Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 4:1-18.

Presence of God In our worship services nothing is more valuable than the presence of God. It is the whole purpose of our praise. We long to see God move, hear Him speak, and pour out our adoration on Him.

The Ark
In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant housed the presence of God. Where the Ark went, God’s spirit went as well. It was both the literal resting place of God’s spirit and a symbol to the Israelites that God was with them.

The Ark Captured
In 1 Sam 4 we read how the Israelites were defeated by one of their greatest enemies, the Philistines. When Israel first went into battle, they were unprepared and lost 4000 men. They sent for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to them, and when they brought it back, their praise was so loud, the Philistines heard and were afraid. However, when Israel went into battle, they were defeated and 30,000 Israelite men were killed in one day. The Ark was captured and Eli’s sons were killed.

Why were the Israelites defeated?

Why was the the Ark captured?

1 Samuel 2:12 “Now the sons of Eli were corrupt and did not know the Lord.”

Israel’s Sin
Israel had turned from the Lord and begun to follow idols. (1 Sam. 7:3) The sons of Eli, the priest were stealing from the people’s sacrifices and seducing women that served at the tabernacle. Instead of brining discipline to his wicked sons, Eli let them continue in their ways, so God removed His blessing from Eli’s family and raised up Samuel, as the new prophet of the Lord.

When Eli heard that the Ark had been captured and that his sons were dead, he fell over in his chair and died. His pregnant wife gave birth to a son and named him “Ichabod” which means, “Where is the Glory?” She made an interesting statement: “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.” (NLT)

Where is the Glory?
In our worship services today, there is nothing we long for more than the glory of God. We have the promise that God’s presence is always with us when we are truly seeking Him. However, like the Israelites, we sometimes find ourselves asking “where is the glory?” and “why have we been defeated?” Is temptation an easy snare for you? Does your worship time with God seem to be lacking? Where has the presence of God gone?

This question is slightly misguided in that it implies that God’s presence in relation to us has changed rather than our position in relation to his presence. God is constant, and we know that He is always with us; in our homes, workplaces, and in our worship services. However, like the Israelites, we are often distracted by the idols of this world and in return allow the enemy to defeat us and “capture” the glory. It is not in fact God’s presence moving, but us (our attention and devotion to Him) distancing us from His glory. So a better question than “where is the glory?” is “where are WE?”

God’s priests
As worshippers and worship leaders there a great responsibility that comes with being in the presence of God. The early priests primary job was to draw near to God, offering the burnt sacrifices of the people. Eli’s wicked sons dishonored God by taking some of the sacrifices for themselves to eat. They were in direct violation to the laws of sacrifice that God had set up. In the same way, we are now under the same priesthood and given the responsibility to offer sacrifices of praise in the house of God.

We should take great care in this responsibility, making sure that our motives for worship our pure, that our hearts are clean and our minds renewed by the power of the spirit. By handling this task of worship leading with care, we protect our hearts and guard the presence of God.