God is not happy with those who lack repentance. He punishes them for their refusal to feel sorry in repentance, regret their actions and ask for forgiveness. In the Bible, Hophni and Phinehas were two brothers whom God punished for their lack of repentance.
Hophni and Phinehas were the sons of Eli – a Prophet in Israel in charge of the house of God at Shiloh. His sons were assistant Priests who helped him with the work of God. Hophni and Phinehas did so many evil in the sight of God with hardened heart.
At times, they desired their share of the meat for sacrifice raw and even forcefully. At other times, the women that came for sacrifice were forced into sin right at the altar of God.
God in his infinite mercy sent message to Eli through Samuel. He replied Samuel “It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him good”. In the long run, God punished them because they failed to repent from their sins. the same day Eli died, his two sons died, his daughter-in-law – Phinehas’ wife died during child birth(named the child Ichabod), and the ark of God was taken.
The Consequences of Sin
The following is the summary of the consequences of sin:
- Death: as in the case of Hophni and Phinehas.
- Lack of Revelation: God’s will and purpose cannot be revealed to a sinner who refuses to confess his /her sins.
- Unfulfilled purpose of God for one’s life: as in the case of Samson (Judges 16)
- Incurring the wrath of God.
- Lack of answers to prayer.
Moral Lessons
- King David, Zacchaeus, the people of Nineveh and the Jews in the time of John the Baptist, responded to the call to repentance. Thus, you must learn to respond to the call to repentance by praying to God to give you the mind to say sorry and ask for forgiveness like the aforementioned people did.
- God punishes those who show lack of repentance. Therefore, you must learn to pray to God to help you show repentance so as to avoid being punished by Him.
- The consequences of wrong doing affect and destroy us. Hence, you must learn to pray to God to give you spiritual power to avoid wrongdoing in order to escape its consequences.
EVALUATION
- State four consequences of lack of repentance.
- Identify four effect of Hophni’s and Phinehas’ lack of repentance.