Lesson Two
Young Samuel and the Evil Sons of Eli
(1 Samuel 2:11-36)
As a single seminary student, I had as number of opportunities during my time in school to baby-sit some of my classmate-friends’ children. Then, as now, I always enjoyed taking care of babies and toddlers. I guess I have a very soft spot for them. And some of the older children were pleasures to be around as well. But not all of them. In particular, one very good friend and his wife had taken a very laid-back approach to training and disciplining their children….too laid-back in many ways. Their children could be enjoyable too, at times. But they could also quite quickly turn into “little brats.” Of course, the older they got, they worse they acted. And that led to me finding some creative (always honest, I assure you) ways of avoiding baby-sitting them. To this day I wonder what kind of adults those children turned into.
Raising children is a dominant part of the Scripture before us in this lesson. And, as these words from God show us, parenting doesn’t end when your children become adults…..even though it is quite different dealing with them as adult children compared dealing with them when your children were minors under your roof. I’ll hasten to add that even the best parents – who, at least theoretically, “do everything right” – can have children who turn out to be great disappointments. After all, even though one can train a child in the way of the Lord when he’s young – and when he grows old that children will be a believing child of God……that child’s “middle years” can be very disappointing in the way the now-adult child conducts him- or herself, Spiritually-speaking. One has to look no farther than the “perfect Parent” (the Almighty God) whose first “human children” (Adam and Eve) chose the path of rebellion and sin over faithfulness and perfection. So, if our Perfect God produced offspring that ultimately disappointed Him, we shouldn’t assume that – as sinners – we are going to raise sinless children today. If fact, as sinful people ourselves, our children not only inherit our sinfulness, they often emulate it. Consequently, parenting is a constant challenge…. especially when it comes to guiding our children to walk in God’s righteous paths all the days of their lives.
Getting back to my friends, though, it is true that the more “permissive” parents are, the less self-disciplined (and Spiritually-disciplined) their children typically turn out to be. That was definitely the case with Eli and his two sons who followed him into the priesthood. Eli should have exerted himself more strongly to train his sons to lead Godly lives, not only when they were young but also once they became adults. Instead, he chose to turn a “blind eye” to their many evil behaviors. Apparently their dishonoring of the “family name” didn’t sufficiently bother Eli. But even worse….their dishonoring the LORD was something that Eli permitted. Eli’s permissiveness and indulgence contributed to his sons living the lives of hypocrites…..as they served the LORD publicly, while dishonoring Him privately (and sometimes, publicly too). And ultimately, Eli’s failure to rebuke his sons for their sins would cost them their lives….and quite probably their eternal souls. To this day, Eli is remembered as a weak parent, who failed to properly, faithfully develop and discipline his sons.
The standard of parenting set forth in the words of God we’ll be studying today, is one that all of us are obliged to keep, and yet all of us fail to keep that standard to one degree or another – given our sinfulness. Still, this standard of serving God is worth striving for by the way we lead our children…..whether they live under our roofs as youth, or on their own as adults. The dramatic death of Eli and his two sons (which will occur in chapter 4) provides a clear warning about the high price parents can pay for failing to heed God’s instructions to them regarding the faithful, Godly upbringing and supervision of their children…..regardless of their offspring’s age. And so, let’s take this portion of Scripture seriously, and strive to learn the lesson God wants to teach us in connection with the awesome task of raising and guiding our children in the Lord.
The Immediate Context of our Lesson (I Samuel 2:11-4:22)
Scripture always must be interpreted in the light of its context. In the case of this second half of chapter two of I Samuel, we want to look ahead to what occurs in chapters 3 and 4…contrasting the life of young Samuel with the lives of Eli’s two adult sons, Hophni and Phinehas. In chapter 3, the inspired writer describes the Spiritual development of young Samuel as he rises to the offices of priest and prophet…..and later, the office of the last judge of Israel. As the entire nation recognizes Samuel’s godly character by the end of chapter 3, in chapter 4 our author describes God’s judgment against Eli’s apostate, hypocritical sons, and against Eli for his failure the correct his wayward sons. Not only do all three die, but the nation also suffers a tragic defeat and the temporary loss of the Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines.
