Scenes from the Cosmic War, 1 Samuel 4:1–22

Last Chance: The Glory Has Departed
1 Samuel 4:12–22

Paul J. Bucknell

The final report from the battlefield closes the door on Eli’s corrupt priesthood, yet God has already prepared Samuel for a new beginning.

3.) Last Chance: God is lost (1 Samuel 4:12-22)

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.” (1 Samuel 4:12-22)

The last chance is here

Starting in verse 16, we see that the final judgment falls on the religious Jews. They claimed to have faith right up to the last day, but as earlier chapters show, they continued sinning until the very end. The father, Eli, refused to strongly rebuke his sons, and they kept sinning, defiling God's people. From their perspective, “God’s glory has departed”—Ichabod. They never truly understood the right way, and instead of humbling himself, Eli was shocked and died.

Delusion, confusion, and despair are results of abandoning God. They could have repented and found clarity, but they chose not to. Unconfessed sin clouds priorities and continues until judgment if left unconfessed. Eli’s sons were responsible for managing the ark of God. They were killed. When Eli heard of the defeat, the loss of his sons, and especially the capture of the ark of God, he fell over dead. Eli served as a judge for 40 years. He was a leading priest who was supposed to guide God’s people to know Him, but he tolerated evil. When Christian leaders walk in darkness, the people’s waywardness increases, and they become dismayed.

Now is a good time to reflect on some pastors, missionaries, or elders we've been disappointed in. You may have become bitter and dismayed, giving up on God. You might quietly think that God doesn’t really care. But you are mistaken. Judgment will come to God’s people—including every leader—just as it did to Eli.