1 Samuel 4:18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight.
A serious neck injury can be fatal. The neck is the most flexible part of the spine that gives us the ability to scan around us. We have 20 neck muscles, extending from the base of our skull and jaw down to our shoulder blades and collarbone. These muscles support and stabilize our head, neck and assist with chewing, swallowing and breathing.
Eli was the High Priest of Israel however he failed as a High Priest and as a father. The love for his children overruled the love that he had for God. Hence Eli compromised and overlooked the detestable mistakes of his sons. Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt. (1 Samuel 2:12&17). The High Priest was the religious-political head who was in charge of the administration and the finance of the temple. The sons of Eli robbed from the offerings that were presented at the temple and they abused their authority. At that time there was a war between Israelites and the Philistines and since Eli was very old his wayward sons carried the ark of the Lord. Israel not only lost the war but both the sons of Eli died in the war. The news that the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines killed Eli. He fell from his chair and died. A fatal neck injury killed him.
Eli was sitting on a chair and fighting the battle in prayer. We fight our battle on our prayer mat and closet. Eli lost the spiritual battle and broke his neck. Compromises had numbed spiritual alertness in Eli and eventually took his life. We read that the lineage of this High Priest was wiped away because of the sin of “compromise”.
Compromises will break our spiritual neck:
1. Prognosis: A neck sprain will cause neck stiffness. Spiritually, compromise will distance us from God. When we stop hearing from God and miss the intimacy with our Saviour, it is imperative to stop and analyze if the “spiritual sprain of compromise” has strained our relationship.
2. Physiotherapy: The most common treatment for chronic neck pain or sprain is physiotherapy. Eli knew about the ruthless deeds of his sons but did not take any corrective action. Eli’s complacency to the compromise broke his neck eventually. Treat the cause for the spiritual sprain.
3. Paralysis: Eli was spiritually paralyzed long before he died by breaking his neck. For example, silence to “Omnism” (a belief that all religions contain a core recognition of the same god or gods) will cause spiritual paralyzes. Spiritual compromise will defeat us in the spiritual battles.
Beware of spiritual neck injury that causes spiritual paralysis.
1 Samuel 2:18a Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel.
Prayer: Father God, keep me spiritually alert that compromise will never make me spiritually numb. Give me the audacity to stand up and never bow down to religious compromises. Amen
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