1 Samuel 5:1-7
1 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon.
3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.
4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left.
5 For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He made them feel devastated and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.
7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.”
The Ark of God taken to Ashdod
A Philistine idol Dagon
The Philistines had formed a confederation of five cities. Initially, the Ark of God was brought to one of these cities, Ashdod. There, the temple of the idol Dagon was located. (1) Dagon was a Canaanite god of fertility, adopted by the Philistines as their national deity. (2) They placed the Ark of God in the temple of Dagon, beside the idol. This was to show that the God of Israel was captive and subordinate to Dagon. (3) However, something astonishing happened the next morning. Dagon was found face down on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. It was as if Dagon was bowing down to the God of Israel. The Philistines were shocked and quickly set Dagon back in its place. (4) The situation worsened the next day. Dagon was found face down on the ground as before, but this time, its head and both arms were cut off on the threshold; only the torso remained. This rendered that Dagon was made powerless. (5) This incident seems to have left a lasting impression on the Philistines. From this point, they developed the custom of not stepping on the threshold when entering the temple of Dagon (a practice that was still ongoing when the First Book of Samuel was written).
Tumors
The hand of the Lord extended further. The people of Ashdod and the surrounding area were struck with tumors and began to suffer. It was evident to all that this was a judgment from the God of Israel. Consequently, the people of Ashdod came to a conclusion that “The Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” They planned to move the Ark of God to another city. The series of events recorded in this passage teach that the God of Israel is greater than the gods of idols. Our God is capable of performing great deeds by Himself. We, as His servants, merely participate in His works. Today, let’s reaffirm the greatness of the God again and go out into the world.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, there is no God as great as You. I praise Your greatness, grace, and love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.