The issue God encounters with preachers, part ten: They confused the meat for the altar with the meat for their homes, and this is what led to their destruction by God.

In 2015, while I was in my fourth year of secondary school, the school’s Academic Librarian shared a story with me. He told me that while they were living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), then Zaire, there was a group of two young men who were serving God in the Pentecostal fellowship of Zaire (Communauté Pentecôtistes de Zaire ‘CPZ’). While they were praying, God sent them to their pastors with this message: “Do what is right and abandon what is meaningless, for if you don’t, God will strike you down.” He told me that the pastors hardened their hearts, and one day, while they were about to serve communion, they collapsed on the altar.

What about you? After reading this story about these pastors, what has God warned you against that you are still doing, perhaps under the pretext of serving Him?

They Didn’t Know the Lord

“And the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). If you read on social media that a prophet declared your pastor doesn’t know God, how would you feel? I imagine you’d be shocked or even laugh it off, thinking, “Does this person even know what they’re talking about?”

It’s quite astonishing to see how the Bible plainly states that the priests, who were supposed to lead people to God, didn’t even know Him. This is a crucial lesson that knowing God is not based on the responsibilities we hold in the church but on aligning our mindset with God’s, doing what pleases Him, and avoiding what He forbids. Does your conduct show that you know the Lord?

They Confused the Meat for the Altar with the Meat for Their Homes

“This is how the priests would treat the people who brought sacrifices: Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, and he would plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. … Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, ‘Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw’” (1 Samuel 2:13-15).

In Eli’s time, his sons (Hophni and Phinehas) committed so many wrongs, even to the point of consuming what was designated for God while neglecting what was allocated for them! Not only that, but their behavior also influenced their servants to such an extent that, rather than asking for God’s portion, they forcefully demanded it to satisfy themselves.

It is heartbreaking in this age to see pastors, who should serve as role models, taking what is not theirs to please themselves. The writer of 1 Samuel tells us that the priests had servants who carried out their commands. I am certain that each pastor today has those close to them, who can be compared to these servants. The tragedy, however, is that this attitude doesn’t fade quickly, as it spreads from one person to another (the issue God encounters with preachers).

In a time when our nation (Rwanda) is battling those who abuse their positions for personal gain, it is saddening to see the same occurring in the house of God, with leaders using their power for self-serving purposes (the issue God encounters with preachers). “If the man said to him, ‘Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,’ the servant would answer, ‘No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force’” (1 Samuel 2:16).

In conclusion, it’s undeniable that greed and the pursuit of power often lead leaders to stumble.

They Caused People to Despise the Lord

“So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they despised the offering of the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:17). Every issue has consequences, and every seed sown, whether good or bad, produces a harvest. It is tragic to witness those who should be drawing people to God being the very reason people turn away from Him.

God Destroyed Them

“The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died” (1 Samuel 4:11). There’s no doubt that God had warned Eli through Samuel that if his sons continued to disobey, they would be removed. It didn’t take long for that warning to come to pass. When we connect this with the story from Zaire (DRC), it’s disheartening to see that when God warns people of impending disaster unless they change, they sometimes reach the point of no return.

Lesson and Conclusion

You may be reading this story and think it doesn’t apply to you because it speaks mostly about pastors, and you might even smirk and think, “Well, that’s their problem, not mine.” But let me remind you that you and I are both priests in God’s Kingdom (1 Peter 2:9), so this story applies to all of us.

Does your work reflect the Lord? Are you causing others to turn away from God? Are you confusing what belongs to God with what belongs to you? Are you using your power for personal gain? How far have you gone in obeying what God has warned you against? Brother or sister, today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:15), for if you do, He will mock you when disaster strikes (Proverbs 1:26).