Why A Mother Named Her Son Icabod
1 Sam 4:1-22
1 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet
the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines
camped in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines drew up in battle array
to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the
Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.
3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has
the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves
from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among
us and deliver us from the power of our enemies." 4 So the
people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant
of the LORD of hosts who sits {above} the cherubim; and the two sons of
Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, {were} there with the ark of the covenant of
God. 5 And it happened as the ark of the covenant of the LORD
came into the camp, that all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that
the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of
the shout, they said, "What {does} the noise of this great shout in the
camp of the Hebrews {mean?} Then they understood that the ark of
the LORD had come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were
afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe
to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 "Woe to
us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are
the gods who smote the Egyptians with all {kinds of} plagues in the wilderness.
9 "Take courage and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the
Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight."
10 So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled
to his tent, and the slaughter was very great; for there fell of Israel
thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 And the ark of God was taken;
and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 12 Now
a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same
day with his clothes torn and dust on his head.
13 When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on {his} seat by the road
eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So
the man came to tell {it} in the city, and all the city cried out.
14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What {does} the noise
of this commotion {mean?} Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he
could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, "I am the one who
came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today."
And he said, "How did things go, my son?" 17 Then the one who
brought the news answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines
and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two
sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."
18 And it came about when he mentioned the ark of God that Eli fell off
the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died,
for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give
birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that
her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth,
for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death
the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have
given birth to a son." But she did not answer or pay attention.
21 And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from
Israel," because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law
and her husband. 22 And she said, "The glory has departed
from Israel, for the ark of God was taken." (NAS)
Introduction
Can you imagine a mother naming her son Icabod? Of course, this name
is from the Hebrew language. It is made by taking the word for Glory (H
KAHVOHD) and placing a negation in front of it. Literally Ichabod means
the glory of the Lord is gone or departed. Why did this lady think the
glory of the Lord was gone? I offer six reasons---First, God's people were
losing battles.
I. Why did a mother name her
son Icabod?
Because God's people were losing battles.
v 1-3 & 10
1 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet
the Philistines in battle and camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines
camped in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines drew up in battle array
to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the
Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.
3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has
the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves
from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among
us and deliver us from the power of our enemies."
10 So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man
fled to his tent, and the slaughter was very great; for there fell of Israel
thirty thousand foot soldiers.
Explanation
In the first two verses the historical record of God's Word reports
the historical record that His people lost a battle and 4,000 men were
killed. In verse 10 it states 30,ooo men were killed. This was unusual
for Israel because God had promised and given unique victories in the past..
Illustration
In Joshua 6 Jericho fell because they followed God's plan of waling
around the city 7 times blowing trumpets ans shouting.
In Judges 15 Samson kills 1,000 men with the jaw bone from a donkey.
In Judges 7 God gives victory to 300 men that He couldn't give to 32,000
men.
Application
Israel was accustomed to winning battles because she walked with God.
His presence was among them and as long as they were obedient, they won
victories over the enemy. But now the presence of God was against Israel
because of their sin. The second reason why this lade thought the presence
of God was gone included --- The People were Making Decisions Without Seeking
God's Guidance.
II. Why did a mother name her
son Ichabod? Because the People were making decisions without seeking God's
guidance. v 3-10
3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has
the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves
from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among
us and deliver us from the power of our enemies." 4 So the
people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant
of the LORD of hosts who sits {above} the cherubim; and the two sons of
Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, {were} there with the ark of the covenant of
God. 5 And it happened as the ark of the covenant of the LORD
came into the camp, that all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that
the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of
the shout, they said, "What {does} the noise of this great shout in the
camp of the Hebrews {mean?} Then they understood that the ark of
the LORD had come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were
afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." And they said, "Woe
to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 "Woe to
us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are
the gods who smote the Egyptians with all {kinds of} plagues in the wilderness.
9 "Take courage and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the
Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight."
10 So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled
to his tent, and the slaughter was very great; for there fell of Israel
thirty thousand foot soldiers.
Explanation
In verses one and two we have noted the people lost a battle. In verses
3-10 the people decixc they need to get the Ark of the Covenant. You see,
the Ark symbolized the presence of God. The Book of the Law was kept in
it and God had spoken audibly to Moses from the Ark. This would seem to
be good thinking but it was reasoning that never consulted God. There is
no reference to prayer or seeking the counsel and intervention of the Godly
people. In fact, very sinful men were leading the people.
Illustration
No doubt all of you have spent the night or several nights in a different
home and slept in a strange bed. One little boy on vacation with his parents
was sleeping in a little room off to itself but close to his parents. On
the day they were to leave they tried to get this boy up before dawn. The
boy surprised Mom and Dad by saying, "I won't get up until I can see Jesus."
Thinking this to be an unusual response the parents sought an explanation.
Then they discovered a picture of Jesus on the wall and the boy had been
afraid to get up until it was light enough to see that picture.
Application
That boy's example would have been good for the Children of Israel.
I t would certainly be good for us. When we are most aware of God's presence
we will seek His guidance. We will not make decisions without seeking His
counsel. The tiird reason why this lady thought the presence of God was
gone incluced --- The People Were Abusing the Holy Articles of God.
III. Why did a mother
name her son Ichabod?
