By: Tom Chantry on Wednesday 4/25/07

A prophet comes and foretells Eli's punishment.

While Eli appears to have been a genuine believer, his great failing was that he loved his sons more than God. Consequently, he would not restrain them in their wickedness. They should at least have been removed from the priesthood, and they ought to have been tried and executed for their crimes. Eli could not bring himself to take such action. Consequently, the prophet told him that he had despised God, and horrible justice was about to fall on his entire family.