family of Eli and look at the price. But Samuel grew and ministered to the Lord. There’s no price high enough to value the virtue of a godly mother. She has a right relationship to her husband, to heaven and to the home. I trust this is a good reminder for all of us. Let’s pray together.
Father, thank You for our time tonight, just simply to touch again this beautiful and thrilling passage, to be reminded over again of the high priority you place upon motherhood. We hear even now the echo of the voices of our precious little children, the cries of the littlest ones who stood before us tonight, the songs of the older ones who sang and who spoke. We thank You for them all. We pray that You would give us the grace and the strength to raise up a godly seed that they like Samuel might minister before you and not be like the children of Eli. And may we know that it depends upon a right relationship to husband, to heaven and to the home. Help us to make that commitment for Jesus sake. Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
