"DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE DOING?"

DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE DOING?

So he said to them, “Why do you do such things?
For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.

1 Samuel 2:23 - NKJV

The Bible is very clear about some father/children relationships that ended really bad. We all know what happened with David and Absalom, for example.
The passage we see above is also a clear example of that. It is talking about Eli, a high priest, and his sons Hophni and Phinehas, who were priests in Shiloh during the time of the Judges in Israel. The Bible states that Hophni and Phinehas were great sinners before the Lord, and their actions had severe and irreversible consequences, to the point that they were killed in battle by the Philistines, in one of the worst military actions Israel faced, with 30,000 dead soldiers, in a conflict where even the Ark of the Lord was taken and stayed out of Israel for seven months.

What calls our attention in this text, however, is that their father only knew what was going on with his sons “FROM OTHER PEOPLE.”
As tragic as the following events were, it is clear that Eli did not take time to address the corruption, bad example, sin and really bad reputation of his sons in time to remediate it, and then it was too late.

That lesson should remind us that flowing, constant, sincere and clear communication with our kids is something every parent should pursue on a very regular basis. Our kids need our guidance, our ears and more than anything, our presence constantly, in a world of so many “coaching” voices, especially those that try to derail them from the ways of the Lord - and they are all over. It’s interesting that Hophni and Phinehas grew up “in church” with a father who was a religious leader, but who failed in being present.
Eli only knew his sons’ issues through third sources, and I am sure the communication would arrive already compromised and twisted, many times. The sad thing is, when Eli finally grasped the gravity and direness of what was going on, it was too late. Sadly, the outcome of the narrative ends with father and sons tragically dead, only 2 chapters ahead. The sad truth is: Eli heard from all the people, but did not really listen.

Friends, we are all subject to the same fate if we don’t watch and act. Let’s pay attention and hear our children, directly from themselves, and above all, let’s guide them, be a blessing into their lives and perform what the Scriptures tell us in Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Wishing many blessings to you and your family!

Pastor Joshua