Hophni and Phinehas, priestly descendants of Aaron through Eli, are infamous! Religiously they represented God before Israel, but their private lives screamed hypocrite, obstinate, pompous, adulterer! Eli knew their sins, but they would not listen to his rebuke. God promised an ear-tingling event concerning this family.

Leadership represents character. Does position excuse personal sin? Not with God. Smoke screens of rhetoric, lying, business activities, war, transference of blame, and murder are used to hide deceptive practices. Personal and national life are destroyed when individuals believe their leadership position and moral codes are above God’s laws. When evil is called right, everyone loses. But God is not fooled. “God does not show favoritism”(Acts 10:34).

The day Phinehas’s son Ichabod, “no glory,” was born was the day his father, mother, Hophni and Eli died. The ears of Israel tingled. Thus God’s rebuke and promised punishment began. This family, like King David’s, never recovered from the sin of their father. Personal sin destroys because it is a disgrace to an individual, family and nation. Our world doesn’t need more weapons, just more godly character.