PART 4: ELI'S UNLUCKY POSTERITY VS ABRAHAM'S STRATEGY

 

#pastorbiodunsoretire

And Eli's later descendants were honourable priests:

Ahimelech the high priest (1Sam21:1) who was Eli's great grandson (son of Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli), Abiathar, David's priest and personal friend, (1Sam.23:9; 1Sam30:7) who was Eli's great great grandson (son of Ahimelech), and another Ahimelech, a high position-holding priest that shared with David and Zadok the responsibility of apportioning the priests into their order (1Chron.24:3), who was Eli's great, great, great grandson (son of Abiathar). 

It is noteworthy that although Eli was grossly negligent in building his posterity - two times he was warned to call his children to order, and two times he was nonchalant (1Sam.2:27; 1Sam.3:11-18) - but God was still merciful. Although the consequences still rubbed on the ending of some of these bright spots in his lineage; senior Ahimelech was gruesomely murdered, while Abiathar his son was unceremoniously removed from office. May the mercy of God perfectly speak through us on behalf of many of our parents that have failed in building their posterity through us in Jesus' name.

Now, time will fail us to cover everything under this study, but we can maximise the allotted time to see how one can build enduring godliness in one's children that will keep replicating itself in every succeeding generation in one's lineage.

Listen to what God said concerning Abraham,

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him - Gen.18:19

That is where I am going! There is a way Abraham brought up his children that God is so sure that even after Abraham might have long left the scene, his children, and I add, children's children... will still continue in it. Prov. 22:6 becomes clearer in this light,

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it - Prov.22:6

So, how do you engrave goodly and godly values in your children so much that it becomes indelible in them and compelling for those they too will be raising. This is our preoccupation...

Part 5 comes up tomorrow