“When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years.” (1 Sam. 4:18)
WHEN WE READ of Eli’s sad, ignominious end, we may feel a sudden nervous need to do an inwardly-focused integrity check, for we don’t want to end up like Eli. So we run quickly through the corridors of mind and spirit and hurriedly open the door of each mental room and every storage box in every closet of memory and verify that all is as it should be, well-ordered and in its proper place.
Tucked away in odd places throughout the Holy Book there are similar shadows of failure that weigh heavily upon the normal sense of comfort we derive from the reading of the scriptures. One that jars the spirit is Jesus’ words, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Even more apprehension-making is this: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” (Heb. 4:4-6)
As uncomfortable as these glimpses of spiritual floundering are to us, the Father permits them as necessary to keep us from complacency, for “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18) Throughout the bible, there are forty-nine relatively full biographies of men and women, telling their life stories and the impact on the people around them. Approximately seventy percent did not finish well. Some, like Eli, finished catastrophically poorly, not just ruining their own lives and that of their families, but imperiling a nation. Paul’s warning to Timothy is applicable; we also should be “Holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” (1 Tim. 1:19) Holding on to faith, but not exercising it in good conscience, is a warning from the seventy percent. Paul’s further instruction is also of note: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor. 10:12)
Scripture is consistent, Old Testament and New, about the witness of the word underscoring the importance of following the prescriptions and proscriptions of God. Moses warns, “So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.” (Deut. 5:32-33) Similarly, Paul admonishes, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph. 5:15-17)
The daily walk of the diligent Christ-follower is one of faithful observation and intentionality. The word of God is a precious guide to our every step through life. “Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—they do no wrong but follow his ways… I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psa. 119:2-3, 9 )
We pray, Father, that by the Holy Spirit you continue to guide us in our every thought and action; that, as you have chosen us, we daily and intentionally choose you. None of us wants to end up like Eli. Instead, we long to hear only these words as we pass through the gate of heaven: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:23)
Q. What does it look like for me to finish well?
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