"She named the child Ichabod," 1 Samuel 4:21.
The glory left. Young priests set their adulterated passions to bed women at the entrance to the Lord's house. At their greedy pleasure these spiritual leaders pollute the people's offerings to God. These self-indulgent men lose the Ark of the Covenant in battle. Enemies deport the Ark. The priests die in the rout. Their father, the old priest, keels over dead with the horror of the Ark's loss. A now widowed, pregnant, young priest's wife, hopelessly dismayed, delivers her child in shock. With dying breath she names him Ichabod: The glory left. Dark times for Israel, indeed! All is lost. Except for the God part. God's been at work all along in the background, and right then and there presents the stage for Israel's grandest judge, Samuel.
When all around all we see is all loss, we yet hope for what we do not see; we confidently anticipate God's glory to shine. Visit with a brother or sister today and, giving thanks, talk of Jesus' glory to come.
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