When Leaders Fall

In this message from 1 Samuel 2:11–36, David Platt cautions us against putting all our trust in earthly leaders.

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You are listening to David Platt Messages, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author, and teacher David Platt.

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If you have a Bible, and I hope you or somebody around you does, you can look on, but let me invite you to open me to 1 Samuel chapter 2. Feel free to use the table of contents if you need to. But it just so happens that the next text and our journey through Samuel's life is all about how important it is for leaders among God's people to glorify Him. And this is a really important word from God for all of us today, certainly for anyone, any of us who's in any position of leadership or influence in someone else's life, which I'm going to show you actually includes most of us. And this is a really important word from God because all of us are affected by leaders. For good or bad, and particularly those in positions of spiritual leadership, you think about it, so many people's perception of God, of Jesus, of the church, is shaped by leaders in the church. Or, at the very least, by the people who claim to know and follow Jesus. So many of our lives have been influenced and transformed in glorious ways through good spiritual leaders and influences. And unfortunately, so many have been turned away from God or the church andor hurt in really harmful ways by people who are in positions of spiritual leadership. So I just want us to walk through God's word today, verse by verse and phrase by phrase, and pause along the way. If you're taking notes, I want to show you 10 takeaways from truths to encouragements to warnings from God. And there's not a lot, I'll just go ahead and let you know, there's not a lot light here. Like this is a really heavy passage that I am convinced we all need to hear when it comes to leading and influencing others in our lives and how we view leaders in our lives. So let's dive right in.

Eli’s Sons And Knowing God

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1 Samuel chapter 2, verse 11. Then Alkanah went home to Ramah, and the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. So if you've not been here in recent weeks, just to recap, 1 Samuel 1 started with God giving a humble, barren woman named Hannah, a baby boy, whom she named Samuel. And she offers her son to serve the Lord at the tabernacle, which was the place where people would come to worship God and offer sacrifices for sin. And then in 1 Samuel 2, Hannah sings this powerful prayer to God. We looked at this last week, 20 truths about God in Hannah's 10-verse prayer. And we left off at verse 11 here, where Elkanah, so that's Hannah's husband, takes Hannah and their family home, but they leave Samuel, the boy, to minister to serve the Lord in the presence of alongside Eli the priest. So Eli was the primary priest. So he was the leader, responsible for overseeing the tabernacle. And Samuel is serving alongside him. And verse 12 says, now the sons of Eli were worthless men. Now a couple things here. This word now, it could really almost be translated but, because it presents a contrast between what we just read about Samuel and what we read about these sons of Eli. And we're going to see this contrast all throughout the passage. And the sons of Eli were like Eli's second in command. We find out later that Eli was pretty old by this point, and most of the day-to-day duties for overseeing the tabernacle were being carried out by his sons. They were the ones leading out in the worship of God's people at the tabernacle. And they were worthless. Now, some of your translations might have the word wicked here. Just to give you a picture of how wicked they were, the last time we saw this Hebrew word describing men in the Bible was Judges 1922 and Judges 2013, when a gang of men violated and murdered a woman. That's the same word that described the sons of Eli. The people who were overseeing the worship life of God's people. And they were wicked because, watch this, they did not know the Lord. So apparently it's possible for leaders among God's people to know a lot about God, but not actually know God. And the word here for know is so personal. If you look back up in 1 Samuel 1.19, that's the word that's used to describe how Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and they had a baby. To know means to know intimately. And the leaders of God's people did not know him that way. And everything else in this chapter is going to flow from that reality. So here's a first takeaway. The most important trait in a spiritual leader is ever-increasing personal intimacy with God. And the danger is it's possible to be a leader among the people of God and not know and walk in intimacy with God. So God from the beginning is clearly saying to any church leader in any position, which obviously includes me, God is saying, beware trying to lead my people apart from knowing, walking with, and worshiping me in your own life. And then think about it, because this applies to anyone who has spiritual influence on others. Parents, hear this word from God. The most important trait in your parenting is your ever-increasing intimacy with God. You will not lead your kids to live for what matters most apart from knowing and walking with the one who matters most. Your children's greatest need from you is your intimacy with God. The same's true for your spouse and anyone else you influence. People you influence need above everything, they need for you to know and walk in intimacy with God. Because when that's not happening, it affects everything. Let me show you, verse 13.

