Slices
Prepare
Pause to briefly imagine what life would be like without God being present. Then, with a sigh of relief, turn to him!
Bible passage
Death of Eli
12 That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13 When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
14 Eli heard the outcry and asked, ‘What is the meaning of this uproar?’
The man hurried over to Eli, 15 who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. 16 He told Eli, ‘I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.’
Eli asked, ‘What happened, my son?’
17 The man who brought the news replied, ‘Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.’
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led Israel for forty years.
19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labour and gave birth, but was overcome by her labour pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, ‘Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.’ But she did not respond or pay any attention.
21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel’– because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’
Explore
The prophetic word to Eli at the end of chapter 2 must have hung over Eli as he sat by the roadside, waiting for news of the battle (v 13). He may have protested when the Ark of the Covenant was removed from Shiloh to the battlefield. He would know that parading the Ark around as a lucky mascot is no way to treat the symbol of God’s presence.
This prophetic word was fulfilled (2:34). Eli’s sadly named grandson, Ichabod, was wrongfully named (v 21). The Ark of the Covenant had indeed been captured but... hang on, what was Samuel doing while all this was going on? The Lord was continuing to reveal himself to Samuel (3:21), who had no public role in this Godless period of Israel’s history. God had distanced himself from Israel’s religious and military leadership, having nothing to do with the activities of Hophni and Phinehas. But the glory of the Lord had not departed. A new era was approaching. Even in death, there is the symbol of hope in a newborn child, albeit an orphaned one.
We may despair at disasters in the world, poor quality leadership, injustice and instability no one can avoid. But we live in the hope of a new era, and ultimately the coming of Christ as King to reign.
Respond
Be still for the glory of the Lord is shining all around!*
*David Evans © 1986 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music, admin. EMI Christian Music Publishing
Deeper Bible study
‘… be strong, and let your heart take courage’.1 Is this a message you need to hear from God?
Eli had made mistakes, but he clearly did not share the army’s superstitious attitude to the Ark, as we are told that his heart trembled for it. When he finally heard the tragic news of defeat and capture, told so succinctly in verse 17, it’s no surprise that the shock killed him. Phinehas’ wife (we don’t know her name) was sent into premature labour and death, but she also seems to have been more concerned about the spiritual implications than anything else. ‘The glory has departed from Israel’ (vs 21,22). That was the great fear. If God had given up on them, there was no hope: just total desolation. A feeling shared by many today, because of personal or international tragedy.
Had God departed? Of course not! It was the end of an era for Israel. Eli’s family did not die out,2 but it no longer played any significant part in the nation’s leadership and the Ark never returned to Shiloh. God had by no means given up on his people, as subsequent scriptures show. He did, however, use Shiloh as an example of the way something he blesses does not necessarily remain blessed.3 When we are tempted to fall back on our laurels because of some past success (in evangelism, or children’s work, or whatever), we need to remember that God is not bound by that. What matters is how we are trusting him and serving him now.
It must have been dreadful for the messenger, knowing that his message had killed his priest, on top of the horror of what had happened. How do we cope with tragedy and bad news? Are we tempted to think that God has abandoned us? There may be times when we feel we’re only hanging on in faith by a gossamer thread, but that’s enough. God is there with us.
Pray for those you know facing great tragedy.
1 Ps 27:14, ESV 2 Cf 1 Sam 14:3 3 Jer 7:12–15; and see Mary Evans, 1 and 2 Samuel, NIBC, Paternoster Press, 2000, p32
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Song Of Songs 3,4; 1 Timothy 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Ask God to bless all those volunteers who have given their time and energy to run missions and holidays – including Linda Patterson who has just stepped down as a leader of SU Harriers sailing holidays after an incredible 30 years!
