I Samuel – 4
Wednesday, January 26, 2010
The Glory Is Departed
(I Samuel 4:19-22)
To Israel of old, the Ark of the Covenant represented the presence, the very throne of God, in Israel. Imagine Israel’s dismay when, having taken the ark to battle as a lucky charm, the precious symbol of God’s presence was taken captive by the Philistines! It was as if God Himself had been captured and exiled.
Phinehas’ wife, upon hearing the news that her husband and father-in-law were dead and that the ark had been captured, went into premature labor. As she slipped into eternity, she named her infant son “Ichabod,” meaning “the glory hath departed.” Such a strange appellation fit the desperate circumstances of the day—the ark of God, symbol of God’s presence, had departed. The “glory” was gone.
Perhaps this Old Testament story bears some New Testament application. The worst set of circumstances that can ever befall a people is the departure of God. Whether one considers the fate of a nation, a church, or a family, God’s departure is an inestimable tragedy.
Of course, by God’s “departure” we do not mean his physical abandonment. God is omnipresent, in everyplace at once. By “departure” we refer to His direct blessing, His heavenly guidance, and His sovereign protection. God’s “glory” involves His special watch-care for His people. When God departs in the sense of allowing His people to have their own way with Him merely watching from the sidelines, that is tragedy indeed!
Nothing in life is worthwhile if the Lord’s presence and blessing—His smile from heaven—does not accompany it. And nothing is more tragic than to have known of the sweet presence of God and to witness a day of downgrade, a day when the glory departs!
