"When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for He was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years." - 1 Samuel 4:18
HONESTLY, I don't like unhappy endings. Whether I like it or not, unhappy endings are part of the raw reality that each of us must learn to accept or avoid. The life of Priest Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas, ended with a tragic and sad note. Added to this bad news, Eli's daughter-in-law died while giving birth to a baby boy whom she named Ichabod, which means ‘the glory of the Lord has departed from Israel. For more details read chapter 4 of 1 Samuel.
While an unhappy ending is real, I believe it is avoidable. As I study the sad life of Eli, I want to highlight these following spiritual insights which, perhaps, we can all find time to reflect upon and reconsider our ways. I believe unhappy endings are realities that every child of God must face and overcome. I am talking about our unhappy endings on earth because in heaven, where all true believers in Christ go, there will be happiness for all eternity, it is not so here on earth. It is here that I want to underline these spiritual insights regarding the life and unhappy ending of Eli.
Eli's unhappy ending was not because of fixed destiny. It was really more about the foolish decisions Eli made even as a spiritual leader of Israel. Like him, all of us have made and will still make foolish decisions. It is only when we humble ourselves before God and ask for His guidance, obey His words and walk in His ways that we are able to make wise and godly choices. Wise and godly choices contribute to a good ending while foolish choices assure us of a sad ending. In prayer, let us avail of God's wisdom; in our reading and studying of God's word, let us walk in the light of God's illumination. Destiny belongs to God and it is labeled as mystery. Decisions belong to man and it is labeled as free will. Your decisions and mine shape our destiny.
Learn what the book of Proverbs says about making wise choices. "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct Thy paths." God warned Eli about the abuses of his sons Hophni and Phineas. God wanted Eli to warn and not to transform them for only God can do that. God wanted Eli to remove them from office so they could not use it to hurt others. Eli did not comply. This foolish choice sealed a sad destiny!
Secondly, more than total devastation, unhappy endings in life are more the result of the tolerated decays in our system. It is not the scandalous sins but the subtle erosion of the soul that finally leads to the big crash. A heart attack is sudden, but what contributes to it comes slowly. The full-blown love affair started with a romantic text, then dinner, then bed, and then comes the destruction of what was once a happy marriage. Tolerated decays do not make the headlines as total Devastation does. Let me give you a simple insight about the signs of a decaying soul. Just follow the acronym (Power) Prayerlessness. Overwork. Worry. Extreme fatigue. Resentment.
These are fertile grounds where tolerated decay functions. Addiction to power has proven itself to be a stronghold of tolerated decay and the total absence of delight. Examine your soul as your read and be alarmed by the red flags that God will highlight in your life as tolerated decays. While there is still time, you and I can still deal with it before it is too late.
Lastly, it is not the painful discipline of a sad ending. Rather; it is the persistent defiance of the heart. Defiance is not always seen as an outward act of rebellion but obedience to orders on the outside while holding a clenched fist on the inside! This happens when rigidity is viewed as spirituality; when willfulness is treated as willingness; when numbness takes over spiritual sensitivity. Eli, like a frog in a slow-boiling pot slowly suffered eroded spiritually. It was only a matter of time before the sad ending became a reality.
Let me end this article with these practical ‘take-homes’ for you, my readers, to think about and reflect upon.
1. While God is Sovereign, you still get to write your ending.
2. While you may not be the cause of the many miseries in your life and the consequences you have to pay, a greater chunk of it is your response and responsibility and 10 percent is your situation while 90 percent is your response.
3. When God gives a warning, it is a chance to write a happy ending despite a messy beginning.
Thanks for reading. I always write straight from my heart.