A Verse

Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

A Comment

Since July 4th, our family has had near-constant conversation about the tragic flooding in the Hill Country, which, to date, has claimed the lives of over 100 people. As a father of five children, I cannot fathom the pain that so many parents and family members are going through right now. Trite comments and platitudes have no place in moments of tragedy.

The better way forward is to obey the command of Romans 12:15, which tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” As tears have streamed down so many faces over the last several days, the appropriate response is to weep alongside those who weep. We must resist the urge to be like Job’s friends, who, after several days of silent weeping (the thing they got right!), amid Job’s sorrow, sought an explanation that would satisfy their ill-conceived theology of blessing and suffering. While questions regarding protocols and flood detection should surely be explored in the near future, and the heroic efforts of first responders should be lauded as we hear stories of rescue, we must not forget to weep and grieve as those with hope in Christ. Let us mourn with those who mourn.

A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

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A Verse

Matthew 12:9-14

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

A Comment

Today’s passage appears in the context of Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees over the Sabbath command. You can get a fuller idea of the context by reading the preceding verses in Matthew 12:1-8, but for today’s devotional, I want to take a look at the man with the withered hand.

From a narrative perspective, the man with the withered hand is not really the point of the story. The main point of the story is the lordship of Christ over the Sabbath, His authority to interpret and apply God’s law accurately, and the response of the Pharisees to Jesus. The man with the withered hand plays a role in the story, but he’s not really the point. With that said, however, I cannot help but think about this unnamed man. Here’s what we know:

First, the man with the withered hand was at the synagogue on the Sabbath. We have no indication from this passage that the man showed up at the synagogue expecting to find Jesus there on that Sabbath so that he could be healed. In fact, given the language of verse 10, where we see the Pharisees question Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, it is entirely possible that the Pharisees requested that the man be there so that they “might accuse” Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. Of course, the man with the withered hand might have just been at the synagogue out of habit as a faithful Jew, and the Pharisees tried to take advantage of the situation to catch Jesus.

In terms of the question in the passage, healing on the Sabbath, at least given what we know about the Pharisees, would have been permissible in situations of life-or-death, but not in cases where the man could have been healed on another day of the week; such healing would not have been permitted. For the man with the withered hand, while his situation was challenging, it did not rise to the level of “life-or-death” according to the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath by the Pharisees. It was likely that his hand had been withered, literally “dried,” for some time.

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Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ question with a question of his own, regarding how they would handle a situation involving one of their sheep on the Sabbath. Jesus’ question aims to expose the hypocrisy of these particular Pharisees who had specific rules for everyone else but found loopholes to help them navigate their rigorous interpretations and application of the Mosaic law. From here, Jesus employs an argument known as a “lesser-to-greater” argument to show that the inclination of the Pharisees to save their own sheep but allow this man with the withered hand to continue to suffer is wrong. In other words, men are more important than sheep, therefore, it is “lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Now that we have a context, we come back to the man with the withered hand. The Pharisees are basically using him. He likely didn’t come seeking Jesus, and probably dealt with some shame in his local synagogue. After exposing the error of the Pharisees in his midst, Jesus turns to the man with the withered hand and issues a command: Stretch out your hand.

That’s quite a command for a man with a withered hand to hear, don’t you think? How can a man with a withered hand respond to Jesus’ command to “stretch your hand?” Is that not the very problem that the man had in the first place? He is incapable of stretching out his hand. His hand is withered. It is paralyzed. He does not possess the ability to do what Jesus has just commanded him to do. What kind of man commands someone to do what they cannot do?

While the man is incapable of obeying Jesus’ command on his own, nonetheless, he believes in Jesus enough to attempt to obey Him, and as he does, the withered hand is restored. The man with the withered hand becomes the man with a formerly withered hand on account of the power of Jesus. The command of Jesus supplies what is required of the man. And, as a result, the man is healed.

In many ways, this story of the healing of the man with the withered hand parallels the Christian’s new birth in Christ. We are commanded to repent of our sins and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, as we are told in Scripture, we are, by nature and by choice, dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-10). Dead men cannot choose to repent and believe unless the One who is calling them gives them, by His own sovereign power and prerogative, the ability to repent and believe.

Our own healing is not the result of our combined effort with Jesus. Much like the man with the formerly withered hand, we need Jesus to give us the power to do what He commands us to do. Only Jesus gives life to the dead. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Stretch out your hand to the Lord, who alone gives life.

