He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
A non sequitur is a strange response in a conversation that causes someone to say non sequitur in English, “It doesn’t follow.” You may have heard of a non sequitur but never knew what such a thing looked like. Well, behold. The man bearing bad news may have stressed about notifying a father of the death of his two sons but the father grieved for the loss of the Ark of the Covenant! One wants to ask the question, “What gives?”
Eli was a man of God, a judge in Israel for forty years. He loved the LORD more than his own flesh and blood. Cold? No. He was obedient. Jesus said in Matthew 10:37,
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
That is true of us but it is a bitter pill, especially for a mother with nurturing care in her DNA. Only by following Jesus can we better love our family by praying for them to follow Jesus.
Dear Lord, thank you for loving us and giving your Son. May we love you a fraction as much in return by praying for sons and daughters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church