From our Father’s Day service on June 15, 2025, 1 Samuel 2 and 4 and Jeremiah 35. Watch the full message: A Tale of Two Fathers – 1 Samuel 2 and Jeremiah 35 on YouTube.
Today I’m especially excited about the message, because the way God worked this out makes me really happy. For Mother’s Day we looked at Hannah, a mother who was faithful in raising her child in the love of the Lord. If you remember that message, today’s message builds on top of it. A Mother’s Day message and a Father’s Day message end up being a series.
God used Hannah’s son, Samuel, to restore righteousness to the temple, because the high priest and judge of Israel, Eli, had failed to lead both his family and the rest of the temple ministers. When Hannah went to the temple to worship, Eli was passive. He saw her praying, assumed she was a drunk babbling nonsense, condemned her and made light of her. And his own sons were desecrating the temple, which we’ll see in a moment.
So let’s pick up the story where we left off with Hannah and look at a tale of two fathers. We’ll compare Eli’s leadership in his family with that of a godly father, and see what a good father looks like and why it matters that we choose to be spiritual leaders in our homes.
The first father is Eli, who failed to lead his family and the temple. The second belongs to a family from the time of the Babylonian exile, the years we’ve been studying in our Daniel series, when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken from their homes. At that same time we meet a father who purposed in his heart that his offspring would be dedicated to God forever. His name is Jonadab. From these two fathers I want to show you this truth: God wants you to know that godly leadership can make all the difference in the lives of your children and grandchildren.
Mothers, this message is not going over your head today. Everything I say about fathers applies to mothers as well. And if you don’t have kids yet, you will likely have children someday, and you’ll have to learn this lesson. Rather than learn it down the road when it’s too late, pay attention today and see what God can teach you from these stories. They were written for our example.
Eli’s Sons: The Consequences of Passive Parenting
Eli was the high priest and the judge of Israel at this time, and he was not a proactive leader. He did correct his sons from time to time and said things shouldn’t be the way they were, but he did it so weakly and inconsistently that it was as if he never did it at all. He didn’t take his leadership role seriously. He assumed that if he left things alone, they would work themselves out. Let’s look at the sons’ corruption.
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
1 Samuel 2:12–17
A lot is going on there. First, Eli’s sons were “sons of Belial.” That means they were worthless, degenerates who brought no benefit to society. Everywhere they went they made things worse. But it also says they “knew not the LORD.” These were the sons of the high priest and judge, serving in the temple, and they had no relationship with God. You would think a judge and high priest of Israel would raise his children to know who God was, and yet his two sons did not know the Lord at all. They served in the temple, but not to praise or honor the Lord. They served to take for themselves.
They had two major sins. The first was that they stole from the offerings. Priests were allowed to take portions of the offerings, but only after the ritual was complete and the fat from the sacrifice was burned. A big part of the tithes and sacrifices in that day was to care for the ministers of God. The Levites had no land of their own, so they were taken care of through tithes and offerings. That is where our tithe comes from today. So it was fine for the priests to take some of the offering for a meal. What was wrong is that Eli’s sons took the meat before and after the sacrifice, and took by force portions that were designated for others.
The peace offering was a meal meant to be shared by the family, as Hannah sat down with her family and ate from the peace offering. That meal was supposed to be communion with God, and Hophni and Phinehas were stealing the food for themselves. They were even taking meat that was still raw, before it had been given to God. So they weren’t just robbing the people’s meals. They were taking what was designated to be given only to God.
The second sin was immorality at the temple, which we’ll read in a moment. They had inappropriate relationships with the women who served there, so their actions at the temple doors desecrated a sacred and holy place, as well as the offerings. Let’s read about Eli’s weak parenting, down in verse 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. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress. 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.
1 Samuel 2:22–25
Eli finds out what his sons are doing, but he finds out probably years after the fact. It blows my mind that this is the first time Eli hears about it. He was so inactive, not only as a father but in overseeing the temple, that his sons were able to steal from people for a very long time before he had a hint that something was wrong. They were his own children, and he was their boss, and on both fronts he failed to know what was going on. Everyone in Israel knew their sins before their own father did.
