Shiloh, 2012.

Shiloh is the poster child for compromised worship.

If God's response to Hannah's prayer were based upon the worship activity of the priests Hophni and Phineas, then she would not have had a chance of having her prayer answered. The priests were corrupt beyond repair (see First Samuel 2:12-25).

And we Christians in America see Shiloh's shadow cast across our nation. It is a shadow that has been expanding over the centuries, compromising the Eternal Light found in our Lord Jesus.

I'd like to clarify that this shadow hangs squarely over the church. Remember, our analogy is Hophni and Phineas "doing worship" in Shiloh. And our scripture tells us that judgement begins first at the house of God (Ezekiel 9:6).

When a governing body such as a local church or denomination states that behaviors condemned by God and canon are permissible in the postmodern age, what is a Christian to do? How do we embrace a liturgy being administered by those who preach the canon, but don't obey God?

Hannah, in First Samuel 1, gives us an example of how to conduct ourselves.

*She went to the house of the Lord to worship Him.
*She brought sacrifices to offer to the Lord.
*She shared a fellowship meal at God's house.
*She prayed.
*She received a prophetic word from God through Eli and took it seriously.
*She dedicated her son to full-time ministry.
*She returned to God's house to give Eli a testimony of God's faithfulness.

In other words, Hannah kept her focus on God. She was not the person called to indict Eli and his sons. God had two other people lined up for that task.

"Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD...the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house...all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.' " (see First Samuel 2:27-34)

"Then the LORD said to Samuel: 'Behold, I will do something in Israel...I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.' " (see First Samuel 3:11-14)

Friends, we live in Shiloh's shadow. But we will faithfully worship our great God. And He will speak and act according to His word.