Eli was gentle, loving, and kind, and had a true interest in the service of God and the prosperity of His cause. He was a man who had power in prayer. He never rose up in rebellion against the words of God. But he was wanting; he did not have firmness of character to reprove sin and execute justice against the sinner so that God could depend upon him to keep Israel pure. He did not add to his faith the courage and power to say No at the right time and in the right place. Sin is sin; righteousness is righteousness. The trumpet note of warning must be sounded. We are living in a fearfully wicked age. The worship of God will become corrupted unless there are wide-awake men at every post of duty. It is no time now for any to be absorbed in selfish ease. Not one of the words which God has spoken must be allowed to fall to the ground. {4T 517.2}

Eli var venlig, elskende og mild og havde en sand interesse for Guds tjeneste og hans sags fremgang. Han var et menneske med kraft i bønnen. Han rejste sig aldrig i oprør mod Guds ord. Men han var mangelfuld; han havde ikke karakterfasthed til at irettesætte synd og udøve retfærdighed mod synderen, så at Gud kunne lade ham holde Israel rent. Han forøgede ikke sin tro, modet og kraften til at sige nej på rigtige tidspunkt og på rette sted. Synd er synd; retfærdighed er retfærdighed. Det advarende basunstød må lyde. Vi lever i en frygtelig ond tidsalder. Gudsdyrkelsen vil blive fordærvet, medmindre der er årvågne mennesker på hver pligt-post. Nu er der ikke nogen, der har tid til at lade sig opsluge i selvisk magelighed. Ingen af de ord Gud har talt må få lov til at falde til jorden.