As I was reading in I Samuel today, I came across the story through which a young child by the name of Ichabod was introduced to the world. The turn of events was a tragic one. His dad and uncle were very corrupt priests that ministered in the House of the Lord. His grandfather,Eli, the high priest did nothing about their wicked practices. God pronounced judgment on the house and lineage of Eli that because of their sins God would remove the wicked priests and not allow their descendants to serve any more and that in fact He, God, would raise up a new line of priests who would love and fear the Lord.
Having said all of that, the birth of a baby is typically a joyous occasion. It feels like a time of promise and potential, of dreaming. In chapter 4 of I Samuel God’s judgment is fulfilled against the house of Eli. His two sons fall in battle, the Ark of the Covenant is captured and upon hearing the news, Eli, being old and “heavy,” fell from his chair and broke his neck. It is at this point in the writing of I Samuel that a woman is introduced for the first time, the daughter-in-law of Eli, the wife of Phinehas.  She was pregnant. At the hearing of the news of her husband’s death and the death of her father-in-law, she goes prematurely into labor. The delivery begins to go bad for her, the baby is born. In her dying despair she names this innocent child, this what would otherwise be a seed of promise, Ichabod (meaning “the glory has departed Israel).
I don’t recall the Holy Scriptures saying much else about Ichabod. Shortly after this event Samuel was established as high priest and things started getting better from the standpoint of the Tabernacle, but about Ichabod, there are some things I wonder: how did the events surrounding his birth affect his future, how did the people of Israel regard him as he grew,… I don’t think that I can answer these questions with much certainty, at this point, but…there are some questions that considering this story makes me ponder: are my personal decisions moving me closer to God or out of His favor? am I making decisions with my life that will negatively affect the future of my children or of the individuals around me that I have influence with?  will my moments of potentially my greatest influence propel people into God’s destiny for their lives or become a hinderance for them to overcome or be crushed by?
Don’t forget, you matter. Everything you do carries some weight. Someone is always being influenced.

As I was reading in Chapter 2, there was something that leapt off the page.  Consider the difference of feeling between verses 25 and 26. In verse 25, Eli, the high priest, is speaking to his sons, Hophni and Phineas, who were wicked priests, utilizing their position for personal gain. Eli said, “‘If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for them?’ His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.  26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.”

When I consider what this means to me, how this may apply to us, we must realize that our responsibility is to remain faithful to God and humble before Him.  If we fall into the mindset that God needs us or that we are indispensable, then we run the risk of handling the calling on our lives without the care and honor that it is due.  We may even entertain wrong or sinful practices because we feel that maybe the “rules” don’t apply directly to us.

Beware.

God wants to use you.  God wants to bless you.  God wants to prosper you.  He expects sincerity, humility and attention to His will.  We are to engage in building His Kingdom, not ours.  If you aren’t that person, He is “Raising Samuel.”

Earlier in the night, the night of Jesus’ mock trial, as the “powers that were allowed to be” were pressing for the execution of the Christ, the Roman governor asked the question, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”  It struck me as ironic that the guilty were being asked what accusations against the guiltless they had to present.  After weighing their claims, Pilate said that he found no fault in Jesus, no reason to execute Him.  Then he said that according to your custom, I can release a prisoner back to you, do you want me to release Jesus.  ”They shouted back, ‘No, not Him! Give us Barabbas!’”  These words are the reason for this blog.

Barabbas was a “notorious prisoner” imprisoned for insurrection against the Jewish people.  He was by the words of Josephus, a “bandit.”  According to the Gospels He was imprisoned for political rebellion, murder, and robbery.  Jesus was guilty of preaching a Gospel of love, forgiveness, healing.  In the crowd, just like today, were people who had been healed by His power, accepted by His love, yet when given the opportunity to let Jesus be free among them and in their lives, they cried out for Barabbas, in essence saying, “We want the thing that kills, that threatens our lives, brings division and turmoil to be free among us and the one who loves, forgives, and heals to be silenced.”  Aren’t we, at times, like this too.  We will willingly embrace things in our lives, things, behaviors, practices, that we know can kill our children, destroy our marriages, crush our hopes, imprison our dreams, and to embrace them we have to silence the voice of Jesus.

“Give us Barabbas.”  Sound familiar?

Well, as playing bare-footed would have it, the fun was about to slow down for a few minutes.  I took off running toward the porch, probably to see if I could talk Mamaw out of a drink of water (she wasn’t much for us sweaty, stinkin’ youngin’s coming in the house, so we had to get a drink where the water hose outside was hooked up).  About the time I went to jump up on the porch, I didn’t lift my foot high enough.  If you said, “ouch,” you got it right.  I hung my big toe on the edge of the concrete and peeled the hide from the edge of my toenail down.  Immediately a one-legged dance began that resembled some kind of rain dance where the dancer forgot to use his other foot, complete with chanting, or in my case hollering. I hobbled over to Papaw and was wanting some attention.  “Oh Papaw, I need a band aid!” Then it happened.  One of those seemingly insignificant moments that comes and goes but splashes in the pond of your mind and ripples for the rest of your life.  Papaw looked at me through gentle eyes and a slight smile and said, “Aw Derek, put a little dirt in it.  It’ll be alright.”  Shocked by what seemed in that moment as unconcern, I stopped crying and looked at Papaw.  He was serious!  Being the trusting kid I was, at least when Papaw said something, I did.  I walked right off the porch and wiggled my little, big toe in that sandy dirt.  The bleeding stopped.  It didn’t get infected.  I went right on back to playing almost like nothing happened.

“What is the moral to this little story, Derek,” you may ask.  Well, you see, it’s like this.  Life often throws us some unexpected turns like not lifting your bare foot high enough when jumping up on the porch.  But, generally speaking, that stubbed toe is not as bad as we initially think it is.  Just put a little dirt in it.

Now, after saying that last statement, with the present state of pollution in our world, I don’t issue my advice in the literal.  I would recommend, rather than dirt for the literal stubbed toe, some soapy water, antibiotic cream and a band aid.  But when faced with some proverbial stubbed toe, don’t take it so seriously.  Chill out and give it a little time and see if that “one legged, hollering dance” is really merited.

There is another gravitational pull that anchors us to this world.  I am intrigued by it as well, only in a different way.  I really do appreciate the gravity that keeps me phyiscally to the earth, but I find that the gravity that keeps pulling us toward the world is one to be conquered.  The first helps sustain our life, the other is out to destroy us.  Many believe that only with great effort can we be free from the pull to the world, but really the effort for our freedom has already been made.  We must just trust in the price Jesus paid for our freedom.  Lean on Him.  Follow His lead.  “Trust in the Lord with all (your) heart…”  “He the Son has set free is free indeed.”