You Name It
What will you name it?
Ichabod or Ebanezer
Song of Solomon – jilted lover
Ichabod – the glory has departed
1 Samuel 4:19-22 (KJV)
19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be deliveredg: 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. 20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. 21 And she named the child Ichabodh, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
1 Samuel 7:10-12 (KJV)
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezerc, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
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13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel,[2]
EBENEZER (Heb. ’eḇen ‘ēzer, ‘stone of help’).
1. The site of the dual defeat of Israel at the hands of the Philistines near Aphek in the N of Sharon. The sons of Eli were slain, the ark taken (1 Sa. 4:1–22), and a period of Philistine overlordship begun which continued until the days of national reinvigoration under the Monarchy.
2. The name of the stone which Samuel erected between Mizpah and Shen some years after this battle, to commemorate his victory over the Philistines (1 Sa. 7:12). The stone was probably given the same name as the site of Israel’s earlier defeat in order to encourage the impression that that defeat had now been reversed. The exact site of the stone is unknown.
The ”guards“ in 9:1 were probably angelic beings posted by God around His city. Each guard carried a deadly weapon—possibly a sword or a club.[3]
God then told the guards to follow the scribe through the city and kill, without showing pity. Those not receiving the mark were to be destroyed. There was to be no distinction by age or sex; the judgment would come on the old and young, on men . . . women, and children.
Then God ordered the guards, Begin at the sanctuary. Significantly the judgment first began in the house of God (cf. 1 Peter 4:17).
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9:11. Then the angelic scribe returned with his report: I have done as You commanded (cf. v. 4). Those who were righteous and whose hearts grieved over the nation’s sin had received God’s mark of protection. They would be spared. The unrighteous who had rejected God and embraced evil did not receive the mark of protection. They would be killed. Each person’s destiny was determined by his character.[5]
10:15-22. It was now time for God’s glory to depart. Then the cherubim rose upward. God’s throne ascended from the court of Israel into the air. Ezekiel’s description of the movement of the cherubim and wheels (vv. 15-17) uses the same words he employed in chapter 1 (see comments on 1:19-20). God’s glory, which had been standing at the entrance to the temple, departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim (10:18). God was mounting His throne-chariot to ride out of His temple and city. The throne-chariot began moving toward the east; but as the cherubim approached the edge of the temple precincts, they stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord‘s house, and the glory (cf. comments on 1:28) of the God of Israel was above them. These creatures (vv. 20-22) were unquestionably the same cherubim Ezekiel had seen earlier. Before God left both the temple and the city, there was a final pause. Once God passed from the gate, the inscription ”Ichabod“ (”the glory has departed“) could be written over Jerusalem (cf. 1 Sam. 4:21-22). [6]
Jeremiah 2:1-2 (NIV)
2 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
Jeremiah 2:5-13 (NIV)
5 This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look, send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
God addressed the 7 churches of Asia with messages that are appropriate for the church age.
· The church at Ephesus was begun by the Apostle Paul.
· Later, it was pastored by Timothy
· Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
· 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
· 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
· 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
· And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
· 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent;
· And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
· 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
· And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
· And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceansa write
· I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
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g be delivered: or, cry out
h Ichabod: that is, Where is the glory? or, There is no glory
c Ebenezer: that is, The stone of help
[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
[2]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA
Heb. Hebrew
N North, northern
[3]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
cf. confer, compare
[4]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
[5]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
vv. verses
cf. confer, compare
[6]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
a Or and the shadow of death
b That is, Cyprus and western coastlands
d Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition my
a of the Laodiceans: or, in Laodicea