SCRIPTURE: 1 SAMUEL 5
THE ARK IN ASHDOD AND EKRON (vs. 1-12)
After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried it into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. Early in the morning next day, the Dagon fall on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning, the Dagon fall before the Ark of the Lord with his head and hands broken. So the people of Ashdod asked the Philistines to move out the Ark of God of Israel. After they had moved it to Gath. The Lord afflicted all the people of the city with an outbreak of tumors. There was great panic and the Ark of God was sent to Ekron. But the people of Ekron cried out not to let the ark of the Lord enter their place but to send it back to Israel. The hand of the Lord was heavy. He filled the city with death and outbreak of tumors.
THOUGHTS:
The Philistines put the Ark of the Lord at their heathen temple on the same level as their fish god – Dagon. But Dagon fell on it face before the Ark. The men put Dagon back but they found their idol without hands and head the next day. Jehovah had shown Dagon to be a false god. God brought judgment to Ashdod by sending boils to plague the people. The Ark was moved from Ashdod to Ekron but the people there begged to have it removed.
Dagon was the chief god of the Philistines whom they believed sent rain and assured a bountiful harvest. They worshiped many gods because the more gods they could have, they felt more secure and blessed. They took the Ark of God thinking that if it helped Israelites, it could help them. But when the Ark was with them, they got sick and died. So they realized that the Ark was not a good omen. The Ark was taken to 3 cities – Gath, Ekron and Ashdod. But each time it brought great trouble and chaos to their citizens. It show that God has great power on everything.