Those who honour me I will honour

Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. – 1 Samuel 2v30

God had told Eli that he was to be His man. His family were to be used by God ‘forever.’ What an honour to be chosen by God to serve His am an even greater honour to have a family which was also called to serve God through the generations. I know for a fact what a blessing it is to have children who have a desire to serve the Lord.

But something went wrong for Eli. His two boys, Hophni and Phinehas were a disaster. God called them vile. They did not know God. They abhorred His sacrifice. They had combined sex with their religious practices. They despised God in everything they did. God was not going to continue to honour them when they ignored Him.

So God did not use them. Eli’s family had a chance to ‘walk before God forever’ but Eli’s boys blew it. God is holy. He cannot honour those who make a mockery if His holiness. These guys did not know God – they did not honour Him. They took their honour for granted. They made a big mistake.

A lot of folks think that because of their family or heritage they are going to be blessed by God. They could not be further from the truth. To be honoured by God one must honour Him.