Day 32: 1 Samuel 5- God wins!

​The Philistines and the Ark
 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9 But after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” 11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
 
 Meditation
My friend is in a tough spot at work, fighting for truth with his life. He asked me the other day, “Why do unethical people always get ahead? Does the enemy have total authority? I feel like I am fighting a losing battle.” Today’s chapter reminds us that the enemies of God will never defeat God. God always wins and His enemies will be mocked.
 
The devastation of Israel we read in 1 Samuel 4 leads to celebration for the Philistines in chapter 5. Like putting a trophy on a shelf, Israel’s enemy had “captured” the ark (1) and “took” it into the house of their god, Dagon (2).  The Lord is no ones trophy and no enemy can contain our God.
 
Repeated for emphasis, the false god Dagon “had fallen downward before the ark of God” (3, 4). The hands of Dagon fell off while the “hand of the Lord” was working against His enemies  (6, 7, 9, 11). The head of Dagon was on the floor while the Lord displayed He is the head of all power and throws His enemies into panic (11-12).
 
The Lord laughs at those who challenge His authority (Psalm 2). He will defeat His enemies. God is not absent- He is ruling in His way. Jesus displays this reality all through the gospels, especially in the passion narratives. The power of the Philistines could not contain God. The Roman and Jewish powers in the gospels could not defeat God. Death could not hold God (1 Corinthians 15:56).  God wins!
 
Richly Dwelling
-Are you experiencing the difficulty of living in a fallen world to such an extent you feel like the enemies of God always win?
 
-How does being reminded of the power of God over all other God’s give you strength to serve Him today, no matter how difficult your circumstance may be?
 
-False gods and the people who worship them will look foolish like Dagon and the Philistines. Do you need to turn from a false god and worship the One true God?
 
Key Verse
4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.