Ichabod: When the Glory Departs (Part 3)

Glory of God Can Be Restored: From Ichabod to Beloved

What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.1)

Where We Left Off

Ichabod — a name his mother, the wife of Phinehas, gave to her newborn son moments before she died giving birth. It was a time of real decline for individuals, for families, and for the nation of Israel. The fear of God had all but evaporated. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed along with 30,000 Israelite soldiers, slaughtered by the Philistines. The ark of God — the very symbol of His presence — was captured. When Eli, the high priest, heard the news, he fell backward and died. That is the backdrop against which Phinehas's newborn son was named Ichabod: "the glory of God has departed."

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, His sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. (Psalm 95:6–8)

Hophni and Phinehas led temple worship. Their responsibility was to stand as mediators between God and His people. Outwardly, they performed every ritual. But their hearts were somewhere else entirely — set on the best cuts of meat brought for sacrifice, and on the women who came to worship. It didn't end well. Thirty thousand Israelite soldiers were slaughtered, the ark of God was captured, Eli fell backward and died, and Phinehas's wife died giving birth to their son.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

As we think about the glory of God departing — and being restored — here's another story worth reflecting on.

Another Couple, Another Kind of Departure

Meet Felix and Drusilla. Two people at the very height of power and fame. Felix now holds the same office Pontius Pilate once held — Roman governor of Judea, the man who ordered Jesus Christ crucified.

Felix's background is remarkable. Born a slave, he had the intellect, ambition, and cunning to outmaneuver every rival and climb to the office of governor. The Roman historian Tacitus described him bluntly: a man who ruled with the power of a king but the instincts of a slave, given over to every cruelty and lust — utterly unjust and unscrupulous.

Drusilla's background is just as striking. She belonged to the royal family of Herod. Her great-grandfather, Herod the Great, rebuilt the temple — a project that took forty-six years, beginning around 20 BC, to restore it to the glory of the temple Solomon had first built centuries earlier. That same Herod slaughtered every boy under two years old in Bethlehem, trying to kill the infant Jesus. Her great-uncle, Herod Antipas, beheaded John the Baptist for no crime at all. Her father was Herod Agrippa I, who persecuted the early church in Acts 12. Her brother was Herod Agrippa II, who later listened to Paul's defense in Acts 25–26.

Felix and Drusilla were both already married when they met. One look, and lust and fireworks carried them away. They each divorced their spouses and moved in together — proof that soap operas are nothing new; the same thing was happening two thousand years ago. What could be more combustible than a former slave turned governor, married to a beauty with Herod's blood running through her veins? Together, they sat at the height of power and prestige.

An Imagined Sermon: Righteousness, Self-Control, and Judgment

You'd think this couple — with all their power, wealth, fame, and beauty — would be the last people on earth who wanted to hear from a prisoner named Paul. Maybe they'd simply grown bored with sex, money, and power. Picture it: a dazzling couple on a royal seat, hearts full of murder, adultery, and every kind of wickedness, and in walks Paul, in chains. The book of Acts records what happened:

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed and said, "Go away for now. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." (Acts 24:24–25)

Paul never once pleaded for his own release, or protested Rome's unjust occupation of Judea. He went straight into his sermon — three points: righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. It's a shame the full text isn't preserved in Scripture; it would have been a masterclass in how to bring the gospel to people who are pompous, self-satisfied, and used to having it all.

Whole volumes could be written on those three topics. Since I'm no trained theologian, here's my own imagined version of what Paul might have said to Felix and Drusilla that day:

Governor Felix, I'm honored that you sent for me. You're a man worth admiring — you rose from being born a slave to governing a Roman province. What an extraordinary journey. I salute you for it.

And Drusilla — Your Royal Highness — I'm honored to stand in your presence. Your great-grandfather rebuilt the temple and restored it to the glory of Solomon's day. Jewish people around the world owe your family a debt. You carry a pedigree very few in this world can match. But do you know that your great-grandfather also slaughtered the children of Bethlehem under two years old, trying to kill the infant Jesus? Do you remember that your great-uncle Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist, a man who had committed no crime? Drusilla, you carry a legacy few can match — but the blood of those children, and the blood of John the Baptist, is on your family's hands. And that man beside you is not your husband. You were married to someone else when you met Felix. You are living in sin, my dear Drusilla.