Because the People Misused the Holy Things of
God. v 4
Explanation
In verse 4, Phinehas, the father of this child named Ichabod, was one
of the leaders in abusing the Holy Ark of God. He helped in leading the
people to desire the Ark just so they might win a battle. A holy purpose
never entered their minds, just get God on our side like some king or magical
genie. A very unholy purpose for the Ark of the Covenant. No wonder this
mother thought the presence of God was gone from these people.
Illustration
In the book of Daniel the story is told of a king who took the holy
temple vessels and used them in drunken feast. It wasn't long until he
saw the handwriting on the wall and the judgment of God fell on him.
Application
A nation can not abuse the holy articles and things of God without receiving
God's judgment. God's presence will not bless a nation or a people who
do these things. God's name is holy! This mother knew the glory of God
had departed from Israel --- Because Sinful men were overseeing the work
of God.
IV. Why did this mother name her
son Ichabod? Because sinful
men were overseeing the work of God. 1
Sam 2:22-25 & 3:11-13
1 Sam 2:22-25
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing
to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway
of the tent of meeting.
23 And he said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things
that I hear from all these people? 24 "No, my sons; for the
report is not good which I hear the LORD'S people circulating.
25 "If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a
man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not
listen to the voice of their father, for the LORD desired to put them to
death. (NAS)
1 Sam 3:11-13
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in
Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12
"In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning
his house, from beginning to end.
13 "For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever
for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves
and he did not rebuke them. (NAS)
Explanation
A little research reveals that Eli, the grandfather of this boy named
Ichabod, was not the godly man he should have been.. He was the High Priest
but he had stopped rebuking the sins of his own sons and was not delivering
the Word of God to the people. His sons were filthy sinners and yet they
were allowed to serve in the temple. (I Sam. 2:17, 22-25; 3:1, 13)
Illustration
I know of a church in Florida where the pastor had a bar in his office.
Another person on staff had a reputation of being promiscuous. But the
church became one of the largest churches in South Florida. Why? Because
people were comfortable in their sin and with these sinful leaders, and
God's presence wasn't desired.
Application
What about the leaders of this church from the pastor to every elected
leader? Are they godly? Do they ha ve a desire to grow in Christ-loikeness
that is measurable by what they do and what they don't do? Isd the use
of time, talent and possession motivated yy a desire to be godly and walk
in the presence of God? This mother thought the presence of God was gone---Because
the Enemy no longer respected God of His People.
V. Why did this mother name
her child Ichabod?
Because the enemy no longer respected God or His
People. v 5-9
5 And it happened as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the
camp, that all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What
{does} the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews {mean?}
Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the
camp." And they said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.
8 "Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?
These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all {kinds of} plagues
in the wilderness. 9 "Take courage and be men, O Philistines,
lest you become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you;
therefore, be men and fight."
Explanation
Notice in verse 5 the immediate effect on the people of Israel when
the Arlk was brought into their camp. Then notice in verses 6-8 the immediate
effect on the Philistines. But then in verse 9 the leadership causes the
Philistines to no longer respect the Ark and fear the God of Israel. The
enemy had heard of what God had accomplished in Egypt and in many other
battles, but Satan and his foerces know you can't fight today's battles
on yesterday's victories. The enemy doesn't respect the Children of God
unless they walk in righteousness with their God. A christian is powerful
and protected as he walks in the presence of God. But if the enemy knows
you're a Christian who doesn't live up tpo up to your faith, theydon't
have respect for you. In verse 11 the Philistines captured the Ark.
Illustration
In Acts 19:13-16, a story is told of some persons desiring to be exorcists.
They conmanded an evil spirit to leave a person and the demons answsered,
"I recognize Jesus and I know about Paul, but who are you? You see, the
evil forces had no respect for these men because they were not godly.
Application
A mother knew the glory of God had departed from Israel because the
enemy had taken away one of their most precious and holy articles. Today
can you mothers see a disrespect for God, His name, His house, His day?
Could you name a child Ichabod today?
VI. Why did the mother name her child Ichabod?
Because she saw the Judgment of God fall.
v 15-22
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were set so that he
could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, "I am the one who
came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today."
And he said, "How did things go, my son?" 17 Then the one who
brought the news answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines
and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two
sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."
18 And it came about when he mentioned the ark of God that Eli fell off
the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died,
for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give
birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that
her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth,
for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death
the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have
given birth to a son." But she did not answer or pay attention.
21 And she called the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from
Israel," because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law
and her husband. 22 And she said, "The glory has departed
from Israel, for the ark of God was taken." (NAS)
Explanation
When the glory of God is present in a people's life, they are not judged
harshly by God. They may suffer and experience unpleasanatness, but it
is because they are godly and in opposition ot the world. However, when
God sends Judgment or allows an evil nmation to be His source of Judgment,
it is evident His presence and glory no longer rest with a people.
Illustration
In contrast Jesus says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Application
Mothers, do you see God's judgment on the lives of those who are living
ungodly lives? Is the glory of God gone? Could you name a child Ichabod?
Conclusion
This mother named her son Ichabod. But approximately 1200 years later
a mother named her son JESUS. The name Jesus means Savior, Jehovah
Saves, or Power to save. Which child do you want this day in
your life, home and church?
Email Preach Him with
Dr. Jim
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