Because Eli’s sons had rejected God’s sacrifice as the basis for forgiveness, the Lord declared judgment against Eli’s house. Acting as God’s prophet, Samuel presented His message to Eli, experiencing for the first time the immense challenge of conveying God’s word—especially the truth of coming wrath. As Alistair Begg explains, though, God’s word will always accomplish His purposes, whether spoken faithfully by Samuel or fully and finally through the Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ.