I have a beautiful cross that I wear daily. It functions as jewelry because of its sparkling diamonds and white gold, but more importantly it serves as a signal to myself and others of who it is I am aligned with. And it serves as a reminder of what following Jesus means for my life. In 1 Samuel 4:12–22, Israel experienced a devastating defeat with calamitous repercussions. Their defeat lead to the tragic deaths of Eli, his sons and daughter-in-law. It also led to the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by Israel’s enemy. Unfortunately Israel viewed the Ark as a good luck charm to take into battle, instead of a reminder of their covenant to follow God. Lord, help us to follow you, not ask you to bless whatever we want to do. Amen.
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry. (1 Samuel 4:12-13)
Israel engaged in a war against the philistines. The battle was going bad and they had lost over 4000 men. They asked the question, “ why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines?” It was the right question, but they came up with the wrong answer. Their answer was to bring the ark of the covenant onto the battlefield with them. They figured that the Ark would give them God’s presence and power to defeat their enemy. What God wanted, was for them to be obedient in their conduct and their worship. God was unwilling to follow them in battle. He was looking for them to follow Him instead.
Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”
The man hurried over to Eli, who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”
Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”
The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel forty years. (2 Samuel 4:14-18)
When the army of Israel was defeated by the Philistines, the messenger came to Eli with news that not only was Israel defeated, but his sons were dead, and the Ark of the Covenant had been taken by the Philistines. At that news, Eli fell over backwards, broke his neck and died. God‘s word was fulfilled in part that Eli nor his lineage would continue serving as priest.
His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. Whenshe heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.
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. She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” (1 Samuel 4:19-22)
Eli‘s daughter-in-law went into labor at the news of her husband and Eli‘s death as well as the capture of the Ark of the Covenant. In the shock of the news and following her delivery, she named her child Ichabod. While, the glory of the Lord had not departed Israel, the name was symbolic of their attitude about Him. They presumed that he was like the pagan gods that were embodied in man-made articles, and could presumably be captured by another people.
Conclusion
Israel understood the attack of their enemy as a sign that something was wrong. But instead of taking that as a sign that they needed to draw closer to God, they decided to try to drag God into their mess. Because of their apostasy and disobedience to God, He allowed calamity upon calamity to occur. They were defeated resoundingly by the Philistines, corrupt priests (Eli and his sons) died, Eli’s daughter in law died giving birth and the Ark of the Covenant was captured.
Israel’s misguided attitude was captured in the dying words of Eli’s daughter in law. She said “the glory has departed Israel because the Ark of God has been captured”. They viewed the Ark as a good luck charm that they could use to get whatever they wanted from God, instead of the representation of God that was meant to remind them of what God wanted from them.
Do you have the same attitude as Israel? Are you try to drag God where you want Him to go, or are you following God to where He is trying to lead you? Are you spending more prayer time trying to get God to do what you want, or are you seeking God to ask what He wants in your life? The right attitude toward our relationship with God is the difference between our defeat or our victory!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
