The Ark in Philistia
1 Samuel 5:1-12 NLT
5:1 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.
6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors. 7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”
The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.
10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 5:1-12 NLT
The Ark in Philistia
5:1 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
Ashdod was one of the five principle cities of the Philistines.
Refer to map
2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon
Dagon was the main god of the Philistines, who set up temples in his honor in Ashdod, Gaza, Beth Shan, and elsewhere.
Dagon was known as a fish god, a storm god, or grain god. (No one seems to know for sure.)
Dagon had an upper body of a man and a lower body of a fish.
Dagon was noted to be the father of Baal.
- After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it into the temple of Dagon, in the town of Ashdod.
We read about one of these temples of Dagon in the story of Samson.
Judges 16:23-30 NLT
Samson’s Final Victory
23 The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, “Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!”
24 When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, “Our god has delivered our enemy to us! The one who killed so many of us is now in our power!”
25 Half drunk by now, the people demanded, “Bring out Samson so he can amuse us!” So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof.
26 Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, “Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to rest against them.” 27 Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them.
28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.” 29 Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, 30 he prayed, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.
and placed it beside an idol of Dagon.
Symbolizing Dagon’s power and Yahweh’s inferiority.
This was a visual representation, for the Philistines, that the god of the Philistines was victorious over the God of the Hebrews.
At this time in history, heathen nations believed that gods (small g) could be taken into exile.
- The Philistines placed the Ark of God beside an idol of Dagon. This was a visual representation, for the Philistines, that the god of the Philistines was victorious over the God of the Hebrews.
3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord!
- God overturned the supposed supremacy of Dagon by causing Dagon to fall with his face down before the ark (Lord).
This could be symbolic of Dagon lying prostrate before the Lord.
Philippians 2:10 NLT
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.
The Philistines missed the point of what had just happened.
4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.
Lying prostrate before the Lord was not enough. Now
Dagon was lying face down, broken, dead, on the ground before the Lord.
Cutting off an enemy’s head and hands was recorded in other places in the Old Testament. This was a way of saying the enemy was truly dead and no longer a threat.
1 Samuel 17:50-51 NLT
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
2 Samuel 4:12 NLT
12 So David ordered his young men to kill them (the men who killed Ishbosheth, the son of Saul), and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
God’s divine judgment was on the false idol (and the Philistines).
- The Philistines put Dagon in his place a second time. But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway.
5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.
They most likely believed that the threshold was cursed since Dagon’s head and hands were found lying in the doorway.
6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.
- Dagon’s hands had been broken off symbolizing his helplessness against the power of Yahweh. In contrast, the Lord’s hands were powerful as they struck the people of Ashdod with a plague.
A plague, possibly spread by rats. (Bubonic plague?)
1 Samuel 6:4-5 NLT
4 “What sort of guilt offering should we send?” they asked.
And they were told, “Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land. 5 Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land.
The imagery of God’s hand is found throughout scripture.
Exodus 15:6 NLT
6 “Your right hand, O Lord,
is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O Lord,
smashes the enemy.
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.”
- The people of Ashdod believed their real opponent was the God of Israel. They believed that they would be destroyed along with their god, Dagon.
1 Samuel 4:8 NLT
8 Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness.
8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”
The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.
Another of the five principle cities of the Philistines.
- Evidently the rulers of the Philistines did not share the opinion of the people of Ashdod that there was a direct connection between what had happened in Ashdod and the presence of the Ark. Moving the Ark to Gath put this matter to a test.
9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.
- God used a great panic to incapacitate and overwhelm Israel’s enemies.
Other incidents:
1 Samuel 14:15 NLT
15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.
Deuteronomy 7:23 NLT
Moving into the Promised Land
23 But the Lord your God will hand them over to you. He will throw them into complete confusion until they are destroyed.
10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron,
Another of the five principle cities of the Philistines.
but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.”
For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.
- After three successive towns had been struck by a plague upon the arrival of the Ark, the Philistines believed the power of the God of Israel was the cause of their distress.
The Philistines assumed that sending the Ark back to its own land would be the same as sending God back to Israel.
