If Someone Sins against the Lord, Who Can Intercede for Him?
A father talks to his son(s) about spiritual things. The reality and presence of God weighs heavily on the father. No so much on the sons. Their world is big in their eyes, and God is small. God seems far off, even irrelevant. Oh, they don’t deny God. They may go through some of the practices of faith. But it’s different for them than for Dad. His faith is central to his life. He is old-fashioned.
The setting described above could be found throughout the world and generations. But it is found in the Bible. Eli was talking to his sons. He was, in fact, the priest at Shiloh. His sons were heirs to that responsibility. But whereas, for Eli, his service had been a exercise of faith and devotion, his sons’ “service” was that of taking advantage, avarice, and immorality. Scripture says, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt” (1 Sam 2:17).
How do we reason with those who do not share our view of God? I’m not sure that Eli’s conversation with his sons is given as a template. It was unsuccessful. They continued in their sinfulness and ended up paying a heavy price; an eternal price, I fear. But Eli makes a statement that I’ve included in my list of Critical Questions in the Bible. It’s one that we should all consider, though it seems that many won’t. Will you?
Eli says, “If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” (1 Sam 2:25). I must confess that I’m not sure how to distinguish between sinning against man and sinning against God. David sinned against Uriah in the matter of Bathsheba, and still said to the Lord, “Against you (God), you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). It seems that all our sins are ultimately against the Lord.
But nonetheless, Eli warns his sons of the harsh reality of sinning against God. And who could possibly be the mediator in such a case? Certainly no mere man can stand between an offending human and God as mediator, since even the best of men is an offending human and thus disqualified from mediating.
But God Himself has stepped into that gap for us through the Person of His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the Mediator and the atoning sacrifice. As the hymn says, “He, to save my soul from danger, Interposed His precious blood.”