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A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

WHMI Update

From now until 8/22/2025, new gifts to our budget at WHMI are doubled due to a generous matching gift. To learn more about WHMI, click the image below to take you to our website. Any support would be greatly appreciated!

Prayer Needs

For those who have followed my work at WHMI, I assumed a new role at the beginning of this year, in addition to my previous responsibilities as Director of Partnership and Curriculum. I am now also the Director of Europe. So far this year, I have traveled for work in Latvia, France, Romania, and Slovenia (2x). Later this month, I will travel to the UK for meetings with a church planting network, and then, in September, I will likely return to Belarus.

As you have a chance, please pray not only for the broader work of WHMI but also for my work in Europe. While Europe may seem like a region of the world that does not need theological education, as a whole, Europe is one of the least-reached areas of the world due to rapid secularization. Many evangelical churches in Europe struggle to find a pastor, and as a result, many godly young men are forgoing pastoral ministry in favor of other vocations. WHMI aims to provide such men with the theological training that they need to serve the churches in Europe well.

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Today’s “A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing” is Audio Only, so be sure to listen to the audio file linked at the top of this message for the Comment, Prayer, and Blessings sections of the newsletter. Also, don’t miss the Keith Green bonus at the bottom ;)

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A Verse

Psalm 127

Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

A Little Bonus

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A Verse

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

A Comment

In commenting on Psalm 51, Dr. Jim Hamilton wrote, “If God’s standard cannot be changed, the man who would enjoy God’s holiness must be. This is why David prays as he does in the following verses. David desires more than forgiveness in this psalm. He prays to be transformed into a man who loves holiness and acts on that love.”

As I reflect on this Psalm specifically and the Christian life more generally, I believe this is an important observation. When God mercifully reveals our sinfulness, we, as Christians, should not only pray for forgiveness (as Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:12) but also for an inward renewal —a transformation of the heart that results in holy living and the restoration of the “joy of our salvation” (Psalm 51:12).

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A Prayer

Would you join me in praying the truths of this passage today?

A Blessing

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

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A Verse

Psalm 67

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face to shine upon us, Selah

2 that your way may be known on earth,your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,for you judge the peoples with equityand guide the nations upon earth. Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;God, our God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us;let all the ends of the earth fear him!

A Comment

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on planes. I don’t tend to sleep well on them, so I typically spend my time listening to audiobooks. Yesterday, I finished listening to an audiobook I read years ago. The book is entitled Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper. This is a wonderful book on the heart of God for the nations. I highly recommend it! The title comes from this morning’s passage, specifically verse 4, which says, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”

But why does the psalmist appeal to the nations to “be glad and rejoice?” The reason is found in verses 1-2, which state, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations,” and the end of verse 4, which states, “For you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” Thus, the appeal to “be glad and rejoice” is rooted in the nations knowing God’s saving power and seeing His sovereign rule over the earth. The psalmist continues, noting that as the Lord blesses His people, the nations will fear Him.

As I have reflected on this passage over the last few days, I have felt its gravitational pull, causing me to think about how desperate we are for God’s salvation to be known throughout the earth. The call of the nations to be glad in God demands that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And nothing short of the supernatural power of God’s grace working through the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit can lead to all the nations of the earth being glad in God.

So, as we reflect on this psalm and the call to the nations to be glad, let us also recognize that this work depends on the Lord’s blessing. It is not a task that we can accomplish in our own strength. It is a work that requires Jesus’ presence with us (Matthew 28:18-20). We can trust Him to fulfill His purposes in us for His glory and the good of the peoples of earth!

A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.

A Song

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Hey everyone,

I’m in Indonesia this week! Check out the video and consider joining me in prayer this week.

CBH

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A Verse

1 Samuel 6:10-7:2

The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you.”

And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

A Comment

Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…

A Prayer

Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…

A Blessing

Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…

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A Verse

1 Samuel 6:1-9

The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”

A Comment

In today’s passages, we see the Philistines concede that the LORD, the God of Israel, is too great for them. As one OT scholar describes the scene, “To send the ark of Yahweh back would be to acknowledge a religio-political defeat, and such a decision would not be made lightly, especially since there were apparently some who did not believe the link between the ark and the plague was proven beyond a reasonable doubt (vv. 3, 9). But now they admit defeat and ask the priests how to go about sending the ark back.” While the Philistines had defeated the Israelites, they could not defeat the LORD. His presence was too great. So, the Philistine religious authorities made plans to send the Ark away from their presence.