You both want to hear about this new religion, Christianity. First, understand this: there is a God, and it is not you. A real God created the heavens, the earth, and everything you can and cannot see. The very air you're breathing right now comes from Him. This God — whom you may never have heard of — sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die on a cross and pay the price of redemption for everyone who believes He is the Messiah.

You remember your predecessor, Governor Pontius Pilate, who ordered Jesus crucified. That man was not merely a carpenter from Nazareth — He was God Almighty. He died on that cross, and Joseph of Arimathea buried His body. What you may not know is that three days later, He rose from the dead. More than five hundred people saw Him alive over the next forty days. Then He ascended to heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God, ruling the world, Felix. No matter what you've accomplished in this life, that God is the reason you're able to take your next breath.

Governor Felix, and Your Highness Drusilla — as long as you have breath in you, it is never too late. The Bible, a book you may never have opened, says: "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

There are three things I need you to hear before you decide anything about your future: righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment.

Righteousness. What is it? It's living exactly the life God created you for — for His glory, not your own. You're responsible for knowing this God and the rules of His kingdom: love Him with all your heart and mind; honor Him; honor your father and mother; do not kill, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet. Righteousness means bringing glory to God in every detail of your life. Living to honor the God who lets you draw one more breath — that is righteousness.

Self-control. Since I'm the one speaking, let me quote my own words on the subject:

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning and disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and show no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they go on doing them — and even applaud others who do the same. (Romans 1:28–32)

That list covers just about everything; I don't need to say more. Felix and Drusilla, the reason you live such wicked lives is that you have no self-control — you're driven like animals: food, drink, sex, more, more, and more. Felix, have you ever heard what Jesus — the man your predecessor Pilate crucified — once asked: "What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:26). You've accomplished a great deal, Felix. But you have a soul that will live forever, either in heaven or hell. Have you ever given that a moment's thought? There is a coming judgment, and it arrives the moment you take your last breath.

Coming judgment. Understand this: there is a God who knows everything about your lives — every thought you've ever had, every word you've ever spoken. All your wickedness, lust, hatred, greed, pride, murder, your entire pompous existence. A day is coming when you will die and stand before the very Jesus Christ your predecessor Pilate ordered crucified. He is not in the grave — Christ has risen, risen indeed. One day He will judge you, Felix, and your wife Drusilla, whom you stole from another man. Remember: the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Can you imagine it — Felix and Drusilla, sitting through that? Felix trembled. How could he not? Two people convinced of their own greatness, confronted with the ugliness of their own sin through God's word, now terrified, shifting uncomfortably in their royal chairs. Just a three-point sermon: righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment.

A Question for the Rest of Us

This is a good place to turn the question on ourselves — those of us who've sat in church pews Sunday after Sunday listening to our pastor's sermon. Did that sermon ever make you uncomfortable? Did you ever fidget hearing the truth? There is a day each of us must give an account of our life before God. Every word that ever came out of our mouth and tore at someone's heart — we felt nothing, even while their pillow was soaked with tears over our unkind words. Do we really think God didn't hear it? The lies, the gossip, the half-truths we invented, the things we took that didn't belong to us — why can't we take responsibility and say, "I need to give this back, and I need to apologize"? Do we really think God didn't see it? All those lies that came out of our mouths — do we really think we'll get away with it?

As Scripture warns us: Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard (Romans 3:23). The real question is: where is the remorse, and where is the repentance? Can you and I look someone in the face and say, "I was wrong about what I said, what I did, what I stole, the reputation I damaged, the pain I caused"? Whatever the wrong, can we take responsibility and seek reconciliation? If not — are we really any different from Hophni and Phinehas? They had power inside the temple. We may be churchgoers with an outstanding reputation. But what do the people who live with us, work with us, or golf with us on a Saturday really think of our lives Monday through Saturday — not just on Sunday, when everyone's on their best behavior?

