“When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes.” – Proverbs 18:3

Is God still big on contempt today? Rarely will you find preachers preaching contempt and other “hard” sermons these days. Many find that congregants don’t like it; plus, it conflicts their understanding of Grace as we have it. So, what is contempt? It is simply a lack of respect for a person or a thing. Our verse for today shows us that contempt is the fruit wicked men bear. – “when a wicked man comes, contempt also comes.”

When a person treats God with contempt, it is a sign that they have not regarded God or the things of God in their dealings. I had an encounter with a mother who told me about her son, her story reminded me so much of Eli and his sons. She details how her teenage son used to go into her tithe at the slightest difficulty and how much that worried her. Several attempts to hide the money proved futile, she literally had to preach the message of Eli and his son’s contempt towards God to get him to stop that behavior.

There are several passages in the Bible that teach against contempt. One of the most well known ones I believe, is the story or Eli and his sons. 1 Samuel recounts how it was the practice of the priests that whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.

But even before the fat was burned, Eli’s sons would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” his sons would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

By this, Eli’s sons defiled the offering of God and treated it with contempt. In subsequent chapters, God pronounces judgement on them and eventually wipes them out. On their part, this was a lack of respect for the ordinance of God and ultimately a lack of respect for God.

It is important that we all learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating the mishaps they committed against God. In all our doings, may we never forget to treat the things of God with the utmost respect and give him all the reverence needed, in Jesus name. Amen.