Day 951: The greatest loss of all - 1 Samuel 4 vs 12 – 22

12-14 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15-16 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?”

17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backwards from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

19-20 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21-22 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed (gone into exile) from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” 1 Samuel 4:10-22 English Standard Version

Today’s reading followed the huge defeat which the Philistines had inflicted upon Israel, despite the Israelites having brought the Ark of God into their camp. Over thirty thousand Israelite foot soldiers had fallen in battle. On a personal level, the old priest Eli had lost both his sons in that war, and his daughter-in-law had lost her husband and, subsequently, her father-in-law too. The headlines of our days also tell of wars in the world, and of thousands who are perishing. But statistics don't tell of the personal tragedies involved. Yet what do we read of both Eli and his daughter-in-law when they heard the news?

They were both more shocked and grieved by the capture of the Ark of God than by the death of their loved ones. That will sound strange to those of us who live in the modern secular western world. The reason for that is that our modern western world has no sense of the glory of God. The dying mother, however, named her child Ichabod – which literally meant 'no glory'.

Now it's true that Israel was in a special relationship with God at that time, so the Ark's capture would have made it seem as if God had forsaken His people. This is not the same situation for nations of the world today. Yet there was a time when many nations did have some sense of God's glory as the gospel brought life to many of their populations. The large Cathedrals all over Europe testify to that fact. But since those days, false science and secularism have filled these nations with unbelief and declining morality. It can well be said of them that God's glory has departed. And the question is, does it grieve us?

I suspect that a sad truth for many Christians is that we've grown lukewarm. We've become so accustomed to the ungodliness that abounds in the land, which is even sometimes part of our entertainment, that God's majesty, holiness and glory is no longer the dominant theme of our minds. And while we would weep bitterly if a loved one died, we shed few tears for the rampant wickedness in our land. And perhaps we also need to remember Jesus' words when He spoke of days when families would be at loggerheads because of Him, and said: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37). May God help us to regain a sense of His glory, and may it grieve us when that glory is trampled upon. May it lead us to pray more earnestly for the progress of the gospel in our land, our town, and in our loved ones too.