“Where is the Glory!!!!!

The Death of Eli

1st Samuel 4:1-10

The Ark of God Captured

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. 

And when they joined the battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines?

Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.’ So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, ‘What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?’ 

Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, ‘God has come into the camp!’ And they said, ‘Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! 

Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. 

Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!’ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. 

There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also, the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

In chapter 4: 17 it was told to Eli that Hophni and Phinehas were dead; and the ark of God had been captured.’ Verse 18: Eli fell and broke his neck and died.

Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, due to be delivered; 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 herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. 

And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, ‘Do not fear, for you have borne a son.’ But she did not answer, nor did she regard it. 

Then 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.’

1st Samuel 6 the Ark is returned to Israel; it had been gone for 7 months. 

1 Samuel 7 the Ark was taken to the house of Abinadab, and it remained there 20 years. 

Twenty years is a long time, the old-timers died, children were born who never knew the Glory. The strange thing is they didn’t know to miss it. 

God’s covenant people without the Glory, that doesn’t make sense, the Ark represented the Presence of God, and when you saw it, you were looking at the Glory of God.

After the miserable failing of King Saul, God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house, and among the 7 living sons, in which David was the youngest, anointed him King of Israel. 

So from this point, the best historians and scholars believe that the time frame was 30-30 years before David would bring the Ark to Jerusalem. 

So from the time the Philistines took the Ark until David brought it to Jerusalem was 70-to 80 years. 

A generation had passed that knew the Glory, and another had grown up not knowing the Glory of God, not that they didn’t just not know the Glory, they never missed it.

This Day I stand before this congregation, and I tell you we are missing something. 

In my lifetime, I have experienced the Glory, church without the Glory is religion, the Holland PCG didn’t die for you Jesus did. 

We’re dead on the inside without the Glory, we are unstable without the Glory, the Living presence of God among us. I was lost when I came to the Altar 42 years ago. 

I cried to Jesus, I pleaded for his forgiveness, Sin was within hours of accomplishing its goal, it was to kill me, I was a dead man. But somebody prayed, and God heard their prayers.

At an Altar on a Saturday night I cried to Jesus and in the depths of that death, that night, the death sentence was lifted and a life sentence was imposed. 

The enemy thought he had me but Jesus said you are mine. 

That night I found the Glory.  That night, who I was died, and a new man came alive. 

John 1: 12 

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

This preacher is here telling you, you’re like Reuben unstable as water, this Altar is where you’re going to find the Glory. 

Stay at the Altar until that flesh man dies; when he dies, a new man is going to rise.

Anything cheap isn’t good. Anything good isn’t cheap. The Glory is worth everything. It’s at your fingertips, some of you. Some of you want it but never sought it. 

Some of us had it but lost it; the first day you forsake that prayer meeting is the first day you’re on your way to a backslide heart. 

The first day you don’t pray through to the Glory makes the next day much easier to go without it. Then one day you haven’t missed it, and you’re at the end of your life.

Don’t leave this house without it, don’t live without the Glory. I just assume God take me if he is taking the Glory from me.

Psalms 51:11:

 ‘Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.’ 

You come to the Altar and say, “God, I’m not leaving this Altar until I have victory over this struggle. 

And make up your mind I’m not gonna lose it to the world, never, ever, anymore.”