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엘리는 두 아들이 죽고 언약궤까지 빼앗겼다는 소식을 듣고 충격을 받아 넘어져 죽습니다. 임신한 비느하스의 아내도 아들을 낳다 죽어 갑니다. 

[ 사무엘상 4:12 - 4:22 ] (찬송300장)

엘리의 죽음 

12당일에 어떤 베냐민 사람이 진영에서 달려나와 자기의 옷을 찢고 자기의 머리에 티끌을 덮어쓰고 실로에 이르니라 13그가 이를 때는 엘리가 길 옆 자기의 의자에 앉아 기다리며 그의 마음이 하나님의 궤로 말미암아 떨릴 즈음이라 그 사람이 성읍에 들어오며 알리매 온 성읍이 부르짖는지라 14엘리가 그 부르짖는 소리를 듣고 이르되 이 떠드는 소리는 어찌 됨이냐 그 사람이 빨리 가서 엘리에게 말하니 15그 때에 엘리의 나이가 구십팔 세라 그의 눈이 어두워서 보지 못하더라 16그 사람이 엘리에게 말하되 나는 진중에서 나온 자라 내가 오늘 진중에서 도망하여 왔나이다 엘리가 이르되 내 아들아 일이 어떻게 되었느냐 17소식을 전하는 자가 대답하여 이르되 이스라엘이 블레셋 사람들 앞에서 도망하였고 백성 중에는 큰 살륙이 있었고 당신의 두 아들 홉니와 비느하스도 죽임을 당하였고 하나님의 궤는 빼앗겼나이다 18하나님의 궤를 말할 때에 엘리가 자기 의자에서 뒤로 넘어져 문 곁에서 목이 부러져 죽었으니 나이가 많고 비대한 까닭이라 그가 이스라엘의 사사가 된 지 사십 년이었더라

 비느하스 아내의 절망 

 19그의 며느리인 비느하스의 아내가 임신하여 해산 때가 가까웠더니 하나님의 궤를 빼앗긴 것과 그의 시아버지와 남편이 죽은 소식을 듣고 갑자기 아파서 몸을 구푸려 해산하고 20죽어갈 때에 곁에 서 있던 여인들이 그에게 이르되 두려워하지 말라 네가 아들을 낳았다 하되 그가 대답하지도 아니하며 관념하지도 아니하고 21이르기를 영광이 이스라엘에서 떠났다 하고 아이 이름을 이가봇이라 하였으니 하나님의 궤가 빼앗겼고 그의 시아버지와 남편이 죽었기 때문이며 22또 이르기를 하나님의 궤를 빼앗겼으므로 영광이 이스라엘에서 떠났다 하였더라

[ 1 Samuel 4:12 - 4:22 ]

12A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out.14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see.16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?”17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” 

Who is God like?

Thinking & Understanding

A messenger delivered the news of Israel’s defeat to Shiloh. Eli, shaken by the news of God’s ark being stolen, fell backwards and died from a broken neck (vv. 12-18). Eli’s blindness and the heaviness of his body are symbolic of Eli’s unhealthy spiritual state and lack of sensitivity towards God’s will. Although he had ruled Israel as a judge for 40 years, his fate was pathetic and inconsequential. Meanwhile, Eli’s daughter-in-law, shaken by the news of her husband’s death, suddenly went into labour. Although she gave birth to a son, she could not rejoice but died in despair, uttering, “Glory has departed from Israel” as her final words (vv. 19-22).

Who is God?

V. 18 God allows those who honour him (2:30) to sit in the seat of glory (2:8) while driving those who dismiss him out of that seat. God lowered the Israelites, Eli’s two sons, Eli and Eli’s daughter-in-law, who used him and did not fear him, in succession. Let’s not seek any glory that does not glorify God and is not given to us by God.

What lesson is God teaching me?

Vv. 21-22 There is no true glory in any place where human beings try to use God to fill their own greed. There is no life or joy in any place that God’s glory has departed from. The birth of a son, a day of great joy, became a day of lamentation due to the people’s sin of having departed from God. Is God’s glory continuing to dwell upon you and your church community?

Prayer

Lord, help me to discern sin and repent immediately so that your glory will not depart from me.