The Glory Has Departed

We’ve just come out of chapter 3 in 1 Samuel, which is a beautiful story of the boy, Samuel, and how God was with Him. Everyone recognized this to be true even though Samuel is just a young man. Then we are immediately thrust into chapter 4, where “Israel went to war against the Philistines.”

All kinds of questions enter my mind. Why are they at war now? Who led this and for what purpose? What kind of thought went into this? I know for us today, no one wants any part of going into a war with another group of people unless there are an awful lot of reasons to do so. We aren’t given those details. But we do learn, two sentences later, that the Israelites were badly beaten, about 4,000 soldiers died in that battle.

The elders respond by asking “Why has God given us such a beating today by the Philistines?” But it’s as if there is no pause to actually hear an answer from God, instead action is taken almost immediately, and the Chest of God is taken onto the battlefield. Surely, if we have the Chest here that will mean victory! That’s how it was before, right?

When did Israel’s mindset become, if we just carry the chest into a battle that is all we need to have victory? What other steps are they completely forgetting or ignoring? Is anybody really listening to God and His directions? Ironically enough, the previous chapter was all about Samuel and Him listening to God’s voice, who spoke very clearly to him, even as a boy!

After we’ve just heard how much Samuel is a man of God and the people respect him and his connection to God...Samuel is mentioned nowhere in this chapter, throughout this whole process!

The Israelites seem impulsive and foolish in chapter 4. God will not be mocked. The very next battle, 30,000 more soldiers die, along with Eli’s sons and eventually Eli as he hears the news. Even Eli’s daughter-in-law will die, while giving birth to a son, whom she names Ichabod (The glory has departed).

Wow. Have you ever felt this kind of darkness and hopelessness? You don’t have to look far to experience it.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

-Ruth Spencer