~ Ichabod ~

ICHABOD

1 Samuel 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

There is great significance in the name Ichabod, given to this child. It is representative of the condition of the people at that time. The name means - The Glory of the Lord is Departed. If we would study the first eight chapters of 1 Samuel, we could learn much pertaining to the condition of the people today. Beware, lest the Glory of the Lord depart from your midst as well.

Initially, we read of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. She had a heart for God, and vowed that if the Lord would allow her to bear a son she would give him unto the Lord. The Lord heard her prayer and Samuel was born. After he was weaned Hannah took Samuel to the temple and offered him to the Lord as she had pledged. Now Eli was the Priest over the people at that time, and his sons with him. The Lord God was with Samuel all the days of his life, and he was a prophet and a leader to the people all his days. While Samuel was still a child, he served in the temple. Notice that at this time the sons of Eli were serving in the temple as well.

1 Sam. 2:12 the sons of Eli were base and worthless; they did not know or regard the Lord. (Ampl.) Because of their disregard for the Lord, they perverted the offering of sacrifices unto the Lord. (13-17) And the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it to me now: and if not I will take it by force. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred (despised) the offering of the Lord.

The significance demonstrated here is the offering of unacceptable sacrifices. God had made provision for the sustenance of the priests' that served before him. But due to their disregard for God, they took what they wanted the way they wanted it. We see further on in this chapter that Eli was aware of the dealings of his sons. Eli was a descendent of Aaron. A man of God came to Eli and told him, (29) Why then do you kick (trample upon, treat with contempt) My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel? We have the same thing happening today. Many of those in leadership positions within the church are imposter's. They fail to lead the people in the ways of God. They take for themselves the best of the offerings, with no regard for the significance of what they are doing. They grow fat and feed their flesh. They do not teach the people how to sacrifice in a manner that is acceptable to God.

Are you aware that we have been charged to offer an acceptable sacrifice? Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. As believers, we have been charged to take up our own cross and follow Christ, to walk not after the flesh but after (according to) the Spirit, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. In his old age, the judgment of the Lord came to the house of Eli. In one day the ark of the covenant of the Lord was taken from Israel, the sons of Eli were slain, and when Eli heard the news he died too. When the daughter in law heard the news, she went into labor and delivered Ichabod, which means...

"The Glory of the Lord is departed."

We need to fully realize that we are no different today than the people of Samuels' day. Our failure to offer up an acceptable sacrifice will receive the same response from God as in days gone by. Our God is holy, and we are called to be holy. Much of what is practiced within the body of Christ today is pleasing to the flesh of man, but is abominable in the eyes of God. The anointing presence of God is not in the midst of the people, yet they continue to go through the motions of worship, as if they are unaware of God's absence among them. The same judgment that came to the 'House of Eli'... called priests before the Lord ... is coming to every House today that calls itself by the name of God.

Note what the Lord said in 1 Samuel 2:35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

Jesus IS that High Priest.

Jesus IS the one we are called to follow.

We were never called to follow men, or to hold their persons in admiration. We cannot avoid the judgment of God. The Israelite's thought (chapter 4) that if they brought the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh, they would be victorious in their battle against the Philistines. God had a different intention; thirty thousand of them were slain and the Philistines took the Ark. The sons of Eli were accompanying the Ark and were slain.

It is not enough to be associated with the symbols of God's presence. We must be in right relationship with God. There are those who are walking with God, and there are those who are setting as God's representatives but are robbing the people. Samuel walked with God and prospered during the same time that the sons of Eli robbed the people and were destroyed. The day is fast approaching even now, when the Samuels' of today will prosper in the Spirit even as those like unto the sons of Eli are brought to destruction.

The recorded account of how the Philistines suffered for having taken the Ark amongst themselves reveals that God works out His purposes among men whether they believe in Him or not. They placed the Ark in the temple next to their god, Dagon. Two days in a row the priests of Dagon entered the temple to find their god lying on the floor face down before the Ark of the Lord God, the second day their god was broken in pieces leaving only a stump. At the same time God smote the people of the land with plagues and terrible tumors. They recognized that the God of the Israelites was greater than their god, and they returned the Ark on a cart drawn by two oxen. When the men who were harvesting in the valley saw the ark coming they rejoiced. They took the Ark down from the cart, slew the oxen that had brought it and used the wood of the cart to make a fire and offer sacrifice. Continuing on, notice that in the midst of this time of rejoicing, there was also a great slaughter of the people by the Lord, 50,070 men were slain for having looked into the Ark of the Lord.

God requires more of us than lip service. We must offer up our self-life as an acceptable sacrifice. At the same time, we must not think more highly of ourselves than we should. I'm sure that the Israelites of old were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they failed to remember just how Holy the Ark was, and what it represented. There was an established order for moving and touching the Ark. Only the Priests could do so. We need to remember that God is just as Holy today; that no unclean thing can come into His presence. That we can only draw near to Him through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, our High Priest.

The more we comprehend the awesomeness of God, the more we die to our flesh and live after the Spirit, the more we will develop a reverential fear of the Lord. As we come to the 8th Chapter, we see that just as Eli's sons failed to walk with God, so did the sons of Samuel. They took bribes and perverted judgment. The people came to Samuel and told him that because his sons did not walk in his ways, they wanted Samuel to appoint a king over them like the nations around them had. 1 Samuel 8:7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

This is very significant for us. When we refuse the Lordship of Christ in our lives; when we want a man to lead us rather than to be led of the Spirit; we are refusing God's reign over us just as assuredly as these people did.

Do not deceive yourself that there is any other way to come to God. Do not believe that we can offer a sacrifice of our choosing and it will be acceptable. Jesus said, I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life, no man cometh unto the Father except by Me. If we refuse God, His Glory will depart. Without the Glory of the Lord, we have nothing. It is our duty to believe, to obey, and to walk in the fear of the Lord. Multitudes today are rejecting the Lordship of Christ in their lives, all the while using the name of Jesus. Form without substance; words without power.

Above all things may we seek to know God with our whole heart. May we comply with the commandments of God, and seek His abiding presence. The programs and agenda's of man are a poor substitute for the Glory of the Lord. May God bring us all to the place where we can be in agreement with Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

JESUS IS THE WAY...

As we seek to know Him, we will find Him. We all need to come to the realization of our total dependence on the Spirit. In our flesh we can accomplish nothing. Without the Glory of the Lord in our midst, we are hollow and empty.

God is calling out to believers today...

God desires for us to grow up in Christ Jesus,

to walk in the anointing of the Spirit of God,

to heal the sick,

raise the dead and set the captives free.

Before the coming of Christ, God dwelt among men in the tabernacle (the Ark of the Covenant). Since the coming of Christ, God now dwells within the hearts of those that believe...

"Christ in you, the hope of glory."

We cannot even comprehend with our carnal mind the awesomeness and Glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, yet if we press in to know Him, we can and will experience the Glory of the Lord within our very lives. There is nothing more tragic than to miss our calling, to be without the presence of God. The price has been paid, the way set before us, we must decide whether or not we will lay claim to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. May we walk in the way of the Lord of Hosts.

Amen
Cathy Morris

04/04/03

This article may be reproduced and distributed free of charge as long as it remains in its original form.