With the loss of the Ark of God, the death of her father and father-in-law, and soon her own life, the wife of Phinehas named her new son Icabod. Icabod means "The glory of God has departed. It is a heartbreaking story, but as I thought about it, it is heartbreaking for a different reason. Israel didn't lose God because the Ark was captured. Israel lost the presence of God long before the battle. They lost God's glory and presence because they were not serving him faithfully. It is only now that they realize it, but they still don't realize it isn't the loss of the Ark, but the loss of their faith in God.
Yet, at the beginning of the chapter, we have hope; God is speaking through Samuel.
Photo by Johannes Beilharz on Unsplash
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