Has the Glory Departed?
by Terry Wane Benton
What's in Your Heart?
The ark of the covenant in Israel was symbolic. It represented the presence of the glory of God, was kept in the center of the Israelite camp, and symbolized the covenant of Jesus Christ. It was important to keep it protected from enemies. When the Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant, the glory had departed from Israel.
In I Samuel 4, the story is told of the death of Eli, one of Eli's sons (Phineas), and Phineas' wife, about to die in childbirth. Of all the bad news, hearing that the ark of the covenant was taken away was so bad that just before she died, she named her boy "Ichabod," which means "the glory has departed."
She could bear the death of her father-in-law, her husband, and herself, but the worst news was that the Philistines took the glory of God's presence. We have the valuable treasure inside our hearts in the gospel of Christ. We have a better covenant with better blessings and promises. But has the world successfully captured our glory in Christ? Have we allowed the world to come in and rob our hearts? Has the glory and the treasures of the gospel now become so small and insignificant, fading away into the distance?
Will our children learn from us that "the glory has departed?" Or, will we recapture the meaning of the cross and Jesus' resurrection? Will we "carry about in the body" (image of carrying about the ark of the covenant) the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that none of the bad things in life can even come close to touching our real treasure in the heart?
What are you carrying in your heart? Has the world taken the glory of Christ away from your heart? Has the glory departed? Would Christ label you "Ichabod?" Isn't this the time for the church of Christ to shine because the glory is still exciting and illuminating our hearts? What is in your heart? If the glory of Christ is gone, we must recapture it. We will be gathering around the real glory, Jesus, this morning. Will you be there? Or are you another case of Ichabod?
