1 Samuel 4: 20 As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.
It's a sad ending for Eli. He served the Lord for 40 years, but he was a bad, indulgent parent who stood by as his sons blasphemed God. And now, he has been punished. His sons have been killed in the battle which also lost the Ark of God. When he heard about the Ark, he fell over and died too. Now his daughter-in-law is dying in childbirth, and even her great triumph in producing a son has no meaning for her.
We don't know much about Ichabod, born in such sad circumstances. He lived and his brother was later mentioned, named by the connection to his sibling, rather than as a son of Phineas. That makes scholars think he must have been well known at the time. I'm sad for Ichabod, and for all the other motherless children, tarnished by the sins of their ancestors. It makes me think about oppressed people today. And it makes me consider how adults affect their offspring through their own weakness.
Prayer: Lord, guide me to represent You well. It's both the long-term and short-term effects of my actions that I ask you to make me aware of. Help me to overcome my weakness. I need Your strength and insight.
Amen
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