The Priesthood in Eli’s and Samuel’s time
To grasp as well as we can what was taking place with Eli and his sons, we need to examine the responsibilities and expectations God assigned to those who served in the priesthood. Originally Aaron, Moses’ elder brother, was designated by God to serve as Israel’s first high priest. Nadab and Abihu, his two oldest sons, eventually followed him in this hereditary priesthood. But God put Aaron’s two sons to death for failing to exercise their priesthood correctly. They offered “strange fire” and died because of it. They were replaced by two of Aaron’s other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar (Leviticus 10:1-3; Numbers 3:4; 26:60-61).
Priests were assigned various duties. They had to maintain and operate the tabernacle (Exodus 27:21; Leviticus 24:1-7; Numbers 18:1-7). That included maintaining of the altar. They were to keep the ashes removed and the fire burning (Leviticus 6:8-13). Because of their privileged position and proximity to the LORD God, they were to be meticulous about not defiling themselves in any way that would compromise their service to the LORD and to His people. That included avoiding strong drink (Leviticus 10:8-11). They were not allowed to have any contact with the dead. They were prohibited from marrying a prostitute, and could lose their position if a daughter became a prostitute (Leviticus 21:1-9). A priest had to be physically perfect….because any physical defect disqualified him from the priesthood (Leviticus 21:10—22:9). Among their many duties, priests were responsible for inspecting medical (particularly skin) conditions in order to determine if they were leprous, infectious or defiling (see Leviticus 13-16). Priests also were required to blow the trumpets that signaled various messages to the Israelites (Numbers 10:8). Priests, obviously, were heavily involved in the sacrificial system that God had established for His people. They also were expected to function as instructors for Israel, teaching people the Law of Moses. They were also directed to serve as judges and arbitrators for the nation (Deuteronomy 17:8-13; 33:8-11). Any priests’ failure – let alone refusal – to perform these (and many other) duties could bring severe judgment upon them (Malachi 2:1-10). Finally, their priestly garments, which included a tunic and a robe, as well as a special breastplate for the High Priest, were visible symbols of the sanctity of their God-given office and the sacred duties assigned to them (Exodus 28:40-43).
God did not give Israel’s priests the same type of territorial inheritance that the other tribes received (Numbers 18:24). Instead, they were given 48 cities (and the lands immediately around those cities) that were spread throughout the nation of Israel…..since the Levites were to serve as the nation’s Spiritual leaders and so they had to live in close proximity to them. Additionally, they were materially supported by various offerings from God’s people. For example, in connection with many of the animal offerings presented to the LORD, priests were to receive a portion of the meat for themselves from the animal that was being offered (the breast and the right thigh)….but only after the best/fat portions of the animal were set aside for the LORD (Leviticus 7:31-34; see also 3:3-5, 14-17; 7:22-25). They were also given a portion of the tithes and financial offerings that God’s people presented to Him, in order to support themselves and their households so that they could give themselves, full time, to the work of the LORD (Numbers 18:8-32). Those priests ministering in the tabernacle (and later, the temple) also were given the bread that was set out in the sanctuary to eat (Leviticus 24:8-9).