Abuse Of Worship And Power

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The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling with a three-pronged fork in his hand. And he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron 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. So we're going to see in a minute how God made sure these priests would be provided for abundantly. But the sons of Eli were indulging themselves in ways that went against God's word. Which leads right into verse 15. Moreover, before the fat was burned, so God's word had made clear that the fat specifically in an offering would be dedicated to the Lord as a sacrifice. The sons of Eli were keeping that for themselves. And the priest servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept bold meat from you, but only raw. And watch this. If the man who's offering the sacrifice said to him, Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish. This servant, on behalf of the priest, would say, No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force. Here is a picture of priests abusing their power to get what they want. Thus, the Bible says, the sin, and that's what it was, it was evil, of the young men, sons of Eli, was very great in the sight of the Lord. For the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. Now, what's interesting here is there's actually debate among commentators about who the men are in the second part of this verse. So the young man in the first part, that's clearly a reference to the sons of Eli. But many commentators believe the men in the second part, much like in verse 16, is referring to the men who were bringing their offerings for worship. And if that's the case, watch this. This verse is saying that the sons of Eli, through their sin, were leading others to sin in the way they worshiped. In other words, their influence was leading other people to sin against God. So here are two more takeaways. One, don't underestimate the effect of your sin on others' lives. Especially as someone who is leading or influencing others. There is an adversary who wants you to think that your sin only affects you. And it's not true. Hear this word from God. Your sin always affects the people around you. Even when you think it's secret. And it specifically affects the people you love most, the people you're closest to, in ways you most often don't realize. And then there's another takeaway here. Don't let the fall of a leader take your focus off the Lord. So many people see a spiritual leader fall in any number of ways, and their faith is shaken, maybe even shipwrecked. Because this is the person who's been pointing them to the Lord. But that's the point. If they've been pointing you to the Lord, then keep your focus on the Lord. And if they've been pointing you to themselves, then be glad in the sense that your focus is shifting to where it needs to be. This takeaway is so significant for so many people. I would venture to guess that many of us, a large number of us, have had someone who we saw as a spiritual leader fall or fail us in a way that has affected our faith. Or potentially hurt us deeply. Maybe even in a way that has driven you away from God or at least the church. And if that's you, please hang with me in this chapter as we see these other takeaways that I hope God will use today in a process of bringing you back to Him despite their sin. Don't let the fall of a leader take your focus off the Lord. Now, the next verse comes back to this contrast all throughout the chapter between Samuel and Eli's sons.

When Leaders Fall Keep Looking Up

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Verse 18, Samuel again was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen, Ephid, that's a reference to a garment that a priest would wear. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. So Hannah clearly thought about her son all the time. You can only imagine how she looked forward to the best day of the year, when she got to travel to the tabernacle to worship her God and see her son, give him this robe. And then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord. So then they would return to their home. Indeed, the Lord visited Hannah and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. These are the last words we hear about Hannah and Elkanah. But just as Hannah had prayed and sung in the beginning of this chapter about God's blessing on the barren woman, the curtain closes on their home with five kids running around their happy mom. And meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord. And this is such a great phrase. In the presence of here, literally means with. So Samuel grew with God. That's a clear and powerful takeaway. Let's give our lives helping the next generation grow with God. This picture of a mom sewing together a robe dedicated to helping her son serve God, this is what she's living for. So, moms, dads, make the priority of your parenting, not helping your children get these grades, these accomplishments in sports or music or whatever other stuff in this world that you're pressured to prioritize. Not that those aren't good things, but they are not the best thing. Make the priority of your parenting be helping your children grow with God. Period. And not just parents. I've said this before. I praise God for so many people, singles, young adults, senior adults who are giving their lives in different ways to help children and teenagers across this family grow with God. There are people right now, we're sitting here listening to the word who are serving the next generation to help them grow with God. This must always be a priority among God's people. Verse 22. Now Eli was very old, so back to the contrast here, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel. Did you see that language? They were sinning against God, but they were doing evil to Israel. Again, your sin, my sin, against God always does evil to others. And then see their sin on a whole other level. Eli kept hearing about his sons, lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. They're taking the women who are serving at the tabernacle. And they're exploiting them for their own sexual pleasure. But the litany of sins in these leaders' lives is just expanding. So let's

