She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 1 Samuel 4:21 NIV
Read 1 Samuel 4.
Some people just have to learn the hard way; don’t they? The wise will heed warnings and turn the other direction. They see the sign that says, “Bridge out,” and they find an alternate route. They hear the tornado sirens and immediately take shelter. The hazard of texting and driving, or driving under the influence is broadly proclaimed, or the danger of taking excess pain medication, overeating, or burning trash during a drought are obvious risks. However, not everyone takes such warnings seriously. Some will continue their risky behavior, and eventually pay the consequences.
Unfortunately, many diseases, accidents, calamities, etc. can be prevented with wise adherence to the warning signs. This goes beyond the mere physical realm as well. The spiritual warnings are all around us, but not everyone will pay attention and change their course. God has lovingly placed roadblocks and caution signs before us to guide us from danger, and in His grace, He has provided an alternate path that leads to life and blessings through His Son. If everyone would just listen!
Back to Samuel’s day. Eli and his sons have ignored the warnings all these years, and they continued to disrespect and defile the temple of God. God has given them ample opportunity to recalculate their lives, but to no avail. God did not send sudden disaster upon them unjustly, but He allowed them to make the choice. With every choice comes a price, and it was about time for them to pay the piper!
The prophesy was about to be fulfilled. Israel was at war with the Philistines and had lost countless men. They began questioning why God would allow them to be overcome by their enemy. Where was God, anyway? Israel was on a losing streak, and they needed to do something quickly! Unfortunately, they were about to make a huge mistake!
The elders of Israel thought they had a brilliant idea. They would take the Ark of the Covenant that carried the presence of the Lord with them into battle. Surely, they would win now! However, the presence of God is not to be used as a “Good luck charm,” nor is to be disrespected or treated with dishonor. This was a bad move!
Not only were the Israelites defeated that day, but they suffered unspeakable loss! As prophesied, Hophni and Phinehas were also killed. However, the worst of all was that the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. Nothing could have grieved the Israelites more than this!
When Eli heard the news, he was so upset that he fell from his seat at the city gate and broke his neck. Verse 18 says that he was old and overweight, which I suppose made his fall more serious. Consequently, he died instantly.
To top it off, the news also caused the wife of Phinehas, who was expecting a baby, to go into labor. She suffered a horrible delivery and died during childbirth. However, before she passed, she spoke the most profound statement about the condition of the nation of Israel. She named her son, Ichabod, meaning that “The glory has departed from Israel.”
Yes, this could have been prevented if the priests had heeded the warnings from the Lord, but what is missing here is that hope is not all gone! No sir! A new generation was rising up, and Samuel would be at the helm. This dark season would be short lived because of a young man who dared listen to and obey the Lord with all his heart.
May we learn from this example. It is not too late in our lives either. Whether you are suffering physical symptoms from neglecting your health, or you are running from the presence of the Lord in your life, understand that your GPS, that is your God-Positioning System, allows U-turns! He will recalculate your route if you will only listen and obey. Praise the Lord for hope and second chances!
