March 19, 2019
1 Samuel 4:21-22                             
She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.  She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
New International Version (NIV)
                Remember Ichabod?  Many of us are more familiar with Washington Irving’s character Ichabod Crane than we are of his probable namesake, Ichabod Crane, an American Army Colonel during the time when Irving lived.  We may know both of them better than the baby born in the line of Eli whose mother named him Ichabod.  In this case chabod or kabod is the Hebrew word for glory.  The first letter “I” negates it thus rendering, “The glory is gone from Israel.”  After the High Priest Eli followed his sons Hophni and Phineas to death on the same day of a great battle, his daughter in law gave birth to a son.  Israel lost the battle and the Ark of the Covenant symbolizing God’s presence that day.  So the new mother named her baby, Ichabod, meaning, “the glory is gone.”  This may explain why relatively few parents are giving their children this name today.  What would the nickname be?  Icky?  There are more fortunate names to be sure.

                Like ancient Israel, we may wonder, “Exactly where has glory gone?”  In our endless quest for glory, personal, athletic, academic, financial, vocational and national, we may miss the point.  The word conveys the weightiness of God himself.  So C. S. Lewis titled a sermon and book, “The Weight of Glory.”   Israel lost its glory as its spiritual leaders became blind shepherds leading blind sheep.  When Israel’s national spiritual leader walked away from God, the consequences were severe.  They always were.  Later in Ezekiel’s day as Israel entered captivity, he saw a vision of the Glory of God leaving the Temple courts (Ezekiel 9-11).

                Herod rebuilt the Temple so beautifully in Jesus’ day that Jesus’ disciples marveled at the architecture.  The Temple never looked better.  But did the glory return to the Temple in Jesus’ day as the people offered their endless sacrifices of animals?  There is no Biblical evidence that the glory was restored.  This makes the transfiguration accounts all the more powerful.  In Jesus, the long-lost glory was restored.  He came not like the moon reflecting the sun’s light, but like the sun itself, radiating lightning.  The writer of Hebrews said, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory . . .” (Hebrews 1:1-4). 

                About us, though?  Where we will find glory?  In our achievements, accomplishments and acquisitions in this life?  Will these trifling trophies give us glory in the end?  In a time of suffering for Christians, Peter would write these words of encouragement, “But the God of grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (I Peter 5:10).  Our glory will come when the God of Glory returns.   I remember singing as a child, “Oh that will be, glory for me . . . when by His grace I shall look on his face.  That will be glory, be glory for me.”  Then all God’s children regardless of our names,  will be noted for the presence, not the absence of glory.
Pray with me:    
Glorious God our Father, whose radiance and effulgence illuminate the universe, let us not miss your light because of the spiritual light pollution in our world.  Today as we look to you may we be radiant.  Remove all shame from our countenances as we lift our eyes to you.  Make us the light of the world as Jesus was the Light of the world, we pray.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.  
This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 

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