01/08/2022 - THE PRIEST’S MISTAKE

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So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!” 1 Samuel 1.14

Jesus said that the flesh is good for nothing, so whoever does not want to stray or walk away from the Most High must seek the renewal of their understanding in the Word of God, which says: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12.2). Without Christ present in our daily lives, we will certainly do nothing useful.

We can age in years, but never neglect to be zealous for the Lord and His house, as it happened to Eli. He heard about the bad attitudes of his sons, but he did not act correctly. As a result, they kept doing more and more wrong. For Hophni and Phinehas, seeking good for themselves was no big deal, and so they distorted the doctrine prescribed by the Most High concerning offerings to Him (1 Samuel 2.28-36). Cry out!

Years before, if he had been in the spirit, when he saw Hannah praying, Eli would have approached her in a sensible way, blessing her, without considering her a drunken. Hannah was polite and replied that it was not what he thought. In fact, she was struggling to give God a son capable of doing His will. It’s good to pay attention to what you feel from the Most High. Thus, the divine work will never be without the offering He placed in your heart. Hannah kept her promise!

There are temptations that take many people away from the Lord’s purpose. Hannah could have been angry or upset with Eli’s words, but, being a servant of the Almighty and wanting to fulfill the plan that was destined for her, she responded to the prophet with gentleness and tenderness, just as one who has the Spirit of God must do (1 Samuel 1.15). Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10.12). Watch and pray!

Converts to the Gospel need to learn the ways of God’s servants, so that they do not become like those of the world. The lack of respect for those who do the Lord’s work or are in a position of superiority in the ministry is one of the most dangerous snares of the enemy, and many have fallen into them. Nothing justifies a harsh, rude and demonic response, as we see in Saul’s attitude, who was trying hard to kill David. David, on the other hand, feared the Lord!

Many servants of the heavenly Father have fallen into sin and have been lost forever. Why does one allow himself to be tempted or to tempt others? The son of a director of a big television network told me about a certain preacher who offered him the entire revenue of one of his churches if he would get the director, his father, to make a program for which he would pay whatever was fair. The answer to this request was: “I already have so many things to give account to God, I will never do such a thing!

Now, a vulture likes meat, and for him, the rottener it is, the better it is. See what God declares in 1 Corinthians 6.9-13 and flee from sin. No doubt, whoever gives himself to iniquity will be in the lake of fire and brimstone for all eternity (Revelation 21.8). Of the “wine” that Hannah had drunk we should all be drunken forever. Once he understood what was happening to her, the priest used the prerogative of his priestly office and blessed her. Do the same!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares