I read the story of the death of Eli recently and, well, I think it teaches an interesting lesson. While the Israelites had been fighting the Philistines, Eli sat back (due to his old age) waiting for news from the war. At this particular time, a Benjamite ran up and declared the Philistines had won, killed Eli’s sons, and taken the ark of the Lord. Immediately after hearing the news of the captured ark (not at the news of the death of his sons), Eli fell backwards, broke his neck, and died. At first, I thought this circumstance was funny; I give God credit for His humor. But then I started thinking about it… I think the ark represents the glory of God. As Eli’s daughter-in-law even said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured” (1 Samuel 4:22.) This ark was a part of God’s glory that the Israelites were proud to call their own. The moment the ark was confiscated, God’s glory was taken away from Israel and, as Eli experienced, there was nothing left to live for. I’ve come to find that I disagree with Socrates; it is not the unexamined life that is not worth living… it is a life devoid of the glory of God that is not worth living. God’s glory is what it’s all about. Period. When it disappears, you might as well just break your neck and die because without the hope of God’s glory, there really is no reason to live.
*Eli’s death is recorded in 1 Samuel 4:12-22
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