Helping The Next Generation Grow

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pause and not just hear but heed this takeaway. Spiritual leaders in any capacity flee all temptation to greed, gluttony, spiritual apathy, sexual immorality, abuse of power, pride, and fattening yourselves with the glory God alone deserves. There's a whole lot to soak in there. But suffice to say that long ago, the sons of Eli were guilty of all these sins. And centuries later, Satan is still taking down leaders with the exact same temptations. So, clearly this is a word for all of us, not just those in positions of leadership. Flee all temptation to greed, gluttony, spiritual apathy, sexual immorality, abuse of power, pride, and fattening yourself with the glory God alone deserves. And I don't have this as a takeaway, but let's pray specifically for God to guard one another, to guard leaders, knowing like the more influence or leadership a person has, there's a sense in which there's a bigger target on their back. But for us to help one another, pray for one another, and guard each other from all of these temptations. Eli said to his sons, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. Know, my sons, that it's no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? Meaning, so if a man sins against a man, then God can help mediate. But if you sin against God, then there's no one less to help you. You've sinned against the mediator. You're scorning the only one who can save you. But they would not listen to the voice of the Lord. For it was the will of the Lord to put them to death, which means very simply, it is the will of the Lord to judge sin and sinners. For everyone who hardens their heart against God, who turns away from the only one who can save you, God gives you over to what you want. Here's a takeaway for us: don't harden your heart to the God who alone can give you life. Don't be confused. The language here is not saying God doesn't love the sons of Eli and desire to give them life. This is not God's will working against their will. It's actually the opposite. This is God giving the sons of Eli over to their will. If the sons of Eli don't want God, then God will give them what they want. Theirself and their sin and the judgment due to their sin. People wonder, if God is loving, why would God want anyone to go to hell? And the answer is God is loving. And he doesn't want anyone to go to hell. This is 2 Peter 3:9. God is patient, he's desiring all to reach repentance. Yet if you reject God and His love for you, then God will give you what you want. Eternity without Him and His love for you. C.S. Lewis put it this way: there are only two kinds of people, those who say, Your will be done to God, or those to whom God in the end says, Your will be done. Don't harden your heart to the God who alone can give you life. Which leads yet again to the contrast. Verse 26, now, but the voice Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man. So just remember this language. Kind of lodge it away in your mind. He grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with man. And this contrast is showing there's another way to live. Growing in wholeness and favor with God, with others. It sets the stage for a final scene in 1 Samuel 2. There came a man of God, so throughout the Old Testament, 71 times to be exact, these words designate a prophet, someone with a word from God who comes to Eli and says to him, Thus says the Lord. So the prophet's a mailman delivering the message from the Lord. And keep in mind, this is the Lord. We saw 20 truths about the Lord in the beginning of this chapter. This is the holy rock who reigns over all the world and judges the ends of the earth. He has a word for you, Eli. So listen to what he says. Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, subject to the house of Pharaoh? So God points Eli back to his family tree, goes all the way back to Aaron, his forefather, the first priest who God revealed himself to when he was delivering his people out of slavery in Egypt. Did I choose him out of all the tribe of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an effin before me? Basically, God says, by my grace, I chose your father, your family, for this high and holy honor and privilege to be the ones dwelling in my presence and to lead others into my presence.

Sexual Exploitation And Hard Hearts

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And I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. In other words, I provided for you, your family, everything you need. So, Eli, why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling? And honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people, Israel. And this is where we learn Eli was fattening himself along with his sons, who, watch this, he was honoring above God. Here's a takeaway. Beware of the idolatrous temptation to exalt God's good gifts above God himself. Eli had put his sons in a place in his heart that only God belonged. And in so doing, he had broken the first and most fundamental commandment you shall have no gods before me, which include good gifts from God. And this too can be so subtle in us. As we enjoy good gifts from God, we don't usually idolize bad things, we usually idolize good things. We begin to exalt those gifts above the giver when those gifts, as good as they are, are not designed to hold the weight of your worship. Beware of placing things and people you love, including your spouse, or your children, your family, your friends, your work, your hobbies, your dreams, a thousand other good things above God. Your creator alone is worthy of all your heart. And he alone can provide for all your heart needs. This is why life is found in loving God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. Only He can carry the weight of your worship in this way.

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Amen.

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And all this leads to an ominous word. Therefore, what will God do? In light of sin among these leaders, the Lord the God of Israel declares, I promise that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever. But now the Lord declares, far be it from me. For those who honor me I will honor. Those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Mark it down, God will not be mocked.