And when he does find out, listen to his rebuke: “It is no good report that I hear. Ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.” That is not a strong rebuke. “I’ve heard some bad things about you. You’re causing God’s people to sin.” He should have been furious, not only as a father but as the high priest, and as the judge responsible for holding the high priest accountable. Yet he lets things slide.
Then he says, “If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?” As a father he’s saying, “If you only ripped off the people, that wouldn’t be such a big deal. But if you do something to God, you have judgment on your head.” He is more concerned that his sons will be judged by God than that his sons do the right thing. And he was selfish, putting his own family’s perspective above caring for the whole of Israel. Even then, they did not listen to their father.
Why did he fail so badly? He failed in several ways.
He was uninvolved. He didn’t have a close enough relationship with his sons to know what they were up to on any given day. He just assumed his kids would take care of themselves, and that spiritual leadership in the temple would take care of itself. They had the scrolls of Moses in the building. They could lead themselves in the Lord.
He never raised them to accept God as their own God. He just assumed the relationship with God would happen. “I live for God, so my kids will obviously follow in my footsteps.” He took no effort to make sure they understood who this God was, what leads to salvation, or what the sacrifices were for and what they represent. He figured they’d get it eventually.
He did not teach them moral purity, and he corrected them far too late. Even if he didn’t care about God, if he had just taught the moral standards of the day and said “stealing is wrong,” they wouldn’t have stolen from the temple. Even if they hadn’t believed in God, they would have known stealing was wrong. Even on the most basic fundamentals, Eli failed as a father.
God’s Rebuke of Eli
And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
1 Samuel 2:27–29
What a sad confrontation. If you remember the book of Judges, God usually went to the judge one-on-one, and the angel of the LORD, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, would talk with that judge. Here, Eli is the judge, but he is so distant from God that God doesn’t come and speak to him that way. A man of God comes instead. We aren’t told who he is. It was probably another judge of Israel, since sometimes there were several at the same time. It reminds me of how, when David sinned with Bathsheba, the prophet had to come and tell him his sin, because he had become so distant from God that he didn’t hear God’s voice. In the same way, Eli is corrected through a messenger because he had fallen so far from God.
God says, “Didn’t I give you a great opportunity? I chose the Levites to be my representatives. I gave you an ephod of honor and a portion of every sacrifice to take care of you. You don’t have to work a day in your life except to serve me.” Many people work their regular fields and construction jobs and then give a tithe that goes to you. You just get the pleasure of serving every day, and yet that wasn’t enough. You’re kicking at my sacrifice and my offering, and ruining them with your attitude.
Then God names the sin: “honourest thy sons above me.” You value being accepted by your children and having their favor over representing me to Israel. Eli wanted to be the cool dad. “I want my kids to like me. I don’t want them to think I’m tough on them all the time. They’re grown men; they’ll work it out. I don’t want that relationship strained, so I’ll let them continue down this destructive path.” God asks, “Why do you value your children more than me?” Eli would rather have his sons be his friends than teach them to live godly lives.
How easy it is for us to favor our relationships with our kids so much that we let things slide to our own destruction. This isn’t just an Old Testament problem. Discipline is part of being a father or mother, and whether or not we like it, God calls us to discipline our children and teach them what is right. It is far better that they learn the hard lessons from you, who love and care for them, than that they learn them the hard way through life. Eli missed that, and it pained him greatly in the end.
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
1 Samuel 2:30
Here God gets real with Eli. “I told you your house would walk before me forever, but only so long as you followed me faithfully. Why would I bless those who dishonor me?” Eli, if you don’t consider our relationship more important than your children being your best friends, why would I bless you? I don’t believe God wanted to do this in his heart, but he had no choice. He cannot bless people who don’t represent him well, so he must discipline. Unlike Eli, God was a good father, and he disciplines his children. Because Eli’s sons were leading the whole nation astray, God could not let it slide any longer.
And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
1 Samuel 2:34–35
Here we see a prophetic note in verse 35: “I will raise me up a faithful priest.” That is a picture pointing toward Christ. The temple leadership will fail, but one day God will put a faithful priest in place. In the book of Hebrews we have a great high priest who is touched by our trials and understands our difficulties, because Jesus Christ walked this earth and went through the same difficulties we face. Today he is our high priest. We don’t have to worry about a corrupt priest in the temple, because we have Jesus Christ. Where our earthly fathers or spiritual leaders fail, he remains faithful to direct us.
The Glory Is Departed
Now let’s jump ahead to chapter 4. The Philistines and Israel go to war. Israel brings the ark of the covenant to the battle lines to boost morale and to try to get God on their side. A soldier now arrives to give Eli an update. We’ll start in verse 15.
Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
1 Samuel 4:15–22
What a tragic end to Eli’s story. God had held off the Philistines for years, but now Israel was stumbling, because their spiritual leadership was failing. Eli had not taught his sons to lead. This time they brought the ark, the symbol of God’s promise, into battle, and nothing happened. They lost the battle, Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the ark was taken, signaling that God was no longer with Israel. He wouldn’t return until Samuel came and became a new priest and started a new leadership in the temple. All of this could have been avoided if Eli had been a good father, if he had taught his sons who God was, taught them morals and taught them how to lead the people spiritually.
I think the story of Phinehas’s wife ties it all together. She is about to give birth to her son, which should be a joyous moment in her life. Instead, as she goes into labor, she hears that her husband and father-in-law are dead and the ark of the covenant is gone from Israel. In her dread and despair, she holds her son in her hands and has no emotions. She is in shock. When they ask what she wants to name him, she just says, “The glory is departed from Israel.” So her son is named Ichabod. That is the legacy of Hophni and Phinehas.
Eli’s parenting is a tragic example of what happens when parental leadership is taken lightly. His failure to discipline and disciple his sons led to widespread corruption, the loss of Israel’s moral and spiritual center, and ultimately a national tragedy. The name Ichabod, “the glory is departed,” captures the devastating result of a leader who valued the approval of his children more than he valued teaching them about God. As parents, leaders and believers, we are reminded that honoring God must always come first. Whether we represent him well to the next generation will have lasting consequences.
Jonadab and the Rechabites
We don’t want to end on a sad story. We want hope that there is a possibility of being a good father who makes a better decision. Let’s turn to Jeremiah 35, and look at the sons of Jonadab and the blessings of good and godly parenting. Now that we’ve seen what happens when a father fails, let’s see what happens when a father succeeds. We’re about to jump ahead 500 years to the time of Daniel and the Babylonian exile, where the prophet Jeremiah receives a message from the Lord about a faithful father.
The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
Jeremiah 35:1–2
The Rechabites are descendants of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, a man who stood beside King Jehu in the days when Jehu tore down the worship of Baal in Israel. These are the descendants Jeremiah is going to visit. I love how God never explains what he’s going to do. He just tells his prophets, “Go and do something.” Let’s see how Jeremiah carries it out.
Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
Jeremiah 35:3–5
So Jeremiah brings this family into the temple and sets wine in front of them. The Hebrew word for this wine is yayin, which carries the idea of fermentation. This is alcoholic wine, not juice. Jeremiah says, “Drink up.” And look at their answer.
But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 35:6–11
They won’t touch alcohol, because a father many generations back, around 300 years earlier, taught his family that they needed some moral protections. Jonadab saw the failures of Israel and asked what led to that moral decline. Why did people fall for Baal worship and get away from God? When he looked around he saw people who were drunk and intoxicated, who didn’t know what they were doing or where they were going. He said, “I don’t want that for my family. I want us to have a higher standard.” A lot of people wouldn’t have made such bad decisions if they had never started drinking in the first place. So he gathered his children and said, “From now on, as a family, we’re not going to have alcohol in this house. We’re not going to tempt ourselves.”