Listen to Jeremiah's prophecy:

I have listened to their conversations and heard not a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, "What a terrible thing I have done"? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle. (Jeremiah 8:6)

Jeremiah prophesied that 2,600 years ago. Is there anyone who tells the truth in our time? Does anyone carry even the slightest shame over the wickedness of our age? Can anyone say, "I am sorry, will you forgive me"? Who needs repentance and forgiveness when prosperity-gospel churches keep growing like a tsunami around the globe — and if that doesn't work, surely a foul-mouthed politician can fix what's wrong with us instead. What a wretched time we live in.

Two Roads That Look the Same

How many of us hide behind the theology of "once saved, always saved"? Do we even know what the words remorse and repentance mean? Without repentance, there is no forgiveness.

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

Have you ever, in your whole life, looked into the face of someone you wronged and said, "I am sorry, will you forgive me"? Can you take responsibility for the wrong you've done to another person? If not — how can you seek repentance and forgiveness from a God you cannot even see?

If you're sitting in one of those "your best life now" churches, or an ABC church (Attendance, Building, and Cash), you go home feeling pretty good after a motivational, Christianized pep talk. Nobody trembles. Nobody squirms in the pew. It was just a feel-good message. But if that's the kind of gospel you're hearing — one that never confronts sin and never asks for repentance — you're on the same road Hophni and Phinehas walked. The same road Felix and Drusilla walked.

Hophni and Phinehas had a father who was ninety-eight years old and could barely see. These two men were the "head honchos" of temple worship. The other worshippers all knew about their shenanigans and reported it straight to the high priest. What was Eli going to do about two scoundrels who were temple insiders, men with plenty of clout, playing at being God's people while their lives were nothing but pretension dressed up as service?

As for the Felix-and-Drusilla type, they'll never walk into a church at all. They have high positions, money, power, fame — their social media reaches the whole globe. People wait on every post, racking up likes; their life looks better than best. Who needs God when everyone who knows you envies you?

Where Restoration Begins

The men and women truly filled with the light of the gospel are the ones who have looked honestly into the darkness of their own imperfect lives — and then turned to Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for new life, from that day forward, for the rest of their days. — Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God (paraphrased)

The desire to bring glory to God begins here: each of us has to be willing to admit what Paul admitted.

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. (1 Timothy 1:15)

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. For I know that nothing good dwells in me. I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing — because it is sin dwelling within me that does it. (Romans 7, selected)

What a wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24–25)

When it finally dawns on us that it was our sin — our wretchedness, our lawlessness — that hammered the nails into the hands of Jesus Christ, and when that becomes our reason to breathe and our reason to live, we no longer need to put on a show like Hophni and Phinehas in the temple, or perform self-importance like Felix and Drusilla on their throne.

Now we too can say with Paul: Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ my Lord! I am no longer a slave to sin.

No Longer Ichabod

The Christian journey begins here. A newborn has one desire: its mother's milk. Every child of God who has truly understood that their sins are the nails hammered into the hands of Jesus Christ — how could they ever go back to that old life? When we understand the cost Jesus Christ paid for our redemption, we long to live our lives to please Him. That person alone hungers and thirsts for God's living Word, the Bible. The cross of Christ is where the Christian life begins. The power to live it comes from the Holy Spirit. When we choose to be obedient to God's Word, we bring Him glory — whether we eat or drink, in the smallest details and in all of life.

Then we can say with Paul: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). That is a life lived for the glory of God.

So we too can say boldly: If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose — to be Lord of both the living and the dead (Romans 14:8–9).

Therefore, our name is no longer Ichabod — glory departed. It is now "beloved child of God," living for the glory of God. On our appointed day, it's simply a change of address — from this temporary dwelling to our eternal home.

If you're a pretender sitting in a church, or if you think church people are all a bunch of hypocrites, I have news for you: there's room for one more. Jesus Christ died for all of us hypocrites. And He will pursue you until your last breath — like the soul in Francis Thompson's poem The Hound of Heaven, fleeing down every night and every day, down the long years, down the winding paths of its own mind, hiding in tears and forced laughter, only to find that Love had never stopped chasing.

That same relentless love pursued the thief on the cross to the very last hour of his life:

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42–43)

What is it that you crave so much you can't sit still for thirty minutes without reaching for a phone, a tablet, or the TV remote? How about opening the manual for life — the Bible — and learning why God allows you to take one more breath, why He's given you one more day to live? Here's one thing you'll discover: we are not here for our own glory. We are here for the glory of God.