What Happened to God’s Rib Eye? (2:12-17)
As we just heard, when priests offered the LORD sacrifices, God always received the first and best portion (the “fat” portion). Then the person making the sacrifice received a portion of the sacrificial meat to eat with his family and friends. Finally, the priest was given. for himself, the breast and the right thigh (see above). That was what God’s Law demanded, but Hophni and Phinehas “did not know the Lord,” nor did they practice “the custom of the priests” (verses 12-13). Eli’s sons, literally are described as “worthless men” (verse 12)…..interestingly, “worthless” is the exact same Hannah begged Eli not to use in describing her. Back to Eli’s sons….. what did they do that was so wrong? First, they disobediently refused to take the portions of meat God had assigned to them. Instead, when the entire offering was being prepared, by being boiled altogether in a pot, they would send a servant with a fork to remove some of the meat for them (2:13-14)…..no doubt, doing it carefully, to obtain the best cuts of meat. In other words, they took their “share” first….and it was likely among the best portions. Regardless, it was not the breast and right thigh (the “hamburger” or “chuck steak” and “rump roast”). So they threw aside God’s Law to satisfy their selfish desires. And if any Biblically knowledgeable Israelites urged them to wait until the Lord’s “fat portion” was burned, the servant (under their orders) demanded their meat on the spot, threatening to take it by force, if necessary.
You can imagine the negative effect this behavior had on the worship of the LORD. God-fearing Israelites, making the journey to Shiloh, didn’t find godly priests who facilitate their worship. Instead, they encountered self-serving priests who frustrated their worship. I wonder how many Israelites gave up going to the tabernacle, and perhaps even gave up their faith in the LORD, because of the hypocrisy and thuggery of Eli’s sons that they experienced.
God the Holy Spirit gives us His evaluation of their behavior in verse 17: “So the sin of the young men was very serious in the sight of the Lord, because the men were treating the Lord’s offerings with contempt.”
Samuel…..Growing Physically and Spiritually (2:18-21)
Hannah had left her son, Samuel, at Shiloh to serve the Lord – just as she had promised she would do. But every year she would travel there to see her beloved son, and she always brought some special clothing for him that she had made in the months prior to her visit. But that’s not all Hannah brought to Shiloh. As the years went by, God blessed her with additional children – three sons and two daughters. Those children, Samuel’s siblings, would accompany their mother to worship at the tabernacle where their eldest brother was devoting his life to the service of the LORD.
Too Little and Too Late: Eli’s Feeble Rebuke (2:22-25)
As evil as Eli’s sons were in disregarding the LORD’s will concerning sacrifices, and who receives what portion of meat…..the Holy Spirit reveals to us behavior from them that was far more evil – at least from a public perspective. In Exodus 33:8 God speaks about women whose privilege it was to serve the LORD at the doorway of the tabernacle, no doubt by granting, or denying, entrance to various persons. Here, in verses 22-25, we learn that Eli’s sons and the women serving at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting engaged in sexual immorality. And since at least Phinehas was married (see I Samuel 4:19), he was committing the sin of adultery….which was punishable in God’s Law by being stoned to death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24). As offensive as that sin was when committed by a member of the general population, it was even more offensive when committed by a priest – a man who was certainly supposed to know God’s will, and to behave – as a good example to God’s people – in a Godly manner.
It was at the Tent of Meeting’s doorway/entrance that God would meet His priests and reveal His glory. Aaron and his sons were consecrated there for their priestly service (Leviticus 8). But many years later, at that same entrance, Eli’s sons are rendezvoused with women for the purpose of engaging in sexual immorality.
Although Eli verbally rebuked his sons, he did nothing to restrain them and stop their wicked, offensive conduct. He could – and should – have immediately removed them from their position as priests. Instead, all he offered were words….true words of warning…..but words without action and without immediate consequences. By the way, the inspired writer says that Eli had “heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel.” It wasn’t out of ignorance that Eli had failed to rebuke and decisively discipline his sons. He knew what they were doing, and how people were “talking” about their wicked, offensive behavior. But He failed to act….even when their immorality became public. One more thought……their adulterous behavior was not a one-time, momentary lapse of what was otherwise their stellar, godly character. Their sinful behavior was habitual….an impenitent lifestyle. God had every right to harden them in their sin…..and that is precisely what He did, so that Eli’s sons could not repent. They would die twice for their wickedness. First on the battlefield through physical death. And immediately afterward, through eternal death in hell….not because of their sins, per se, but because of their impenitence and unbelief
Yet Another Contrast between Eli’s Evil Sons and Godly Samuel (2:26)
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.
