FAITH CAPSULE:Placing favor against God is dishonoring God.

1 Samuel 2:12-36

Honoring God or dishonoring God consciously or unconsciously does not have excuse but does have grave repercussions. It is very important to pay attention to our walk in line with the word of God that calls for His name to be honored. When the sons of Eli dishonored God it caused their generations to pay the price of their action. The Bible recorded, “Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’s people transgress. If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him…” (1 Samuel 2:22-25) The sons of Eli dishonored God by their acts. Evidently, Eli warned his sons of God’s judgment but he fell short by not rebuking them for their actions. God’s response to Eli’s approach to his children was not favorable. God responded, “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?” (1 Samuel 2:29) The sons of Eli clearly dishonored God but who could have tell that Eli’s action counted against him as dishonoring God? It is clear in the case of Eli that by neglecting his parental duty, he was in effect favoring his sons above God. God is a jealous God and placing favor against God is dishonoring God. Moses walked in line with God and would not have consciously dishonor God by his action when he struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock for water as commanded by God. After Moses realized his fault, he repeatedly asked for forgiveness but God responded, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12) A failure to hallow God is a demonstration of not honoring God. Honoring God in all areas of life demands a serious attention. Before God, there is no excuse for failure in line with His word of command. Adams’ excuse after eating from the tree states, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12) Adams’ excuse delivers no escape from God’s judgment. Before God, can there be any better excuse than that of Adam?

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to guide you away from dishonoring Him.