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Amen.

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God will not honor those who refuse to honor him.

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Amen.

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God says, I have a promise to keep forever with the priestly line of your father, Aaron. But Eli was forefather, your Eli is not the only descendant of Aaron's family who could be a priest. So God says, Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength, the strength of your father's house, so there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out, to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophne and Phineash, shall be the sign to you, both of them shall die on the same day. So to briefly explain what we just read, not one person's, not one person in Eli's family would grow old. In 1 Samuel 22, we'll read about how there would be this massacre of priests, only one would be left, and that one would eventually be banished. And in 1 Samuel chapter 4, Hophani and Phineas, his two sons, will die on the same day. And there's, well, we'll just pause there, then you get to verse 35. And watch this. And instead, here's what I'm gonna do: I'm gonna raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. Now, there's a lot of discussion here about who the faithful priest is. Is this referring to Samuel? Who's definitely looking like a lot like a priest in this chapter, but as we continue read, reading on, he'll start to look a lot more like a prophet. Or is this another priest from another part of Aaron's line? Regardless, God's making a promise here. I'm gonna raise up for myself a faithful priest who, listen to this language, will do according to what's in my heart and in my mind, and I'm gonna build him a sure house, like a family that endures, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. That's interesting. It's the second time in the Bible. First time we saw last week in Hannah's prayer, second time where this word, which is the Hebrew word for Messiah, is used to

Eli’s Idolatry And God’s Verdict

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refer to a coming king. So you've got this picture of a priest and king connected together. Hold on to that for a minute. Back to Levi, and everyone who's left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and shall say, Please put me in one of the priest's palette places that I may eat a morsel of bread. One writer said the punishment will fit the crime. The gluttonous bullies will become hungry beggars. Which leads to this takeaway. God will have the final word.

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Amen.

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And his justice will be enforced in the world. So I know this text, this topic, these takeaways are really hard for some of you to process because some of you have been hurt deeply by a church leader. Position, someone in a position of spiritual leadership in ways that have drastically affected your life. And I want you to hear from God today that God hates any and every injustice or harm you have experienced at the hands of others. And particularly those who were claiming to represent him. And I want to remind you that they do not have the last word. And their actions do not have the last word. God will have the final word. And his justice will be enforced in the world. Which on one level I hope is encouraging. Yet on another level, it is frightening. Because this is where we realize all of us have committed idolatry against the one true God. All of us are guilty of exalting other things, namely ourselves above God. Which means all of us deserve his holy judgment. But this is the ninth takeaway, and it's the best one of all.

A Faithful Priest And Coming King

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Jesus is the perfect leader who never falls or fails, and he has paid the penalty for all the falls and failures of those who trust in him. Remember God's promise in verse 35. God said, I'm going to provide a faithful priest who will lead my people according to what's in my heart and my mind, connected with this anointed king. Well, you continue reading through the stories of the Old Testament, you see so many unfaithful priests and unfaithful kings. But one day, the baby boy would be born to another humble woman. And similar to Hannah and her husband, this child's parents would go up to Jerusalem, the temple, every year at the Feast of the Passover. And one year when they did this, unbeknownst to these parents, their now 12-year-old son stayed behind in the temple when they left. They came back to get him. And he said, Why were you looking for me? It's quite a question for a 12-year-old to ask his parents who don't know where he is. Then he says, Did you not know that I must be in my father's house? What does that mean? This is your father's house? And you keep reading, and this boy goes back home with his mom and dad, and three verses later, in Luke 2.52, we read, and Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Does that sound familiar? It's the same language that was used to describe Samuel. Centuries later, God is intentionally pointing us back to this chapter where he promised a faithful priest and king who would come. A priest who would never once sin, never once profane God the Father. And he wouldn't just oversee sacrifices for sin. He would offer himself as a sacrifice for sin. 1 Samuel 2 is pointing us to Hebrews 9 and 10. When Christ, the Messiah, appeared as the high priest, Messiah priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not a tabernacle made with hands that is not of this creation. Not by the means of blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. So for those exploring Christianity, those visiting, this is the message at the center of all the Bible. Everything in the Bible points to this story, and it's the greatest news in the world. God, the holy God of the universe, so loved a world full of sinful, idolatrous people that he gave his son, Jesus, to live a life of no sin. And then even though he had no sin for which to die, he chose to die to pay the price for sin on a cross, the penalty for sin, death. And then he rose from the dead, so that anyone who turns from their sin and the idolatry of themselves and trusts in Jesus as the high priest and holy king will be forgiven of all your sins, redeemed, and you will be reconciled to relationship with God to dwell with him forever and ever and ever. So that Hebrews 10, 19. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places, wait a minute. Not just Jesus entering the holy places, we, you and I, with all our sin, can enter into the presence of God Himself. How's that possible? By the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way, he opened for us to the curtain, that is, through his flesh, his body that he gave on a cross. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let's draw near to God with a true heart and full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water. Let's hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Jesus is the perfect leader who never falls or fails, and he has paid the penalty