Eli was old and nearing death. Hophni and Phinehas were in line to succeed him as High Priest. The future looked grim. But during this Spiritually dark period in Israel’s history, godly Hannah’s and godly Elkanah’s godly little boy was growing up. God had already rejected Eli’s sons and planned to put them to death (verse 25). But godly Samuel found favor with both God and man. When everything seemed to be falling apart in Israel, Spiritually-speaking, God was carrying out His plan to raise up a faithful servant who would be His instrument to transition the nation from the Spiritual and political chaos of the days of the judges, to the beginning of the monarchy – and the start of the Davidic royal line through which the Promised Messiah would eventually come. Eli’s sons were on their way out, while Hannah’s son, Samuel, was on his way up. And if this verse sounds strangely familiar to you, it should! Luke was inspired to use very similar words in reference to Jesus of Nazareth, as He was growing up: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52).
An Unidentified – Yet Important – “Man of God” Appears (2:27-36)
With few exceptions, the expression “man of God” is employed in Scripture to refer to a prophet. During those days when “the word of the Lord was rare” (1 Samuel 3:1), it was extraordinary for the LORD to speak to His people through a prophet, given the unwillingness of God’s people to listen to and obey Him. Here an unnamed prophet came out of nowhere to rebuke Eli for his failure – actually, his refusal – to decisively discipline his evil sons.
In verses 27-29, this unnamed prophet put the priesthood into its proper historical and theological perspective. He looked back to the time when the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood was established during the Exodus. Next, in verses 30-34, looked to the future, and predicted the punishment that God was going to bring on Eli and his household. Finally, in verses 35 and 36, he predicted both the death of Hophni and Phinehas, along with their replacement by a faithful Priest Who will always righteously minister before the LORD.
Eli’s fundamental sin in this account was that he honored and loved his sons more than he honored and loved the LORD (verse 29). Whatever his reasoning was for failing to confront and discipline his sons in a God-pleasing manner, Eli put them ahead of his God. His actions and thoughts toward his offspring were, without a doubt, a gross violation of the First Commandment.
Though what I am about to say might sound “politically incorrect” today, it’s still worth bringing to your attention, because – I believe – it gives us an important insight into the heart of Eli. We know that Eli was an old man by this time. But there’s something else about him this portion of Scripture reveals. Let’s look more closely at verse 29: “Why do you honor your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by My people Israel?” God is essentially saying to Eli, “Look at yourself. You and your sons have gotten fat while serving as priests” (See also 4:18). I’m not implying anything negative, let alone evil, regarding people who are overweight. But apparently Eli enjoyed (and took too much advantage of) the “good life” that he was afforded as a priest because he liked eating all that wrongly acquired meat. Maybe that’s why, when Eli was told about “all” that his sons were doing to Israel, he rebuked them for their sexual immorality, but (conveniently ???) didn’t say anything about their illegal meat acquisitions. Eli knew the difference between hamburger and Filet Mignon and he had no inclination to embrace the former when he could ingest the latter. So, instead of rebuking his sons for the sin of stealing the LORD’s meat and not eating the meat that the LORD had specifically ordained for them….Eli kept his mouth shut…..until the Filet Mignon arrived. Interestingly (and sadly), Eli had no problem immediately rebuking Hannah in chapter 1 – without all the evidence – when he assumed she was drunk (but wasn’t). But he could not find it in his heart to honor God (and care for his sons’ souls) by rebuking and decisively disciplining Hophni and Phinehas for all their sins that had become part of the public conversation.
Since Eli would not act, God would – and did – decisively! 30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before Me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from Me! Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, 32 and you will see distress in My dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34 And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day.”
