Clara Peller, in her 80’s, became a famous television personality when in 1984 she starred in a commercial where she spoke three words—where’s the beef. The Wendy’s chain created an advertising campaign to demonstrate the difference between their hamburgers and those of their competitors. As the three older ladies are seen staring at a competitor’s hamburger, Clara barks out, “Where’s the beef?”

If a hamburger is going to be worth anything, it had better have a decent piece of hamburger. Otherwise, it is not worth much.
If the people of God are to be worth anything, they had better enjoy the glory of God. Otherwise, their profession is not worth much.

The Israelites were slaughtered by the Philistines, including Hophni and Phinehas. A messenger bursts through the city gates of Shiloh with his clothes rent and earth on his head. His appearance already confirms what the town had braced themselves to hear. Israel has lost and the Philistines took the ark of God. Two people, in particular, are mentioned as fretting over this travesty, Eli and his daughter-in-law. Both died that day.

What stands out most in this story is how Phinehas’ wife is preoccupied with the ark of God even in the midst of giving birth. The travail of birth was an afterthought compared with her preoccupation with the ark of God. The text seems to convey the story like this:

Phinehas’ wife hears the news of her husband, father-in-law, and ultimately the ark of God. The anxiety brings on the contractions. She is rushed into a private room for delivery. The midwives are working feverishly to soothe her. Their frantic work is different this time. This mother is hardly noticing the birth of her son. Oh, there is wailing, tears, and pain, but she keeps crying out, “Where’s the glory? Where’s the glory?” The midwives hope to bring some consolation to the mother by announcing she has given birth to a son, but she doesn’t even regard the child. Her heart was not moved by the sight of her newborn son. She continues to cry, “Where’s the glory?” As one midwife tries to bring her attention back to the newborn son, she asks, “What is his name?” The only response the mother gives as her final breath leaves her is, “Where is the glory?” The child is named Ichabod meaning “where’s the glory.”

There are churches across this nation that have been content to operate without the glory of God. Much like Samson, they shake themselves every week to do great things not aware that the glory has departed. God’s people ought to be preoccupied with the single matter that makes all they do relevant, the glory of God. In the midst of the travail of this life, we can easily become preoccupied with what is going on around us or even in us. If we as God’s people are to be worth anything to this lost generation who needs the Savior, we need to be preoccupied with the glory of God.

Hopefully, when we ask, “Where’s the glory?” we will see it manifested in our worship every week and in our labor of love every day. May the glory of the Lord never be exiled from our lives.