THE DANGER OF HONOURING MEN ABOVE GOD 1
OCTOBER 12, 2026
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 2:27–30
KEY VERSE: “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” (Verse 29)
One notable problem that continues to bedevil the Christian world is how to balance our love, affection, and respect for people with the fear of God and obedience to Him. Sometimes, parents find it hard to direct their children towards the right track because they are afraid of losing their love or hurting them. Leaders are reluctant to correct those who surround them because they fear losing them forever. Many have adjusted and compromised their Christian faith just to ensure continued acceptance among people in society. However, if all these continue to happen, we risk losing our relationship with God.
In the full passage from which our given text is taken, Eli the priest failed to correct his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. He felt that doing so might hurt their feelings. The Bible records that these two boys were almost acting like demigods in the temple at Shiloh. These boys were vile and deliberately abandoned their priestly responsibilities. They treated God’s offerings with contempt by taking portions of the meat indiscriminately, e.g., asking for fresh meat when the custom previously stipulated that the meat should be boiled. They also slept with the women positioned at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The Israelites had complained to Eli several times about the mischief of his sons, but he did nothing to call them to order.
As a believer, one of the greatest mistakes you can make is to place humans above God. The fact that God asked him through that prophet why he honoured his sons more shows that Eli was actually not ignorant of his sons’ misdeeds. He knew a great deal about them but wasn’t firm enough to control them. Did he love them? The answer is yes! However, he didn’t take adequate steps to curtail their excesses, e.g., by suspending them from serving as priests or enjoying priestly rights in the land. It is not enough to regularly warn your child about bad behaviour. You must establish boundaries to forestall such behaviour.
Correction is indeed very sacrosanct. Today, in the house of God, correction is fast becoming extinct. Many simply tolerate the excesses of those they like or those they benefit from, while they tongue-lash those they do not fancy. Most people are so concerned about what an erring person will say rather than what God desires.
SEARCHLIGHT: God does not share His honour with any man.
PRAYER: O LORD, help me to be plain and steadfast in my interactions with those around me, that I may not transfer Your glory to them, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE READING: Ecclesiastes 3–5, Mark 4.
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