Did God break His promise to Eli here? No. Eli and his sons broke their promise to God because of the sons’ persistent and impenitent sinning, and because of Eli’s persistent sin of not disciplining his sons – as God expected Him to do. What’s more, God doesn’t take the priesthood away entirely from Eli’s family. The LORD says that none of his descendants will live into old age, and that He will only allow some of his family members to serve as priests (and then, again, not into old age). Plus, Hophni and Phinehas specifically will die on the same day (verse 34). What’s more, although Eli and his sons have become fat eating sacrificial meat not intended for them, that excessive behavior will be brought to an abrupt end: “Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.” God announced that He was going to impoverish Eli’s house to such an extent that the surviving members would be begging for food to eat.
Finally, verse 35 talks about how God will bless the people of Israel by giving them a faithful Spiritual leader to replace Eli and his evil sons: “I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in My heart and mind. I will firmly establish His priestly house, and they will minister before My Anointed One always.”
This verse forces us to ask two questions: 1) Who is this “faithful Priest?” And 2) Who is the “Anointed One” before Whom “they” will minister?
II Samuel 7:12-16 helps answer both questions: “12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your Offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish His kingdom. 13 He is the One Who will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever. 14 I will be His Father, and He will be my Son. When He does wrong, I will punish Him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But My love will never be taken away from Him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever.’”
The chief fulfillment to this prophecy is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ, King David’s righteous Descendant. Scripture proves that no ordinary human king was ever going to endlessly reign over an eternal kingdom. Not David. Not Solomon. No one, except “the King of the Jews,” our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate Fulfillment of the covenant that the LORD made with David. Likewise, there was never a priest in Israel’s history who was able to serve as priest eternally. Definitely not Eli. And, just as certainly, not Samuel. No descendant of Aaron could ever fill that role. But there is One, perfect Priest…..(and He also happens to be the ultimate, perfect Prophet…..see Deuteronomy 18;15): He is Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Observations and Applications
While it is entirely possible that children raised in a very godly home can turn out the way Eli’s sons did, it’s clear from the Word of God we’ve just studied that Eli consistently failed to discipline his sons properly, especially given his dual roles as High Priest and as judge over Israel. He had no excuse! Eli had no problem rebuking Hannah (even though he was wrong, given his snap-judgment), so it’s not that he was incapable of – or ignorant when it came to – applying the Law of God to confront sin. Eli failed to deal properly with his sons because they were his sons….and he allowed that one fact to outweigh everything else. Let’s look at a few of the likely reasons why Eli failed to correct his sons and call them to repentance:
1) Eli turned “a blind eye” to his sons’ sinful behaviors. They were sinning inside the compound of the Tent of Meeting, so it’s almost inconceivable that Eli wouldn’t have seen them sinning…..particularly in connection with their stealing for themselves meat from the sacrifices that were being offered to the LORD. But, there are parents whose children act inappropriately, and the parents never seem to notice because they turn “a blind eye” to whatever wrongs their children do. Eli was (almost) visually blind, but he wasn’t deaf. And he hadn’t lost his sense of taste. It isn’t that Eli didn’t know what his sons were doing….. He denied their sins were as serious as they were…..and he denied that his sons’ hearts were hard toward God – something their actions all but shouted out!
2) Eli waited too long to correct his sons for their sins. He had to have known how they were behaving long before “all Israel” knew. But he said and did nothing. Finally, only after “everyone” was talking about his sons, did Eli say anything. And what he said was rather “feeble”….he expressed his disapproval and warned them God was offended and would likely punish them. But it was too little, too late. Sin….all sin….big and little….is best dealt with when it is “nipped in the bud.” Procrastination only makes repentance harder to achieve.
3) Eli didn’t do everything he could to expose and correct his sons’ evil conduct. From his own words, Eli showed us that he knew how serious his sons’ transgressions against God were. But he only offered a verbal rebuke, even though he had other, stronger means of discipline at his disposal. He could – and should – have had his sons stoned to death. At the very least, he could have removed his sons from the priesthood. But he did nothing to stop them after they rejected his words of rebuke.