God’s Final Word On Justice

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for all the falls and failures of those who trust in him. Full assurance of faith, trust in him. So, ladies and gentlemen, look at this world and you will see and feel the effects of all kinds of leaders failing and falling. In the church, outside the church, in the government, in the world, in your work. Know this. They are not the end of the story. The sons of Eli and all their successors are not the end of the story. There is a leader who has come to save us from our sin. And this leader is coming back one day to make all things right. And above all, God's word is saying today to us trust in him. Trust in him. And then, so part of me just wanted to like end with that, drop the mic and walk off. But there's one more takeaway we can't miss. So I told you that's that's the best one. But then watch this. Specifically for every follower of Jesus. Number 10. As followers of Jesus, fulfill your priestly calling to lead others to life in him. So for anybody who's thought at any point during the last few minutes, all this talk about priests has nothing to do with me. Listen really closely. Because if you're a follower of Jesus, all this talk about priests actually has everything to do with you. Because we don't have priests anymore who serve as intermediaries between us and God. We don't need that. We have Jesus. He's our perfect high priest. You know who the priests are now? Look in the mirror. Take a selfie. They're you. 1 Peter 2 9. You are a chosen race and a royal what? Priesthood. A holy nation, a people for his own possession. That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Are you seeing this? If you are a follower of Jesus, you are now the priesthood. Think about what this means. If this means you, and this isn't just leaders in the church, it says every follower of Jesus, you have the high and holy calling and honor and privilege to dwell in the presence of God Himself. To live in the presence of God, to walk with God, to live and worship. Your life is now the instant that's being offered before God all day long. From when you wake up to go to bed and all throughout the night and wake up and do it again in the morning, you live dwelling in the presence of God. And not just so you

Jesus The Perfect Priest King

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can experience what it's like to be in his presence, but so that you, that's what the priest did, can lead others into the life that's found in the presence of God. You have the high and holy charge commission from God Himself to help others experience life in Him to influence others around you in such a way that you proclaim with your mouth and portray with your life the excellencies of the leader who has changed your life. This is amazing. Just think about this when you wake up tomorrow morning. I'm a priest. I'm walking with God today. I'm living to worship God today. My life, my every thought, my every desire, my every word, my every action, interaction. May it be like incense before you, God. Just worshiping you. And all is we live in this. We don't have to go to a place to worship. We live. We are the place of worship. Our body's the temple of His Holy Spirit. And in all the places we're gonna scatter throughout Metro DC and wherever else God may take you this week. You're you're you're influencing others, and you have the opportunity to lead them to experience life in God. Talk about meaning and purpose that's higher than any other meaning or purpose this world could ever throw at you. So in light of God's word to us today, I want to give you just two questions to prayerfully reflect on in the presence of God, just you and him. How can you grow and your focus on and your trust in the Lord as your leader? So for some of you, this may mean turning for the first time from leaders who fall and fail in this world, including you. And trusting in Jesus as the Lord and leader of your life. And for others who know Jesus as Lord and Leader, how can you grow in your focus on him? And for some of you that may mean asking him for healing from hurt you've experienced at the hands of other leaders. Which then leads to the second question. And it's applicable to leaders in any capacity, from your home to work to church, and uh to every follower of Jesus in light of the priestly calling God has given to us. How can you grow in your reflection of the Lord and his leadership? What are some practical ways you can better reflect Jesus and his character, his leadership and the lives of the people you influence? How can you better reflect Jesus in your home? Your workplace, school, your interactions with friends, your interactions with people around the city and around the world. How can you grow in a reflection of the Lord and his leadership as a royal priesthood?

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