The Vital Importance of Holiness in Pastoral Ministry

8/6/2019 The Vital Importance of Holiness in Pastoral Ministry

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THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OFHOLINESS IN PASTORAL MINISTRY

(1 Samuel 2-7)

By Bishop Ildo Mello


2/13

The immoral priesthood of Hophni and Phinehas Unscrupulous

They despised the things of God

Took for themselves what belonged to God

Exploi ng the people, by trading the things of God

Sexual orgies before the tabernacle

Disobedient to their father

(2:12-25)


3/13

Eli, was a priest ... weak and loose (no iron st)

complacent with sin

who has shown no zeal for God's house

who did not act like Jesus who expelled the merchants in the temple

who loved their children more than God

(2.27-36)


4/13

Consequences of priestly sins The priests sins led the people away from God (2.24)

God removed his blessing and the people were defeated in a ba le againstthe Philis nes (4.2)

Ark, enthusiasm, a loud and fervent worship of posi ve confession (4.5)

impressed the Philis nes, but not God (4.10). "I want obedience and not sacrice" (1 Sam 15.22-23) "Bring no more vain obla6ons; incense is an abomina6on unto me; the new

moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity,even the solemn mee6ng. (Isaiah 1.13)


5/13

Consequences of priestly sins 30,000 men died in that ba le, among them, Hophni and Phinehas (4.10,11)

Philis nes took the Ark as an asset (4.11)

Eli, shaken by the news, also died (4.18)

The wife of Phinehas gave birth prematurely

devastated, named the baby: "Ichabod" (4.21)

Ichabod symbolically closes the period of Eli and his sons as spiritual leadersof God's people.


6/13

God vindicates the glory of his name The statue of Dagon fell before the Ark (5.3)

This episode reminds us of Jesus when he said: "if they keep quiet, the stones willcry out." (Luke 19:40)!

A plague affected the health of the people of that city (5.6)

A fear fell upon the Philis nes, to the point they decide to return the Ark tothe Hebrews (6.1-21)!

The fear of God that Hophni and Phinehas lacked is now seen among the Gen les!


7/13

God chooses a new leader Even before the death of Eli, Oni and Phinehas, God had already chosentheir successor: the boy Samuel.

Due to the sins of Eli and his sons, the Word of God was rare in those days(3.1).

"The lamp of God had not yet gone out" (3.3), the Word of God wasexpressed to Samuel (3.4)


8/13

The holiness of Samuel Samuel welcomed the voice of God (3.10)

While Hophni and Phinehas did not obey their father (2:23-25), Samuel hadlistened to the instruc ons of Eli, a kind of adop ve father (3:9-10).

Samuel ran counter to the maxim that states that man is a "tabula rasa".

He did not let himself be led by the evil inuence of the elders who lived inhis house.

Because of his readiness to obey the Lord, God made him a true prophet(3.19).


9/13

The ministry of Samuel He urged the people to repentance (7.3).

The people confessed their sins (7.6), and le their idols (7.4)

and turned to God with humility, fas ng and prayer (7.6).

Prayer to face a war (7.8).

The Lord answered from heaven (7.9), thundering over the Philis nes (7.10),

Philis nes self-destruct themselves (7.10)


10/13

Two worship services in contrast triumphalist and arrogant a tude (4.5).

Their words of posi ve confession did not serve to ensure them victory (4.10),

however, the words of confession of sin and guilt of the people, and theirhumble prayers acknowledging their total dependence on God, was whatproduced the noise resounding coming from the heavens (7.10)!

The noise in the land does not produce noise in the sky.

I'm not speaking against the spiritual fervor, but rather against the hollowsound, the result of an enthusiasm lacking in humility and repentance.

Ark and the Priesthood are nothing without character of a servant


11/13

Confession of

sinHumility

Contri on

Heavenly noise

Posi ve

ConfessionArrogance

Enthusiasm

Terrain noise

S a m u e l

O p

h n

i a n d

P h i n e a s


12/13

Sin is something very serious which produces physical and spiritual death.

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull tohear. But your iniqui es have separated you from your God; your sins havehidden his face from you, so that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59.1-2).

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and prayand seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear fromheaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).


13/13

Ichabod or Ebenezer Emblema c use of words at the end of these two wars.

The rst war led by the brothers, Hophni and Phinehas, ends in disasterportrayed by the word "Ichabod" (4.21)

The war, led by Samuel ends in glorious triumph, which is expressed by theterm "Ebenezer (7.12).

And what about us? What will be our nal exclama on: Ichabod orEbenezer?

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The Vital Importance of Holiness in Pastoral Ministry