In choosing to send the Ark of the LORD away from their presence, the religious leaders believed that people should make some sort of recompense for their error. Having come to realize that it was likely the LORD God of Israel who had afflicted the people with tumors for the past seven months, they made the decision to fashion and send five golden tumors and five golden mice with the Ark. The significance of the number “five” in this passage is related to the five regions of the Philistines: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. Why golden tumors and golden mice? Because the LORD had afflicted the Philistine people with tumors and ravaged their fields with mice (See verse 5). By sending these golden items, the Philistines were attempting to make a sort of peace offering with the LORD God of Israel.

After deciding what to send with the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines had to figure out how to send the Ark of the LORD. They wanted it out of their region. So, the decision was made to take two milk cows that still had nursing calves but who had never borne a yoke and see if they would carry the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh. There are a few things worth noting here. First, two milk cows that were still nursing their calves would not be inclined to leave the region where their calves were located. It would be against their motherly instinct to leave their nursing calves. Furthermore, given that they had never worn a yoke or pulled a cart, if these milk cows not only left their nursing calves but also carried the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh, then it would demonstrate to the Philistines that it was the hand of the Lord that brought about the plague. So, not only are the Philistines trying to figure out what to do with the Ark of the LORD, but they are also trying to test whether or not the LORD is the One responsible for their misery.

And what do we see in the closing verses? The milk cows who have never been yoked to a cart not only leave their nursing calves but also travel to Beth-shemesh, demonstrating that it was, in fact, the LORD who was bringing calamity on the Philistines. This demonstrates that the LORD not only defeated the Philistines with the plague but also that He was sovereign over nature, causing the milk cows to act contrary to their instinct, leaving their nursing calves behind in service to the LORD. Even the cows obey the sovereign Lord.

Before we pray, I want us to marvel at our sovereign God who rules over His enemies and His creation. The Philistines could not defeat Him. Nor could nature fail to obey Him. He rules with absolute sovereignty over the world to restore His presence among His people, even when His people have gone astray. There is a divine mercy embedded in this story that we must not fail to see. The LORD is free in His actions, and His actions are oriented to His glory and the good of His people.

A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.

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A Verse

1 Samuel 5:1-12

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

A Comment

In this morning’s passage, we get a glimpse into how the Philistines were interpreting their victory over the Israelites. After capturing the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines brought it into the temple of their god, Dagon. One OT scholar noted, “The comparatively small ark is brought as a trophy of victory, point to Dagin’s victory.” In other words, the Philistines believed that they triumphed over Israel because of the superiority of Dagon, their god. But, as the story continues, we learn that what seemed like victory over the God of Israel was actually defeat.

Once the Ark of the LORD was in Dagon’s temple, the people would come to the temple to worship in the morning. On the first morning, the Philistine people go into the temple and find Dagon lying on the ground, facedown before the Ark of the Lord. Initially, it would appear that the people didn’t really understand the significance of finding their deity face down in his own temple before the Ark of the Lord. So, they set their god back up and go on about their day. However, the next morning, they come into their temple and find Dagon’s head and hands cut off, fallen down again.

Dagon’s fallen and dismembered state can only signal one thing: the LORD has killed him. Thus, the point of the story is not the victory of the Philistines or Dagon over the Israelites, but rather the victory of the LORD over the Israelites and the Philistines! Hence, we remember the question that the Israelites asked back in 1 Samuel 4:3, which essentially said, “Why has the LORD allowed us to be defeated?” The answer: the Israelites had not regarded Him rightly. They sought to use the LORD’s presence for their own ends but soon learned that the LORD would not be manipulated.

Furthermore, the Philistines learn a partial lesson here. They learned that the LORD is greater than Dagon. Yet, tragically, instead of turning away from their idol worship to the LORD, they persist in their idolatry and send the Ark of the LORD away. And herein lies one of the saddest realities about idolatry: it blinds us to reality. We might think to ourselves, “If I had been a priest of Dagon and walked into our temple to find our diety dismembered at the threshold before the Ark of the LORD, then I would have abandoned my idolatry!” Yet, that is not what the Philistines did. Instead of repenting, they sent the presence of the Lord away.

As I think about this story, it reminds me of Jesus’ deliverance of the demon-possessed men in Matthew 8:28-34. According to Matthew, when Jesus came into the region of Gadarenes, he was confronted with two demon-possessed men. Jesus delivered the men from their possession and cast the demons into a herd of pigs in the region. You would think that the people of Gadarenes, themselves likely tormented at times by the demon-possessed men, would rejoice in their deliverance and proclaim their faith in Jesus. Yet, this is now what happens. Instead, even after witnessing Jesus’ defeat of the evil spirits in their midst, they “beg him to leave their regions.” In a sense, we see something similar in the Philistine’s response to the Ark of the Lord.

