Friday Devo
Scripture:
1 Samuel 4:18 - 22
18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. 20 She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.
21 She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. 22 Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
18 When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. 20 She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.
21 She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. 22 Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
Commentary:
4:17 Your two sons … are dead is the sign that Eli had been told to expect as a forewarning of the near demise of his house (2:34), but it seems that he is even more concerned about the ark.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 499.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 499.
Questions:
A man came running from the battlefield with terrible news. Israel had been defeated. The ark had been captured. Eli’s sons were dead. Eli himself had fallen and died. But when Phinehas’ wife heard that the ark of God had been captured, she went into labor and named her son Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel.” Her words reveal what mattered most to her. The glory had departed.
Israel had spent years treating God's presence as something they could use for their own purposes. They wanted God's power and blessing, but they had refused to honor God's authority. Now the consequences were devastating. The story of Ichabod reminds us that God's glory is not something to treat casually or push to the edges of our lives.
But Scripture doesn't leave us at Ichabod.
John tells us that “the Word became flesh… We have seen His glory.” In Jesus, God's glory came near. And now those who belong to Christ are called to reflect that glory. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” and Paul writes, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
That means we don't live to build a good life, accomplish our goals, or be admired by others. We live as people who have seen something greater. And this is where Ichabod should make us stop. What happens when something other than God's glory becomes the thing that matters most to us? Maybe it's success. Maybe it's being liked. Maybe it's your family, your career, your comfort, your reputation, or simply getting your own way. None of those things are necessarily bad. But anything good can become too heavy when we give it the weight that belongs to God alone.
Israel had spent years treating God's presence as something they could use for their own purposes. They wanted God's power and blessing, but they had refused to honor God's authority. Now the consequences were devastating. The story of Ichabod reminds us that God's glory is not something to treat casually or push to the edges of our lives.
But Scripture doesn't leave us at Ichabod.
John tells us that “the Word became flesh… We have seen His glory.” In Jesus, God's glory came near. And now those who belong to Christ are called to reflect that glory. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” and Paul writes, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
That means we don't live to build a good life, accomplish our goals, or be admired by others. We live as people who have seen something greater. And this is where Ichabod should make us stop. What happens when something other than God's glory becomes the thing that matters most to us? Maybe it's success. Maybe it's being liked. Maybe it's your family, your career, your comfort, your reputation, or simply getting your own way. None of those things are necessarily bad. But anything good can become too heavy when we give it the weight that belongs to God alone.
- In 1 Samuel 4, Israel wanted God's presence for what it could do for them. What are some ways we can fall into the same pattern today; wanting God's help, blessing, or protection while still wanting to direct our own lives?
- Phinehas' wife named her son Ichabod because the loss of God's glory was the deepest loss she could imagine. What tends to feel like the biggest loss to us when something goes wrong? What would have to change in our hearts for God’s glory to become the thing we are most unwilling to lose?
- God's glory is meant to shape even the ordinary parts of our lives. Where do you find it easiest to live with an awareness of Jesus, and where is He easiest to forget? What is one area where you want your choices and priorities to point more clearly to Him?
Prayer Topics:
- Confess the ways you have made God's blessing more important than God's glory.
- Ask God to show you where something else has begun to carry too much weight in your heart.
- Praise God that the story does not end with Ichabod. In Jesus, God's glory came near, and He calls us to reflect His glory to the world.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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