Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
Ice-Breaker:
- If you could become really good at one completely useless skill, what would you choose and what would you do with your new talent?
Scripture
1 Samuel 2:11-36
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.
16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.
A Warning for Eli’s Family
27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!
30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!
35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.
16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.
A Warning for Eli’s Family
27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!
30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!
35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”
Discussion Questions:
Hophni and Phinehas were priests. They knew the Scriptures, served in the tabernacle, and were surrounded by the worship of God, yet Scripture says they “did not know the Lord.” Brandon reminded us of the difference between proximity to God and relationship with God. You can know the language, participate in the rituals, hold a position, and still have a heart that does not fear, love, or submit to the Lord. That is an urgent warning for anyone who has spent years around Christianity.
Eli knew what his sons were doing. He spoke to them, but he did not stop them. His failure was not simply that he was too permissive; God identified the deeper issue: “Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me?” Eli's love for his sons had become disordered. He was unwilling to honor God when honoring God required costly action toward the people he loved most.
Brandon pointed out that spiritual leadership cannot be insulated from accountability. Scripture does not call us to blindly follow leaders, to cover up serious sin, or to confuse submission with silence. At the same time, confronting sin requires humility, truth, patience, and a willingness to follow God's instructions rather than our own emotions.
Brandon challenged parents to teach, train, discipline, disciple, lead, and pray for their children while also recognizing a boundary God never gives parents permission to cross: we cannot save our children. Hannah did not ultimately give Samuel to Eli; she gave Samuel to the Lord. Faithful leadership requires both active obedience and surrendered trust.
The passage moves from corrupt priests to God's promise of a faithful priest who will serve Him as He desires. Unlike Hophni, Phinehas, and Eli, Jesus is completely faithful. He does not merely stand between God and His people temporarily; He makes the once-for-all sacrifice for sin and gives His people access to the presence of God.
- Have you ever gone through a season where you were doing all the right Christian things but felt your heart becoming distant from God? What were some of the religious routines you were just drifting through?
- If someone watched your life for a month without hearing you say that you are a Christian, what would they learn about what you actually love, fear, trust, and worship? Is there any difference between what you would want them to see and what they might actually see?
Eli knew what his sons were doing. He spoke to them, but he did not stop them. His failure was not simply that he was too permissive; God identified the deeper issue: “Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me?” Eli's love for his sons had become disordered. He was unwilling to honor God when honoring God required costly action toward the people he loved most.
- Think of a time when you knew you needed to say something difficult to someone you loved but chose not to. What were you afraid would happen if you spoke up?
- On the flip side, have you ever been confronted by someone who loved you enough to tell you something you did not want to hear? How did you respond then, and how do you view that conversation now?
- Where are you most tempted to confuse keeping the peace with loving someone well? What might loving that person actually require of you?
Brandon pointed out that spiritual leadership cannot be insulated from accountability. Scripture does not call us to blindly follow leaders, to cover up serious sin, or to confuse submission with silence. At the same time, confronting sin requires humility, truth, patience, and a willingness to follow God's instructions rather than our own emotions.
- Who in your life has enough access to you that they could actually recognize when you are drifting spiritually? If no one comes to mind, what keeps you from having that kind of relationship?
- What would you need to change to become the kind of person who doesn't just say you want accountability, but actually welcomes it when it costs you something?
- Would you be willing to seek that accountability here within our City Group?
Brandon challenged parents to teach, train, discipline, disciple, lead, and pray for their children while also recognizing a boundary God never gives parents permission to cross: we cannot save our children. Hannah did not ultimately give Samuel to Eli; she gave Samuel to the Lord. Faithful leadership requires both active obedience and surrendered trust.
- For parents: where do you feel the most pressure or fear when it comes to the spiritual lives of the people you love?
- For those without children: where do you experience a similar temptation to take responsibility for someone else's choices?
- Is there someone you love whose choices have caused you grief, fear, frustration, disappointment, or even embarrassment? How might entrusting that person to God change the way you see and pray for them?
The passage moves from corrupt priests to God's promise of a faithful priest who will serve Him as He desires. Unlike Hophni, Phinehas, and Eli, Jesus is completely faithful. He does not merely stand between God and His people temporarily; He makes the once-for-all sacrifice for sin and gives His people access to the presence of God.
- Do you tend to think of God as more eager to punish your failures or welcome you through Christ? What has shaped that picture of God?
- What part of the Gospel do you most easily forget when you are ashamed of yourself? How would remembering Jesus as your faithful High Priest change the way you approach God in that moment?
- Can you think of a failure in your life where you have experienced the difference between trying to carry your guilt yourself and actually bringing it to Jesus?
Prayer Topics:
- Pray for God to show you where you may be going through the motions spiritually and ask Him to draw you into a deeper, more genuine relationship with Him.
- Ask God for the humility to recognize small compromises before they become bigger patterns, and for the courage to repent quickly when He brings something to light.
- Pray for the wisdom and courage to love people well without enabling them, especially when loving someone requires a difficult conversation or letting them experience consequences.
- Pray for the grace to bring your brokenness and guilt directly to God, trusting that because of Jesus, our faithful High Priest, you are met with mercy instead of condemnation.
No Comments