This should teach us that the Lord's presence and power can be perceived in different ways by different people at different times. For some, the presence and power of the Lord might be viewed as a blessing, as a welcomed reality that brings salvation and deliverance in the victory of the forces of evil. Yet, for others, that very same presence brings great destruction. This was surely the case among the Philistines and the Gadarenes.

So, I want to ask us this morning to consider both the blessing and the danger of the presence and power of the Lord. The Lord will not be manipulated. He will not be used as we see fit. Those who regard Him rightly, with humility and honor, will understand His presence and power as a blessing to His people. But those who arrogantly seek to use or commandeer Him will face destruction.

How are you approaching the Lord? Do you approach Him as someone to be used for your own will? Or do you approach Him as the Lord who rules over your life? How you approach Him will impact not only your perception of his presence and power but also the function of His presence and power in your life. If you approach the Lord as a means to an end instead of the End in itself, do not be surprised when what you perceive to be a blessing actually brings great pain and destruction in your life. You approach God as the great God over all, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, or you don’t approach Him at all.

The story of the Ark of the Lord among the Philistines should remind us of this reality. Furthermore, it should remind us of our need to approach the LORD in Jesus Christ, who grants us to boldly approach the throne of grace with the right perspective about who He is and what He does in this world.

A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the rulers of the kings of the earth.

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A Verse

1 Samuel 4:12-22

A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

A Comment

I know everyone is upset that I was not able to share this uplifting passage on Valentine’s Day yesterday, but I’ve been down with a pretty bad headache for the last two days, so hopefully you will forgive me ;)

Obviously, this is a tragic passage. Eli receives the awful news that his two sons have been killed and that the Ark of the Lord has been captured by the Philistines. Based on the way that this message reads, there appears to be an intentional order to the awful news. First, the messenger from the tribe of Benjamin reports that the Israelites had been defeated. The winners of war do not have to flee from it. Second, the news of the death of Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, is reported. Regardless of the fact that Eli had already heard the prophecy from Samuel regarding their just destruction for their behavior as priests, we should expect Eli to be heartbroken over the loss of boys.

Yet, it is the final piece of the news of the capture of the Ark of the Lord that metaphorically and literally kills Eli. The symbol of the Lord’s presence in the midst of His people had been taken away. The glory of the Lord, as manifested by the presence of the Ark, had literally departed from among the people of Israel. Upon hearing the news, Eli falls to his death. The author includes a detail about Eli’s weight at the time of his death, which hints to the fact that it was not only Eli’s sons who were enriching themselves from the people’s offerings.

In the final scene of this story, Eli’s daughter-in-law, due to the grief of the news of the death of her husband, goes into labor, and due to difficulties in the labor, she dies as well. However, before she dies, the midwives inform her that she has borne a son. She, however, would not be comforted by this news. For, she names the son, “Ichabod,” which means, “No glory,” or “the glory has departed.”

The birth of Eli’s grandson, Ichabod, points to the departure of the glory of God among the people of Israel. One commentator notes, “Banishment from the presence of God was a penalty threatened in the covenant (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64), but here it is God who has departed the land. “Glory” (from the same root as “heavy” or “honored” in 1 Sam. 4:18) probably goes beyond a reference to the ark as such, obliquely pointing to the Lord himself (15:29), or at any rate to his glory-presence (Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; Ps. 106:19–22). The concluding words are the narrator’s commentary emphasizing what has brought this about: God-abandonment is the tragic outcome for a people who have abandoned their God. Moreover, being abandoned by God, they are deprived of the symbol of his presence as well.”

How should we respond to this passage? While there is a lot that could be said here, I think it is important for us to recognize that we cannot put our hope or our trust in our own religious performance. It is possible to do external things without having an inward affection for God. This was the case for Eli and his sons. While they conducted their priestly service outwardly, their hearts were far from the Lord.

We, thus, ought to examine not only our actions but also our motives. As one commentator mentions, “In all spiritual matters there remains an absolute obligation for self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).” To state this principle in the form of a question, “What motives you to do the things that you do?” Are you motivated by the glory of God or the glory of self? If you are motivated by the glory of self, there will be no room for the glory of God. And when this is case, 1 Samuel 4:12-22 should serve as a warning to all of us. May we keep our eyes on Christ, living for His glory alone, and not our own.

A Prayer

Would you pray with me?

A Blessing

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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