Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. - 1 Samuel 2:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 5, 2016): 1 Samuel 2

It is hard not to weigh in on the Bill Cosby scandal. And I have to admit that I am as disappointed as anyone. I grew up with the moral teachings of Fat Albert and The Cosby Show, and there were several times when I admit that I applauded the things that Cosby would say. And yes, I get that Cosby was speaking to the Black community, but his words were often just as applicable to the White community of which I belonged. I am not trying to belittle the Black struggle in America, and I have never had to live that life, but in the end we are all people. And what applies to one group, applies to another. Despite the preferential treatment that we seem to see on the Network news, we are all people – there are not, or at least there should not be, different rules for one group than another. We are the same. So when Bill Cosby spoke, even I could take to heart the wisdom of his words.

But sometimes we think that exalted position means that we are better people. It is at the heart of the complaint of some athletes that they are being paid to play football (or baseball or some other sport) not to be role models. Just because I am making tons of money and every child wants to live my life, that doesn’t mean that I am a good person. Cosby stands in the same place. Just because he was famous and rich and said wise things we thought that maybe he was a quality person. And maybe that was the truth and all of his accusers are out for his money or something. But in this moment of time it just doesn’t look like that was the case. Apparently Bill Cosby the wise is really Bill Cosby the scoundrel.

Eli was the High Priest. And his sons were also priests. In fact, Eli’s sons whose names were Hophni and Phinehas, were probably on the track to become, if not the High Priest, at the very least a really important priest in the nation of Israel. They were high profile people and when they spoke, people listened.

But Samuel says that Hophni and Phinehas were scoundrels (if that word sounds too crude for you, then the Hebrew word used here is ben bĕliya`al, which translates to the “sons of worthlessness or destruction,” but scoundrels works for me). Even though they claimed to serve the God of Israel, the truth was that the only god they really served was themselves. In spite of the fact that they held high office and were most likely very well respected, in reality they were worthless – and their lives were waiting for destruction, because even as priests of God, they refused to really serve god.

Our culture seems to reveal to us many people who are prominent and who we begin to give them our respect, who are really scoundrels. Bill Cosby, if the allegations are true, definitely does not stand alone. But maybe the more important question is simply this – do our lives when we are alone match the morals that we proclaim publically. It is a question we need to keep on asking, before someone calls us the “sons and daughters of worthlessness” – or just scoundrels.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Judges 11