1 Samuel 5:8-12
8 So they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away.
9 After they had taken it away, the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that tumors broke out on them.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!”
11 Therefore they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12 And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
The Ark of God Taken to Gath and Ekron
Gath
The people of Ashdod sent their men for consultation and urgently convened a meeting of the five-city confederation. All the governors of the five cities gathered. After deliberation, they decided to move the Ark of God to Gath, which was the central city of the confederation. The governor of Gath, likely was proud of his city being the largest, or may have looked down on the weakness of the people of Ashdod, thinking arrogantly that they had nothing to fear from the Ark of the Lord. When the Ark of God was brought to Gath, the same occurrences as in Ashdod happened. (1) The people were struck with tumors. (2) People of all ranks and ages were afflicted with the same disease and had died. (3) The inhabitants of Gath quickly decided to send the Ark of God to Ekron.
Ekron
This time, it was not a decision made by the confederation, rather an unilateral decision by the people of Gath. (1) An unwelcome guest arrived in Ekron. When the Ark of God entered the town, the people cried out, “They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.” (2) A great panic broke out even in Ekron and many had died. Even those who survived were afflicted with tumors and suffered. (3) Another council of the confederation was convened. The conclusion reached by the governors was to return the Ark of God to the land of Israel. The Philistines learned a valuable lesson through their suffering. They learned that there are no gods superior to the God of Israel. God is capable of demonstrating His power and authority on His own, without any defense from us. Let’s remember that no matter how situations appear bleak, God’s sovereignty is unshakable, and let’s praise His name. “I am the Lord, and there is no one else; there is no God except Me” (Isa. 45:5).
Today's prayer
Our Creator, You say “there is no God except Me.” I believe. Please remove from my heart any thoughts of idol worship. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.