Jacob Chanikuzhy

History has recorded very appreciative words about the priests. For example, according to Charles Baudelaire, “There exist only three beings worthy of respect: the priest, the soldier, the poet. To know, to kill, to create.” At the same time, insensitive priests had to bear the brunt of peoples’ anger. Denis Diderot vents his anger: “Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” The oppressive, exploitative and arrogant acts on the part of those who wield authority in the name of God were vehemently criticized and severely punished by God in several biblical narratives. The tragic end of the sons of the High Priest Eli, is a warning for those who live nearer to the altar but farther from God and his values 1 Samuel 2.
Eli was the High Priest, in the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the supreme head of the place of worship. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli were also priests and they were in line to succeed his father as High Priest. As the sons of the High Priest, and would be High Priests, these two priests had immense authority and power over the mode of tabernacle/temple worship. As the High priest Eli was old and ailing, it was these two sons who were in control. Although they enjoyed all the benefits of their priestly office, they never bothered to be loyal to God. Bible tells us that they were “corrupt.” They were so corrupt that the Bible literally describes them as “sons of Belial.” Belial was a pagan god. Their dishonest, selfish, immoral and atrocious actions made them look like priests not of ethical Yahweh but of an unethical pagan god.
One thing the bible discloses about these priests is that they changed the rules of the sacrifice to serve to their own selfish and lustful desires. For example, although it was the established practice to offer the sacrificial meat first to God and then to give a share to the priests, these two priests demanded their share even before the sacrifice was offered to God. Thus, they even relegated God to the second position. Again, the portion due to the priests were breast and shoulder. But this top brass of the temple wouldn’t be satisfied with their due. Hence, their servants would go and take from the vessels containing the sacrificial meat all that was pleasing to their masters. Moreover, the priests would not accept the boiled flesh of sacrifice. They insisted to get raw meat probably because they wanted to sell it and make money or to fry/grill the meat. In any case, these top most authorities in the temple highhandedly manipulated the rules of sacrifice to serve their selfish interests, ignoring Divine ordinances and people’s devotion and sentiments.
Apart from the economic extortion, these priests engaged in sexual exploitation too. They sexually abused the women who came to the temple for work and worship. Had these priests approached prostitutes to gratify their sexual needs it would not have been as bad as taking advantage of the Godfearing women. These priests knew that the ordinary people with their staunch faith in God would naively obey their dictates as long as they wore the priestly vestments.
The story indicates that some worshippers objected to the sacrilegious acts of the priests. They tried to convince the priests of the correct procedure of offering sacrifices. It is a pity that the rank and file of the community had to advice the temple authorities to uphold religious values and ethical principles. But, provoked by the reasonable objection of the common people, these priests threatened them with violence. The drastic outcome of the stubbornness of the sons of Eli in continuing their sinfulness was that it distanced people from the tabernacle and sacrifices. These two topmost priests had already begun to stink even before their burial and the unbearable stench of immorality kept people away from the place of worship.
Amidst these wicked sons of the High Priest, there ministered the little Samuel. The scandalous behaviour of the sons of Eli did not deter him from ministering at the altar of the Lord with utmost devotion and commitment. He represents the holy life and selfless ministry of the “remnant priests” whom God preserves to remedy the decadence of the mighty priestly aristocracy. Had it been not for these men of God like Samuel, people would have long abandoned religion itself.