Articles
Faithfulness Is Requires - 1 Samuel 2
Faithfulness Is Required
“Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed" (1 Samuel 2:30).
This is an interesting insight into various promises that God makes. God had promised to the house of Phinehas that they would be the family of the high priest (cp. Num. 25:11-13). In the giving of this promise, there was no condition stated. Now, as we look at the life of Eli and his failure to walk with God, God makes a change.
While the promise to Aaron's line continues after this, participation in that promise is now seen to be provisional / conditional. Eli and his wicked sons have broken covenant with God. They have forsaken and despised God, and God now pronounces judgment upon them. From this, we see the Lord now declaring an underlying principle of relationship with Him: "the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed."
In 2 Chronicles 15, we see this concept again. Here the "Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you" (2Chron. 15:1-2).
Such stipulation concerning God's promises (and threats) was also true concerning nations. Through Jeremiah, God proclaims: "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it" (Jer. 18:7-10).
This is not a demand of perfection or sinlessness, as witnessed in the life of David who is to come, but it does require faithfulness to God. God states He will "raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul". That priest appears to be Zadok as mentioned in 1 Kings 2:35.
This concept should inspire confidence in our relationship with God but also a godly fear and recognition that He is God and is due our respect and honor. In the face of persecution and problems of life, Jesus declares: "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).
Are you walking humbly with your God? Hugh DeLong
