Summary of the Bible: 9. Honour- 1 Samuel

 1 Samuel 2:30 ESV

Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 


The second half of this verse was famously given to the Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell, who refused to compete on the Lord's Day. God honoured him by enabling him to win gold in a race that wasn't even his speciality. The context was about the sons of Eli, who despised the Lord and were lightly esteemed.

Eli's son's were meant to be priests of the Lord: intermediaries between God and mankind. They were evil though, and negligent in their duties. As a punishment, God allowed the Philistines to put them to death.

As Hophni and Phineas died, one of their widows named her son who was born at that time 'Ichabod', which means 'the glory has departed'. She wasn't so much referring to her husband's death as the loss of the ark of the covenant to the Philistines, the symbol of God's presence with his people.

Thankfully, God has raised up his everlasting Son, the mediator of a better covenant, who will never leave or forsake his people. He is exalted in highest honour in the glory of heaven. 'The head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned in glory now'.

'God, forbid that we would despise you and be lightly esteemed. May we honour you and be honoured graciously by you. For we ask in our Saviour's name, amen'.


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