Gospel Reflections #889: Even then, God never abandons or forsakes Israel.

1 Samuel 4:21 "When she saw that the ark of God had been captured, that her uncle and her husband were dead, and that the glory had departed from Israel, she named her son Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has departed from Israel.'"

This explains why the wife of the priest Eli named her newborn son Ichabod.

This passage describes events immediately following Israel's defeat in battle against the Philistines and their experience of a great symbolic and spiritual disaster. 

"I-chabod" is Hebrew for "Where is the glory?" or "There is no glory."

The reason the glory had departed, as perceived by Eli's wife, was that this tragic event signified the loss of God's glory from Israel.

At that time, the Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of God's presence and the center of Israel's religious and political life.

Its capture by the pagan Philistines was perceived as synonymous with being forsaken by God.

Furthermore, this passage emphasizes God's judgment on Israel's unbelief, which treated the Ark merely as a "talisman" or "sign of good fortune."

God's presence is not guaranteed by formal rituals or the existence of objects, but depends on the people's faithfulness, reverence, and obedience to Him.

Yet, God did not permit this tragedy as punishment for Israel's unbelief.

Without such shocking events, we humans are incapable of turning back.

God never abandons or forsakes Israel.

He entrusts us with the choice to receive or reject His work.

By allowing us to experience more and more in daily life just how great a blessing His presence is, He leads us to the conviction that His being with us is absolutely essential.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.