1 Sam 4:19-22 Ichabod CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Phinehas’ wife thought the glory of the Lord departed when the ark departed. Consider how the glory of the Lord was manifested in Ex 40:34-38 when the ark was set up. However, the glory of the Lord had already departed from Israel because they had departed from some things that were of major spiritual importance to Israel that were represented by the ark – when Israel departed from those things then the glory of the Lord departed from them and the ark departed with him.
And truly “Ichabod” can be written about the church today. There are still pockets of faithfulness and some homes that are faithful, where the glory of the Lord is evident. But for the most part, the church is in a terrible state of apostasy and the glory of the Lord has departed. His glory has departed for the same reason that his glory departed from Israel.
They departed from their law. The ark of the covenant contained the two tablets upon which their law was written. And the book of the law was in the side of the ark. Israel had long been disobeying the law. Just consider Eli and his sons and the laws they broke: Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt have no other gods before me. If the priests were in that rough shape, just imagine how the rest of the country was. The church has likewise departed from the words of God by exchanging them for all these modern Bibles. In Jud 17:6, every man did that which was right in his own eyes and they’re doing the same thing in the church today! And as they have done this, the glory of the Lord has departed.
They departed from their mercy. The mercy seat covered the law. Jonah said, “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy … Salvation is of the Lord,” [Jon 2:8-9]. And Israel certainly went after lying vanities. And so has the church. Tit 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us …” Ever since the proliferation of modern Bibles, men have been preaching a works salvation. Just consider the changes in preaching in Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran and even many Baptist churches in the last 100 years. With this lying vanity the glory of the Lord has departed.
They departed from the blood. The blood of a sacrifice was applied to the mercy seat at Day of Atonement. Blood was shed in the other animal sacrifices. But the men of Israel abhorred the offering of the Lord because of Eli’s sons [1 Sam 2:17]. And today, preachers don’t preach the blood of Jesus as much [Heb 10:10-14]. In The Roman Catholic Church, the blood of Jesus has really been corrupted by the Eucharist communion. And many other churches are adding communion as a sacrament that must be observed for salvation. The “blood” is out in Col 1:14 in modern Bibles. And as the blood has gone out, so has the glory of the Lord.
They departed from their Lord. They began to worship false gods. And as they did the glory of the Lord departed. In the church, modern Bibles attack the deity of Jesus, as in 1 Tim 3:16, where the King James Bible clearly shows that Jesus was “God” manifest in the flesh. As attacks on the deity of Christ in modern Bibles have continued, the glory of the Lord has departed.