Eli was a priest, equal one might argue to a high priest, who was once a sensitive man, careful to guard the sacred works where the ark of the covenant resided.  Eli also slipped and fell, to put it mildly, as age caught up with him. Having the book thrown at him with no chance of forgiveness belongs to the age of terroristic justice, and that book is one we have thrown away.

Caretaker of the ark and judge

Eli was no slouch; he had the trust of ordinary people, and the conception and early life of Samuel shows that his observations of people coming to the shrine in Shiloh were commendable.  He took the prayer of a woman seriously even when he did not know what it was, and after he suspected her of being under the influence of alcohol.

22) Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23) He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?” (1 Samuel 2:22-23, NASB)

But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.” (1 Samuel 2:25, NASB)

Priest meets people

“As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.” (1 Samuel 1:13, NASB)

“Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”” (1 Samuel 1:17, NASB)

Forever levitical priests are not even a dream

When a priest gets zealous there is privilege and unrelenting violence, but when a shepherd boy becomes king God’s residence in Israel goes into high gear.  Compare Phineas and Ezra with David and Abijah.  If there was a priest or king in Israel named Melchizedek one might have heard inquiries about his ancestry.  However,  long before it was popular to talk about  Israelite tentacles reaching across the planet Solomon was accepting gifts from Hiram, king of Tyre for the building of the Temple, and David had in his bodyguard people who were clearly not Israelites.  A permanent levitical priesthood was problem-ridden for Israelites.

Levites and God’s kingdom

The Melchizedekan priest-king celebrated in Psalm 110 was not going to find himself and welcome where there is a competing levitical priesthood, scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees; not in the BCE and is not welcome now in the 21st century,

Levites and judgments

A man sentenced to be beyond forgiveness is hopeless, the sentence is shocking and there is no crime beyond the pale.

No atonement forever

13) For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. 14) Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.

1 Samuel 3:13-14, NASB

The judgement on Eli’s house comes from a time when it made perfect sense to throw the book at levitical laxness. Let’s face it: Aaron was a priest who dropped the ball at a crucial time in Israel’s journey to Canaan. It also came at a time when it made no sense to unveil the expanse of divine forbearance and the great salvation.

24) Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. 25) Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26) and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.

Numbers 20:24-26

“When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.”

Numbers 20:29, NASB

Perhaps there is a glimpse of divine generosity in the fact that Aaron, first high priest, remained a dignified and respected man well past his burial in mount Hor. So let’s not be throwing this kind of judgment around any more.