Bible Men: Eliab: The Tribulations of the Eldest Brother

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 1Sa 17:28  

The First Family: From Eden to Sibling Rivalry to Death

And so the Bible opens with the famous story of the first family in the world. Cain was the firstborn and Abel second. In Cain we have the picture of a fiercely ambitious man, who, when God rejected his offering Cain never forgave God. God tried to reason, but Cain never listened. He was a vengeful man. So he killed his younger brother Abel to teach God a lesson. Abel died without even uttering a single word. But Cain, like “a true man”, never repented.

And Cain’s rejection and vengeance has continued to shake the family foundation up to this day.

We are not told about Adam’s feelings over his wayward son. But we are told about Abraham’s. He wanted God to recognize Ishmael, but God rejected him and chose Isaac instead. And Ishmael became a hater of the Jews up to this day.

Jacob stole his elder brother Esau’s blessings. And for twenty years Jacob lived in hiding from his elder brother’s wrath. And the rivalry between Joseph and his brothers nearly turned fatal.

And now we read of Eliab, Jesse’s firstborn and the elder brother to David. And God rejected Eliab and chose the last born David to be king over Israel.

And perhaps there’s another reason for Eliab’s diatribe against his younger brother, apart from his rejection. For forty days the Philistine giant Goliath had breathed down fear upon the Israel men until (we perceive) they felt like grasshoppers. Eliab had sat in that army with his three young siblings. Probably they had looked to him for leadership but found none.

And then David steps into that fray carrying nothing but his faith. The Israel army consisted of men of war. And then “this child” steps into that battle carrying nothing in his hands but his sling, a few stones, and his faith in the God of Israel! 

I think it was this sight of David which gave vent to Eliab’s nightmare. In his first encounter with the God of Israel Eliab had felt slighted. And here again in the face of his younger brother Eliab felt slighted a second time!

“And a little child shall lead them.”

The Genius of the Bible Writer

And herein is the genius of the Bible writer. He shines his brief light on Eliab giving us his single verse. And then he leaves matters in our hands. Eliab’s scream resounds deep into the recesses of the human heart, revealing the bone and marrow of his thoughts…

He meant to show us the heart of David (proud and naughty), but it is Eliab’s heart which is on display up to this day.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.  Mat 12:35-37  

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Pro 25:28 

Sin as a Leprosy

Sin is a rampaging disease. It’s a leprosy. It catches everyone who comes into contact with it. And the family is the first contact. From there it spreads to the nation and to the world as a whole.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son the younger brother returned home from his famine, but immediately his elder brother started on his own.

And how can the fatted calf and the dance be enjoyable while one of our own chooses to stay out? So the Father went out and reasoned with his son. And shouldn’t we copy our Master too in his undisguised compassion for all up to this day?

The saying is true and worthy of acceptation: “Love covers a multitude of sins.” If only Eliab had held his peace! If only the light inside him had not grown so dark!

Every saint has a past, invoked Wilde, and every sinner has a future. Be gentle on your wayward brother or sister today.  

“Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound!”

So God has always been faithful. No single family is entirely evil from the beginning to the end. God held up a beacon of hope for Adam’s family after all. Abel died. Cain became an outcast. But God gave Adam and Eve another son called Seth. It was from his son Enos that men began to call on the name of the LORD (Gen 4:25-26). And Jesus Christ is a descendant of Adam.

The first Adam died. The second Adam lives.

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 5:19-21  

From Death to Life

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1). 

Our fall was not just a natural occurrence but a spiritual one. The great fall happened in the heart. We hope Eliab and his younger brother David made peace. We hope, even though love was shrouded in shadows then.

In his ode on love Paul waxes effusive when he surveys the plenitude of this mysterious act: “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Can this really be possible? Yes. Because the mist of hate has dispersed and now love sits on the throne. The clear and blue sky dwells in the heart now. May the Lord God grant us mercy that we may behold this mystery every day.