A priest was a leader of worship in ancient Israel. Priests offered sacrifices to God for the people. Today a pastor or minister leads a church.
A sacrifice was a gift to God, often an animal. People brought it to the priests.
The tabernacle was a large holy tent. It was the place of worship before the temple was built. The Bible also calls it “the house of the LORD.”
A prophet is a person who brings a message from God.
This page does not name any preacher, church or person.
What did the preacher say?
The preacher said that Eli was a good man, but he did not discipline his sons. He said that God killed the sons because they were “troubling the temple.” Then he said that God will act “very quickly” against “inside people” who trouble a church today. He meant church members.
Later, he spoke about a person who was against his ministry. He said he does not pray for that person to fall. But he also said: “Tonight your soul will be required.” Those words come from Jesus.
This page asks: In the Bible story, who really caused the trouble?
Six points
They were not ordinary church members. They were leaders of worship.
They took people’s gifts to God by force. They slept with the women who served at the holy tent.
God blamed the sons, and he blamed Eli, because Eli did not stop them.
God sent a man with no name, and then a young boy, Samuel. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli. He told him anyway.
The trouble came from the leaders, not from the people.
Jesus said this about a rich man who loved money. He did not say it about a person who disagrees with a pastor.
What is true in the sermon
The Bible does warn about people inside the church who cause harm. God is also patient. He gives people time to change. And the preacher said he does not pray for anyone to fall. That is good.
But the preacher chose the story of Eli. And in that story, the warning points at the leaders.
What the sons did
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh.
1 Samuel 2:12 · World English Bible
In simple words: Eli’s sons were priests, but they did not know God.
When people brought meat to give to God, the sons took the best part for themselves first. If a person said no, the priest’s servant said:
“No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
1 Samuel 2:16 · World English Bible
In simple words: “Give it to me now, or I will take it.”
… they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
1 Samuel 2:22 · World English Bible
In simple words: The priests used the women who worked at the holy tent.
In 1 Samuel chapters 2 and 3, every person God blames is a priest. God does not blame any ordinary worshipper.
What Eli did
Eli heard what his sons were doing. He heard it from the people. He told his sons, “Why do you do such things?” But he did not stop them. He also ate from what they took.
… and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?
1 Samuel 2:29 · World English Bible
In simple words: God said to Eli: “You put your sons before me, and you all grew fat on the people’s gifts.”
The preacher said that the sons thought, “Nobody can touch me. My daddy is a priest.” That is true. No one could stop them, because their father was the leader. That is the danger in this story: leaders who protect their own family. Church members do not have that kind of protection.
Who brought God’s message?
First, God sent “a man of God.” The Bible does not tell us his name. Then God spoke to a boy, Samuel, who helped Eli.
Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.
1 Samuel 3:15 · World English Bible
In simple words: Samuel was afraid to tell Eli what God said.
But Samuel told Eli everything. Eli said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him” (3:18).
In this story, the person who brought a hard message to the leader was the faithful one.
“Tonight your soul is required”
A man asked Jesus to make his brother share some money. Jesus said no. Then he told a story about a rich man who built bigger barns for his things.
“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
Luke 12:20 · World English Bible
In simple words: The rich man died that night, and he could not keep his things.
Jesus said the story was about loving money: “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness” (Luke 12:15). Covetousness means wanting more and more things. The story is not about people who disagree with a pastor.
What an honest sermon could say
“Eli’s sons were priests. They robbed the people and hurt the women at the holy tent. Eli let them stay, because they were his sons. God judged the priests. This is a warning to every pastor, and to me first.”
This page wrote those words. They are not from any sermon.
Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.
James 3:1 · World English Bible
In simple words: God will judge teachers more strictly.
Read it yourself
- Read 1 Samuel chapters 2 and 3. Write down every person God blames. Is each one a priest?
- Read Luke chapter 12, verses 13 to 21.
Want more?
The quick version has the cards for each person in the story. The full dossier has all the evidence.
Quick version → Full dossier →