Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
The faithful priest God promised to raise up (1 Samuel 2:35) was initially Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Samuel 7:9; 1 Samuel 9:2-13). Zadok, a descendant of Levi’s son Eleazar, replaced Abiathar as high priest in Solomon’s day (1 Kings 2:35). [Note: Segal, p. 40; et al.] The Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 2:35) was the king of Israel. One of his descendants would be Messiah. Ezekiel 44:15; Ezekiel 48:11 refer to the continuing ministry of Zadok’s descendants when Messiah reigns in His future millennial kingdom. [Note: See Ronald L. Rushing, "Phinehas’ Covenant of Peace," Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1988.] 1 Samuel 2:36 evidently continues to describe the fate of Eli’s descendants after God deposed Abiathar. [Note: For another study of 1 Samuel 2:27-36, see Tsevat, "Studies in the Book of Samuel," Hebrew Union College Annual 32 (1961):191-216.] 