Psalm 34; 1 Samuel 2:27-36; Acts 2:22-36; Luke 20:41-21:4
Later in scripture we are told by Peter that judgment begins with the household of God and here we see that truth spoken to Eli. Can you imagine getting this word from the Lord about your family and your descendants? The word is that “there shall not be an old man in your house forever.” Forever. Eli has failed in his duties as a father but more importantly as a priest of the Lord. He has not hallowed the Name of the Lord and has allowed disrepute and dishonor to come on the Name. If the priests do not hallow and revere the Lord, how can the people believe that He is to be feared? Holiness is the chief attribute of God and when we begin to compromise that we lose sight of who He is and we begin to worship some other God in familiarity. We must come to Him in fear and trembling but also as His children who have been reconciled through the blood of Jesus but we are never to lose our sense of awe and holy reverence in coming to Him.
Jesus particularly condemns the scribes who have arrogated to themselves the respect due to the Lord alone. How can we as sinful human beings receive honor from one another within the religious community rather than defer to Him? We create celebrities in the religious world and receive honor that is due only to the Lord. We are all sheep in the eyes of the Lord no matter what role we may have in the church. I have been given a role as under-shepherd of the Great Good Shepherd yet I am still one of the flock, in need of an earthly shepherd myself to hold me accountable and to love me and encourage me, we never outgrow our need of one another in this life but ultimately we have to be content if necessary with having only the Lord to comfort and guide us. Fellowship with other Christians is not to be taken for granted, it is a merciful blessing to us to have others with us on the journey, something for which to be thankful.
They had been waiting for the promised Messiah of God to come for centuries. There had been a prophetic silence since the days of Malachi, four hundred years had passed without so much as a word from the Lord. Here, on the day of Pentecost, Peter tells them that Messiah has come and they have put him to death on a cross. If this is true, their guilt is impossible to overcome and there is no hope for them at all. This would be the worst news the nation ever received. If this is true, the prophetic silence will last for eternity. There is, however, an amazing truth yet to come on this day of Pentecost.
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.
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