4) Often when parents, like Eli, fail to discipline their children, it’s not because they don’t realize their children are sinning, nor is it because they don’t have ways at their disposal to effectively discipline their children. Their failure to discipline is the result of their not being willing to “pay the price” to do what’s right in God’s sight. Eli might have been afraid that he would lose what little relationship he had with his sons. He might have been afraid of what others might think about him – given how Spiritually lax the Israelite community, as a whole, had become. Perhaps he didn’t want to return to eating hamburger after having acquired an affection for steak.
5) When Eli was finally rebuked by that unnamed prophet – who was speaking directly to him from the LORD – he still didn’t properly, decisively discipline his sons. He failed, not because he was ignorant. He failed, not because he didn’t have sufficient time to act. He failed to act because he didn’t love God enough to do what was right and pleasing in God’s sight. He failed, also, because he loved his sons with the wrong kind of love. Primarily he loved them emotionally……when he needed – first and foremost – to Spiritually love their souls.
6) Ultimately, Eli broke the First Commandment by loving his sons (and himself?) more than he loved the LORD. In Matthew 10:34-39 Jesus makes clear what our “family priorities” must always be: “34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.”
Like Eli, God calls on us to bring up our children (and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) in the “training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Parents not only have to verbally instruct and rebuke their children, they must correct them as well. And correction includes the use of the “rod” as God directs us in Proverbs 13:24: “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”
God’s Word here doesn’t sanction excessive punishment or abuse, but abuse by some is no excuse for avoiding spanking, or in other ways effectively disciplining a disobedient child. The faithful use of God’s Law in its “second use” (the law as a curb, or club) occurs when the worst outbreaks of sin are strongly dealt with. That includes corporal punishment for disobedient children. Sadly today, too many parents are controlled by their children, instead of them keeping their children under control. And, by the way, even when our children are grown adults, we are still accountable to God if we fail to address and correct their sins Biblically.
Like Abraham did in his great test of faith (Genesis 22), Christian parents keep the first commandment by being willing to give their children up to the Lord. Our life and true happiness is not found in our children, but in our LORD. In fact, regarding our love for our children (as well as our spouse, grandchildren, etc.) we must “hate” those children COMPARED TO OUR LOVE FOR OUR LORD. As we love our LORD with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are free to deal with everyone else (including our children) in the ways that are best for them, and the ways that best give God the glory He is due.
Incidentally, there are times when a child might have to discipline his or her parents…..or when one spouse must discipline the other. Likewise, within Christ’s Church, our LORD does not merely ask…..He commands us to exercise Biblical discipline on willful, unrepentant sinners (see Matthew 18:15-20; I Corinthians 5:1-5)….even when those individuals are our friends and family. Why? For the love of their eternal souls. Ultimately, a person’s eternal salvation is more important – BY FAR – than any earthly relationship. And if, because of our feelings for family and friends, we refuse…..like Eli did regarding his sons…..then our failure to correct, rebuke and discipline sin….is itself sin.
Sadly, too many Christians choose, like Eli, to turn a blind eye to the sins of others – especially the sins of those closest and dearest to them – in the vain hope the sin-problem will go away somehow. It will not go away; it will only get bigger and worse. Over time, continuing to say and do nothing, when we have the calling from God, in Christian love, to rebuke an erring, willful sinner makes us not only culpable….but complicit in that person’s sins. May God the Holy Spirit keep us from such complicity, but rather may He give us the strength of faith and brotherly love to call any and all sinners to repentance….for their souls’ sake, and for God’s glory.
Finally…..may God the Holy Spirit grant us all the grace to grow in our faith and faithfulness, as we have been reminded again through the sad, sorry story of Eli and his sons, to promptly and evangelically rebuke sinners, rather than to learn to sin like them. Let’s also thank our God that He, Who commands us to instruct and correct our children (and others), has set the perfect example for us in the way He graciously deals with us as His children….calling us to repentance, and assuring us of His full and free forgiveness and salvation whenever we do sin (and we will!) through faith in Jesus Christ, perfect, crucified and risen for us!