Ichabod or Ebenezer
1 Samuel 4, 6
June 22, 2014
Morning Service
The Problem of Spiritual Drift
Spiritual drift always begins with desire. The desire for a relationship with God was lost. Slowly the people lost their passion for the things of God. Little by little, spiritual things started to slip away. The change was so slow that the people didn’t even notice. Before long, the nation had turned its back on God but still believed that they were in a right relationship with Him.
People do not drift away from God suddenly, the process is gradual. The slow ongoing process of drifting happens over time. The days of Samuel were some of the darkest in Israel’s history because of ongoing problems. Drifting starts small with small things.
Think about it for a moment, a sudden change would be easily noticed.
* Read the Bible less and less * Heart isn’t into worship
* Pray a little less each day * We hold grudges (Unforgiveness)
* We step away from service * We become discouraged
* We allow bitterness to take root * We develop bad attitudes
* We focus on our preferences
Israel was in a state of spiritual drift. The people had moved away from following God and were now aimless. The people did what they thought was right in their own mind. The problem begins when the people stopped seeking God. The people had lost their desire to pursue a relationship with God. They no longer had the desire for more of God. They did not desire more of God in their lives.
Israel had stepped away from their relationship with God. They were no longer faithful but expected God to be faithful. They were not behaving like believers but they wanted all the benefits of believing without commitment. Many churches want to have all of the blessings of God but no longer want to follow God.
How can we expect God to move in power, when we refuse to follow Him? Why should we expect the blessings of God when we are not faithful to God?
The Defeat of Israel
Israel went into battle with a false confidence that God was with them. Israel faced the Philistines and were defeated. They lost 4,000 soldiers in the first battle. Instead of looking to God for help, they believed that God would help them if they helped themselves.
The leaders bring out the Ark of the Covenant to the battle lines. The Ark was the symbol of the presence of God and Israel believed that they could invoke the presence of God with the Ark. Israel went into battle thinking that they could not lose. The result is that they got thumped and thumped hard.
Israel loses 30,000 soldiers against the Philistines and the sons of the High Priest are killed. The Ark of the Covenant is stolen by the Philistines. The battle is costly in human life and in morale.
16 He told Eli, "I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day." Eli asked, "What happened, my son?" 17 The man who brought the news replied, "Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured." 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had led Israel forty years. 19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, "Don't despair; you have given birth to a son." But she did not respond or pay any attention. 21 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. 22 She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured." 1 Samuel 4:16-22
The Devastation of the people
Eli’s sons die in the battle and he falls and breaks his neck. The line of Eli comes to an abrupt end and a new priest is going to be needed. God sometimes moves the old out to make way for the new. As chapter 4 comes to a close, the wife of Phineas hears about his death and the death of her father in law and goes into labor. As she gives birth to a son and she names him Ichabod which means the glory has departed. The understanding is that God had left them.
What happens to churches when God removes His presence?
* People do not come to Christ
* Disunity rises
* Selfishness abounds
* The Spirit no longer moves
* People refuse to change
* Discipleship diminishes
* The church begins dying a slow and painful death
The Deliverance of God
Recognition
The people needed to recognize that they had drifted away from God. Israel needed to see how much they needed God to work in their lives both nationally and individually. The moment Israel sees their need; they would turn back to God. The same is true of the church today. We never see the results that God desires to give us until we are willing to see our need for Him.
On the outside, things look good for the church. Our numbers for Sunday morning are on the rise. Finances are doing better, ministry is happening and new people are attending and getting involved. All of these are very good things. We think things are good but let me ask a question. If God doesn’t move in the church do any of those things matter? None of it means anything if God is not with us. It’s just a bunch of numbers. We need to recognize how much we need to depend on God. The moment we stop needing God or depending on God, we miss out on what He can really do.
"If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 1 Samuel 7:3-4
Return
Israel returned to their relationship with God. They had to see the depth of their need before they would be willing to return to Him. We cannot truly depend on God until we realize how very much we need Him. When the people returned to God, they cried out in desperation. Samuel assembles the nation at Mizpah and the people are called to return to God and follow Him with their entire heart. Samuel tells them to rid themselves of idols and things that drew them away from God. The people gave up all of those things and returned to God. What is keeping you from following God with your entire heart? What is holding you back?
5 Then Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you." 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah. 7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines." 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him. 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. 1 Samuel 7:5-11
Repentance
Samuel calls the people to repent. It is not enough to give up the things that caused them to go astray. Now they need to turn back to God. Repentance means to turn away from our sin and our selfish living and turn back to God. Notice that Israel did three important things.
1.) The people poured water on the ground
2.) The people fasted
3.) The people confessed
The people make the decision to repent and the Philistines march to attack them. Now there is no overconfidence like before. Now there is no arrogance. Now there is only fear because they were defenseless against an overwhelming enemy. Instead of depending on themselves, they now had to depend on God.
The people ask Samuel to continue praying for them and he makes a sacrifice on their behalf. Samuel makes a burnt offering before the LORD as a sign of repentance to ask for mercy and atonement for sin.
As Samuel makes the offering, God already begins to move. God doesn’t do a thing until the people come back to Him and rely on Him. Why should God do anything for us, if we never rely on Him? God cannot move in the life of the church until we get desperate for Him. When God moves, the Philistines are routed and Israel celebrates a great victory.
The Declaration of Samuel
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us." 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. 1 Samuel 7:12-13
To remember the event, Samuel sets up stone and he calls it Ebenezer. Ebenezer means the LORD has helped us. It was to remember that they needed the assistance of God.
The nation of Israel moves from a spirit of Ichabod – the glory has departed to a spirit of Ebenezer – the LORD has helped us. The question is what will we do here in Mount Orab? Will we live content outside of the glory of God? Will we do whatever it takes to live in the spirit of God’s help?
Today is the day to set your stone. Today is the day to mark your remembrance. Today is day to give your heart 100% to the work of God.
