09/16/2008
1 Samuel 5:1 - 4 (HCSB) 1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, 2brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue. 3When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. [This time], both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.
1 Samuel 5:7 (HCSB) 7When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because His hand is severe against us and our god Dagon.”
===
Eli’s sons took the ark of God into battle thinking that God would never allow the ark to be captured by enemies and therefore Israel’s army would be invincible. However, this idea was ill-conceived because the sons were evil—practicing as priests but defiling the tabernacle. God allowed Eli’s sons to be struck down in the battle and Israel faced a humiliating loss at the hands of the Philistines. How elated the Philistines were to capture such a holy relic as the arc of Israel’s God.
In those days, each nation believed they had their own god – that the gods themselves were territorial. The Philistines’ god was Dagon. When they captured the arc of Israel’s God, they naturally regarded the relic as religiously significant as (in their minds) Dagon had subjugated Israel’s God.
They placed the arc at the feet of Dagon in Dagon’s temple no doubt as a trophy won in battle. But God would be subjugated by no one. The next morning, the huge idol of Dagon was toppled. The people set the idol back on its setting but the next morning, again, it was toppled and the face and hands were smashed. Add to this that Ashdod, the city where the temple of Dagon was located, began to suffer disease. Some manuscripts describe an epidemic of mice and rats, possibly leading to bubonic plague. All accounts mention rampant tumors among the people.
The leaders of the city recognized that Israel’s God was at work.
Now here lies the part of this story that fascinates me. Rather than acknowledging the greater God, the men of Ashdod simply want to send the arc to another location. Why would they not recognize that Israel’s God was greater than Dagon and bow to God?
This seems typical of our generation as well. People are well aware of the presence of God. They can see His hand at work, yet rather than bow to His authority, they simply choose another path. Romans chapter 1 tells us that at the judgment, no one will have an excuse. That is, that everyone who has seen nature and the creation of God should be aware of His handiwork, so no one can say: “I didn’t know there was a God.”
What about you? Are you recognizing the work of God and giving to Him the honor and reverence He is due?
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
Terms of Usage: This devotional may be copied or forwarded for personal use without permission, but must include the author, publisher, web link, and copyright notice. Use in another published work must obtain permission first.