Compare 1 Samuel 2:15 with Leviticus 7:31-34 on sacrificial practices. Setting the Scene • Scripture does not present two competing traditions; it gives a single, consistent standard for sacrifice and then records how that standard was violated. • Leviticus lays down God-given regulations for priestly portions. • 1 Samuel exposes how Eli’s sons despised those regulations, illustrating sin “in real time.” God’s Established Order: Leviticus 7:31-34 “31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. 32 You are to give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from your peace offerings. 33 The son of Aaron who presents the blood of the peace offerings and the fat is to have the right thigh as his share. 34 For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh from the Israelites from their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as a perpetual statute from the Israelites.” Key elements God mandates: • Fat first—always burned on the altar as God’s portion (cf. Leviticus 3:16). • Priest’s portions come only after God’s portion is offered. • Specific cuts (breast and right thigh) belong to the priests; everything else stays with the worshiper or is consumed on the altar, depending on the offering type. • This is a “perpetual statute”—non-negotiable and timeless for the covenant community. The Violation at Shiloh: 1 Samuel 2:15 “Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, ‘Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.’” What’s happening: • Timing reversed—priests demand their share before the fat reaches the altar. • Portion altered—insisting on raw meat suitable for roasting means taking whatever cut they liked, not merely the breast and right thigh. • Authority abused—using an assistant to intimidate worshipers into compliance (see vv. 16–17). • Result: “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt” (1 Samuel 2:17). Key Contrasts 1. Fat on the altar • Leviticus: Fat must burn first. • 1 Samuel: Fat ignored; personal appetite first. 2. Assigned portions • Leviticus: Breast and right thigh only. • 1 Samuel: Any meat the priests fancied. 3. Post-sacrifice timing • Leviticus: Priests receive meat after worshiper and God are honored. • 1 Samuel: Priests seize meat before worship can finish. 4. Attitude toward God • Leviticus: Reverence—obeying “perpetual statute.” • 1 Samuel: Contempt—open rebellion against God’s clear word. Theological Implications • God’s holiness is tied to precise obedience (Deuteronomy 4:2). • Abuse of spiritual authority provokes divine judgment (1 Samuel 2:27-34). • True worship always honors God’s portion first (Proverbs 3:9). • The narrative underscores human depravity and the need for a faithful High Priest—ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who “offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14). Lessons for Today • Respect God’s revealed order; details matter because they reveal His character. • Spiritual leaders must handle sacred things with integrity, recognizing they are stewards, not owners (1 Peter 5:2-4). • Worship that puts personal preference above God’s command becomes idolatry in practice, even if cloaked in religious language. • The faithfulness of Scripture: Leviticus provides the law; 1 Samuel supplies the historical proof that violating it brings consequences—demonstrating Scripture’s unity and reliability. |
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