DCLM Daily Manna 12 June 2026: An Inglorious End
KEY VERSE: “And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them” (1 Samuel 2:29).
TEXT: 1 Samuel 2:26-36 KJV
And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30 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. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel
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C S Lewis, a British writer and an Anglican lay theologian, once saw this epitaph on a tombstone: “Here lies an atheist, all dressed up but with nowhere to go.”
In today’s passage, a man of God prophesied of the inglorious deaths of Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, for acts of irreverence for God. This eventually came to pass shortly after. Hophni and Phinehas were all dressed up as priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders. They summarily died in battle, with no hope of eternal life awaiting them. Eli was the chief priest over the Tabernacle, as well as a judge in Israel. His sons (Hophni and Phinehas), as children of the high priest, also joined in the holy service. These sons of Eli compelled the priest’s servants to take the meat of Israel’s sacrifices in the tabernacle by force, before burning the fat as instituted in God’s law. In addition to extortion, the sons of Eli were also guilty of sexual immorality with the women who gathered at the entrance to the tabernacle. Naturally, the Lord was very displeased with this sinful behaviour and sent a man of God to deliver a damning message to Eli. The Lord said that Eli and his house would be cut off from His favour, and that, as a sign of the truth of this prophecy, both sons would die on the same day.
Death is certain. It is a necessary end. But those who die while in active rebellion against God’s commands will face a grim eternity. These two sons of the high priest of Israel should have known better. They should have known that a holy calling cannot save an unholy man unless he repents. However, instead of amending their ways, they became so selfish and rebellious that Eli, their father, could no longer control them. Although Eli cautioned Hophni and Phinehas, he had not done everything he could to decisively correct their bad behaviour. Eli was guilty of neglecting his parental duties towards his sons because “he restrained them not”. Eli should have excluded his children from the service in the sanctuary of God altogether. This is a warning to Christian parents who indulge their children and allow them to occupy positions in the church despite their manifest misdemeanours.
God is jealous over His house. He is no respecter of persons. Though He is patient and expects the penitent to return to him, there is a limit to His patience. Those who are encouraged by delusional ideologists to resist God and disdain his word, thinking there are no consequences, should have a rethink after seeing how quickly those illusions were dispelled by the swift judgement handed down to Hophni and Phinehas.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It is a horrible venture to dare God or tempt Him
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Chronicles 18-21
DCLM Daily Manna 12 June 2026
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