15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest‘s ser-vant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to roast; he won‘tacceptboiled meat from you, but only raw."
- P128
16 If the person said to him, "Let the fat be burned first,
and then take whatever you want," the servant wouldanswer, "No, hand it over now; if you don‘t, I‘ll take itby force."
JOU Wanut the - P128
17 This sin of the young men was very great in theLORD‘s sight, for they were treating the LORD‘s offeringwith contempt.
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18 But Samuel was ministering before the LORD-a boywearing a linen ephod.
alonn Ho wore a linen garment - P129
21 And the LORD was gracious to Hannah; she gavebirth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, theboy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD. - P129
Eli‘s sons have no regard for the Lord. They demand meat from worshiperseven before it is boiled, and this sin is very great in the Lord‘s sight for they aretreating the Lord‘s offering with contempt. - P129
Eli blesses Elkanah and his wife,
and Hannah has three more sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuelgrows up in the presence of the Lord. - P129
The sons of Eli are given a harsh label: "scoundrels." - P130
Their wicked actions of stealing the meat
offerings from worshipers instead of giving toGod what belongs to Him-and even bullying God‘s people to obtainwhat they want-testify to the sobering fact that they do not know theLord. - P130
After all, to truly know the Lord leads one to fear Him and seekto obey Him. - P130
If we find ourselves with little to no desire to obey God,
it is probably because we have forgotten who He is. - P130
If we find ourselvesprioritizing our own selfish desires rather than paying attention to whatGod wants us to do, we need to remind ourselves of what He has donefor us. - P130
At a time when wickedness abounds, we see Samuel simply minister-ingbefore the Lord, like a breath of fresh air in the tense atmosphereof the tabernacle. And as we observe his parents, who dedicated theirchild to God and encourage him to grow in godliness, it is no wondertheir family thrives and even multiplies. We need that same spirit inour families today. Let us be set apart for God, not takingfrom culture or peer pressure but being eager to walk faithfully in thepresence of the Lord. And let us also help the next generation come toknow the all-surpassing beauty of Jesus so that they are equipped forwhatever lies ahead.
our cues - P130
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