Dancing With Ichabod
Samuel I 4:12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
Samuel I 4:13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
Samuel I 4:14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Samuel I 4:15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
Samuel I 4:16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
Samuel I 4:17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
Samuel I 4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
Samuel I 4:19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
Samuel I 4:20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
Samuel I 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
Ichabod is the saddest of all sad things that can be said about a person, church, or Nation. The Glory (of the Lord) is departed.
You can walk into a church that you have never been to before and as the Discernment of the Holy Spirit reveals things to you. You know that the only word to describe this church is Ichabod. This church is working under human power and not Gods power. Sad to say, once this happens, the church can go on for years, decades, under human power if no one knows what is really going on. So sad.
The U.S.A. and many other nations have been DANCING WITH ICHABOD for a long time. What leads our government and high courts to make the laws that they have made? Human thinking: not God revealed wisdom. It is all a dance! I can imagine Abraham Lincoln on his knees praying to God to lead him and help give him wisdom concerning the problems of the day. Does this happen today, I think not. Sin abounds and is given license and then becomes legal.
As time goes on, we see more and more dancing with Ichabod all around us; people, churches, and nations. This is a time to be careful.
David Wikle
kingdavid@core.com
"dancing with Ichabod" - means courting the spiritual devastation that Ichabod was named after.
Samuel I 4:11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
Samuel I 4:12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
Samuel I 4:13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
Samuel I 4:14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
Samuel I 4:15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
Samuel I 4:16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
Samuel I 4:17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
Samuel I 4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
Samuel I 4:19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
Samuel I 4:20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
Samuel I 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
Ichabod is the saddest of all sad things that can be said about a person, church, or Nation. The Glory (of the Lord) is departed.
You can walk into a church that you have never been to before and as the Discernment of the Holy Spirit reveals things to you. You know that the only word to describe this church is Ichabod. This church is working under human power and not Gods power. Sad to say, once this happens, the church can go on for years, decades, under human power if no one knows what is really going on. So sad.
The U.S.A. and many other nations have been DANCING WITH ICHABOD for a long time. What leads our government and high courts to make the laws that they have made? Human thinking: not God revealed wisdom. It is all a dance! I can imagine Abraham Lincoln on his knees praying to God to lead him and help give him wisdom concerning the problems of the day. Does this happen today, I think not. Sin abounds and is given license and then becomes legal.
As time goes on, we see more and more dancing with Ichabod all around us; people, churches, and nations. This is a time to be careful.
David Wikle
kingdavid@core.com
