Eli's Sons Become Worse And Worse Until They Have ‘Sinned Unto Death' (1 Samuel 2:22-25).
While Samuel was growing and developing, Eli's sons were shrivelling and disintegrating. By this time Eli was an old man. His time as Priest was coming to an end. And while Samuel cheered his godly heart continually, the news that he heard about his two sons grieved him greatly. Indeed it had become so serious that he determined to give them a severe warning.
‘ Now Eli was very old, and he continued hearing all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who did service at the door of the tent of meeting.'
Notice the extent of the influence of these godless men, now somewhat older, but certainly no wiser. Indeed they had become even more sinful, for they not only continued to sin before all Israel, but they lay with the women who were in the service of YHWH, the women who did service at the door of the Tent of Meeting itself. This was not only adultery, but adultery carried out in the very face of YHWH. We do not know whether the women freely consented, but it is probable that they at least had pressure put on them by the priests, who may well have stated that it was their duty as servants of the Tabernacle, citing the example of Canaanite worship where ritual sex was prevalent. So they disgraced their office in a new way.
We do not know what kind of sacred service these women normally performed (compare Exodus 38:8), but they clearly had regular duties, which may have included the singing of Psalms and the cleaning of the surrounds of God's house. Jephthah's daughter had probably become one of them (Judges 11:37-40 - which may well have been intended to indicate that she lived in perpetual virginity, having been redeemed by the offering of a ram) and was possibly still alive at this time. And they were equally clearly sacred to YHWH. Thus the two men had found a way of committing sacrilege which went even beyond what they had done before. They committed adultery before God's very face with the very women who were dedicated to YHWH. This may well have been due to Canaanite influence, for in the Canaanite religion sacred prostitutes were commonplace, but they knew perfectly well that it was inexcusable.
“At the door of the tent of meeting.” This was particularly heinous as this was where people would come to YHWH for judgment on different issues (Exodus 29:42). It was where a woman who was accused of adultery would be tested out ‘before YHWH' (Numbers 5:16). And yet now the very women who served there had been made into adulteresses, and that by the very priests of YHWH.
‘ And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear. You make YHWH's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, God will arbitrate for him, but if a man sin against YHWH, who will arbitrate for him?”
Eli challenges his sons on their behaviour, but it was something that he should have done long before. He points out that he is hearing about their bad behaviour from everywhere. All are talking about it. (Possibly previously he had closed his ears to the ‘rumours'. But now they could be ignored no longer). And he reproves them because the report he is receiving is not good. Why, he asks, are they doing such things? Do they not realise that they are making YHWH's people transgress? This was serious indeed, because, if a man sins against another, God will step in as arbitrator and judge, but when a man sins directly against YHWH who is there to arbitrate for him? And the answer is, no one. For there is no one whose plea would be sufficient in view of the greatness of the sin.
“YHWH” s people' may refer to the fact that the women with whom they had been sinning were specifically set apart to YHWH. Or it may simply mean ‘Israel' as YHWH's people. Either way it was to be seen as a serious matter.
“ Notwithstanding, they did not listen to the voice of their father, because YHWH was minded to slay them.'
Whether they would have listened to their father of their own volition even if YHWH had not hardened them we do not know. The probability is that they would not, for they were hardened sinners. After all their father must surely have spoken to them about the rumours before. But now there was another reason why they did not listen, and that was because, as a result of the fact that they had hardened their hearts for so long, God had now hardened their hearts. As with Pharaoh previously, the time for forgiveness had passed. YHWH had determined that they must die. They had committed the ‘sin unto death' (James 5:16-17).