WHEN WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH 1Sa 2:22 “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORDS people to transgress.25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.” Obviously, Eli was displeased with the evil deeds of his sons. As a father, he plainly TOLD them to change, but God directly blamed him for their ongoing evil: 1Sa 3:12 “In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” “Words” were not enough! Discipline demands both teaching and restraint. Despite the right “words”, the sons of Eli continued because Eli “restrained them not”… I’m reminded of this when I see parents with misbehaving children or teenagers, who lament their behavior, and console themselves with, “I TOLD them not to do this!” As parents we have an obligation to do more. One time I was at a store waiting to be checked out, and in front of me was a mother and child who was in his “terrible twos”. Her lack of control of him had been audibly and visibly obvious as they had made their way through the aisles. From the cart in front of me he saw me, and picked up one the cans in the cart and threw it at me. Mortified, the mother came to me apologizing for her son. I told her I was not angry with the child – he was merely acting as he had learned it from his parents – but if she wanted to apologize for allowing it, I accepted. Parents with well behaved, respectful and courteous children do not have that accidentally. And if we don’t start early, it quickly becomes too late. (acb)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 13:16:26 +0000
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