1 Samuel 4:22
"And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken."
It was a dark day for the nation of Israel. Word had returned that they lost the battle.
So many people had died in the battle that they couldn't number them; all that could be said was that there was a "great slaughter." That was not the only bad news, the Ark of the Covenant had been taken, the sons of Eli were killed in the battle, and Eli himself fell over backwards and died at the report of these travesties. The breaking news of that day was certainly one of the darkest days in Israel's history.
At the same time that all this happened, Eli's daughter-in-law was with child. The news that her husband had been killed and that the Ark of the Covenant had been taken caused her to go into premature labor. The birth of the child was so hard on this lady that she only lived a few moments after the child's birth. In fact, she only lived long enough to give the child a name. What was the name she gave the child? She called the child Ichabod, which meant the glory is departed. She said, "The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken."
I hate to disagree with this lady, but the glory of the LORD left long before the ark was taken. Certainly, the ark was symbolic of the presence of God. Yes, the heathens now had the ark of God in their hands. There is no doubt that it seemed it was all over, but God's glory had left long before the Philistines had taken the ark. Let me show you when the glory of the LORD had departed.
The glory of the LORD departed when the Word of God was no longer precious. The people did not care about the Word of God, for had they cared they would not have let the lamp of God go out in the temple. They were more interested in pleasing man than they were with the Word of God. The glory left when God's Word was not precious.
The glory of the LORD departed when God's people lived like the world and it didn't bother them. God's glory left when the adultery of Eli's sons didn't bother the people. When the wickedness of the world was acceptable and no man would stand up to say it was wrong, that is when the glory of the LORD departed.
The glory of the LORD departed when the man of God would not address the sins of the people. Where was Eli? Why didn't he do something about the sins his sons committed? The man of God should have thrown his sons out of the temple, but he wouldn't because they were family. When God's men won't address the sins in a church, you can be assured that God's presence will leave.
The glory of the LORD departed when the only spirituality in the whole country was found in a child. Where were the men of the country? Where were the adults who should have led the children by showing them how to serve the LORD? When those who were supposed to lead spiritually were not leading, that is when the glory of the LORD departed.
Friend, I ask you, are you contributing to the glory of the LORD departing in your world? Do you take a stand when God's Word is under attack? Does sin bother you anymore, or have you grown accustomed to its presence? Man of God, do you address the sins of your church, or are you curtailing your sermons because you're more interested in the larger numbers? Adults, are you taking the leadership roles in your home and church? If we ever want God's glory in our lives, churches and country, then these things must be in place. Don't be a contributor to the glory of the LORD departing from your world; instead, I challenge you to be that one who helps to bring the glory back in your world.