1 Samuel 4:21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken and because of her father in law and her husband.
It isn’t that unusual for life to become so unbearable that someone can give up in despair and even be tempted to commit suicide. Despair means no hope, believing that things cannot ever get better.
The wife of Phinehas and daughter-in-law of Eli had just given birth, after hearing the bad news: the Ark was taken by the enemy, her husband died in battle, and her father-in-law died from hearing the news. Life is irredeemably messed up, irreparable, and hopelessly destroyed. Therefore she named the baby Ichabod, meaning inglorious, that the glory of God has departed from Israel.
She was wrong in thinking that God could not be present because the symbol of His presence fell into enemy hands. But she was right in believing that God was not present with His people, but the reason for God’s departure was the idolatry and unfaithfulness of His people. Belief and worship of the Lord was absent. It’s not just that the invisible God was with the Ark; it is that the people deserted the one true God for other gods, Therefore, the glory was departed. The Lord is no longer with us because of our unbelief.
Her response to the desperate and bleak situation was to announce her despair. Giving up in despair happens to humans when they perceive that God is not in their lives any longer. If we believe that God is real and present in our lives we have good reason to hope. If not, we are doomed to hopelessness. We are tempted to blame God for leaving, instead of repenting for leaving God, for our sinfulness, and for seeking our selfish interests instead of God’s. Repent, return, believe, and hope.