Then he went a step further. You remember Lot, who pitched his tent toward Sodom and eventually moved into the city. Jonadab said, “I don’t want to be stuck in one place, surrounded by the wickedness around me. Instead of planting fields and building houses, let’s live like Abraham. Let’s live in tents. We’ll be shepherds with flocks. We can go wherever we want, whenever we need to. If the sin around us gets to be too much, we can take our family and go somewhere else. If our area falls into idolatry, we leave. We’ll have no house tempting us to stay, and no money invested in this land that forces me to choose between my investment and following the Lord.” They did something similar to what the Amish do. They kept themselves far from the comforts of society so they wouldn’t be tempted to compromise.
Rather than living right up to the line, Jonadab taught his sons never to put themselves in a position where they were tempted to compromise at all. The Bible says you can drink wine once in a while, and the sin is drunkenness. But he said, “I don’t even want to be tempted to become drunk in the first place. Once I take the first sip, I’ll be more tempted than before I took it. So we’ll set a standard above sin, so that when we slip up and get a little closer, we still don’t cross the line. When our neighbors turn to Baal, we’ll run the other way and get as far away as possible.” You’d better believe his kids weren’t playing with the Baal worshipers’ kids next door. He taught them who God is and what God wants.
For some 300 years they stayed faithful to these three rules: don’t drink wine, live a nomadic lifestyle, and don’t plant fields. His children’s children’s children kept his advice, and it protected them. They were faithful to God and sober. And when the Babylonians came, they had no lavish homes or fields to tempt them to stay in a dangerous place. When it became necessary, they could move into the protection of the city walls. They didn’t go into the city for temptation. They knew the letter of the law was not as important as the spirit of the law, and they understood what their father was saying. Their father’s advice protected them spiritually, and it protected them from the dangers of the world.
Now let’s see why the Rechabites were so important to God. Verse 12.
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me. Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered. And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.
Jeremiah 35:12–19
What a difference between Eli and Jonadab. Eli’s family suffers tragedy and loss of life, while Jonadab’s children receive a promise from God that their family will be preserved forever, so long as they keep the teachings of their father. I don’t think Jonadab ever imagined that centuries later, after he led his children, his name would be honored by God himself. He was simply a father who saw the moral decline of his nation and chose to lead his family in a different direction. He set clear boundaries designed to preserve their faith, safety and distinct identity in a corrupt world. While Israel ignored the voice of God and suffered judgment, the descendants of Jonadab stayed steadfast and received the benefits of their obedience and trust. Their legacy may not have included wealth, power or fame, but it was full of faithfulness, and that legacy was so pleasing to God that he promised Jonadab would always have descendants who stood before him.
This is the blessing of good parenting. When a parent leads with wisdom, conviction and a heart that fears the Lord, generations are positively impacted.
Two Fathers, Two Legacies
In the contrast between Eli and Jonadab we see two legacies shaped by the choices of two fathers. Eli, a priest and judge, had every opportunity and spiritual resource available to him to lead well, yet he chose to be passive and allowed his sons to dishonor God. His failure cost him his family, his legacy and his nation’s spiritual center. His life is a reminder that neglecting leadership responsibility, even with good intentions, can still bring total ruin.
On the other hand, Jonadab was not a priest, a prophet or a judge. He was simply a father who recognized the danger of compromise and made a deliberate choice to safeguard his family’s future. His convictions, passed down from generation to generation, created a lasting legacy that outlived kingdoms and earned God’s praise. Both men were fathers. Both had influence. But only one led his family so that they remained anchored in God’s truth.
So what does God want you to know today? Godly leadership doesn’t require a spiritual title, a public platform or even perfection. But it does require courage, conviction and consistency. What you teach, tolerate and model today will shape the spiritual trajectory of those who come after you. So choose to lead like Jonadab, because the difference between Ichabod, “the glory has departed,” and a legacy of faithfulness is a man who chooses to make one godly decision at a time, consistently, over a lifetime.
God wants you to know that godly leadership can make all the difference in the lives of your children and grandchildren. So will you embrace the role of a godly leader today?
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