At the beginning of the book of 1 Samuel, we run into these two guys who were the sons of Eli. Eli was the priest and his sons were his assistants. Being priests, they were allowed to receive a portion of the sacrifice that was being made to God. And here is what they were to receive:
“When any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself” (1 Sam 2:12-14).
And this is how the priests made their livelihood. They got a chunk of meat with each sacrifice. However, boiled meat is not really the best stuff. I mean, who would want a chunk of bland, boiled meat when you could have a juicy, grilled steak that has a thin ring of fat around the outside that releases all of those flavors while it crackles and pops over the fire? Well I’ll tell you who didn’t want the boiled meat: Eli’s sons.
“Before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not I will take it by force” (1 Sam 2:15-16).
The fatty parts were the best parts and they wanted those parts for themselves. What they were doing, in essence, was taking the place of God. They were trying to get the best things for themselves and giving the leftovers to the Lord.
Do you ever act like the sons of Eli? Do you try to reserve the best things for yourself and give God the scraps? Like your time: do you give Him the best time of the day, or squeeze Him in right before bed as you’re falling asleep? What about your finances: are you giving Him the best part of your earnings, or just what’s left over? What about your talents? What about your relationships? What about your life? Are you trying to something that should be going to God?
God eventually ordained that the sons of Eli be killed. It never works out too well when someone tries to cheat God. May you find the best parts of your life and gladly give them to the Lord.