Ark Of The Covenant and The Philistines

Recap: God opens Hannah’s womb-Samuel is born. God calls Samuel (prophet, Judge, Nazarite and from the tribe of Levi) into a time when Israel is wicked, idolatrous, the entire Priesthood is corrupt. God has completely rejected them, and He is furious. They have lost battles and 34k men and the Ark is in a pagan land. 1 Samuel 7:2b Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.

1 Samuel 5:1-2 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. The Philistines at this point are joyful and confident in their god’s being superior to Israel’s God. They faced the God of Israel in battle and their god Dagon delivered them and defeated Israel. Now, the Ark stands as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon. The victory seemed complete.

Dagon was represented with a half man, half fish figure, and was said to be the father of Baal.

1 Samuel 5:3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. The next day there was Dagon face down before the Lord. God made this statue bow down in worship before Him. They set it back up. (We do to)

1 Samuel 5:4-5 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. ⁵ That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.

For the second day in a row Dagon is prostrate before the Lord. This time his head and his hands are broken off. God is making a statement here: When men and women will not glorify God, God will glorify Himself. (Stones)

Understand to, these Philistines have been confronted by God with the truth. They have personally witnessed the superiority of the God of Israel. God is giving these people a choice. They could turn from their weak, inferior god Dagon and choose to serve the mighty, clearly superior GOD of Israel.

These Philistines just like people confronted with the truth today, confronted with overwhelming evidence choose to rejected God.

It was easier for them to pick up their false god and glue him back together than to change their life and their way of thinking.

1 Samuel 5:6-8 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors/emerods. ⁷ When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” ⁸ So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?” They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

The hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod: They refuse to listen or acknowledge God when He struck down their God Dagon; they just set it up again. When we close our eyes and ears to God, He will find another way to get our attention, and we may not like the other way He may choose.

What were these tumors/emerods? Some commentators describe them as signs of the bubonic plague. But history, historians as well as the original words used describe them are quite different.

EMERODS: tekh-ore’; tumours, haemorrhoids, from an unused root meaning to burn; a boil or ulcer (from the inflammation), especially a tumor in the anus or pudenda (the piles):—emerod.   Blessing and Curses: Deuteronomy 28:27 The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors/emerods, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured.

Instead of submitting to the God of Israel, they decided to get rid of Him. We can’t get rid of God. We can do things to push Him away but even the best of our attempts are temporary. We must all face God and stand before Him one day.

1 Samuel 5:9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors/and they had emerods in their secret parts. (KJV)

The city of Gath doesn’t fair any better than the city of Ashdod. More of the destructive and painful tumors/emerods broke out on them in their secret parts.

1 Samuel 5:10-12 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” ¹¹ So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. ¹² Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors/emerods, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark of the Covenant was like a hot potato in the land of the Philistines, (Ashdod-Gath-Ekron) burning and itching every city it went to. The Ekronites were not happy to see the Ark, but they still wouldn’t submit to the LORD God of Israel.

These Philistines, if they had just repented and turned towards the LORD, things could have been so different. Instead, (with overwhelming evidence) they chose to reject God, and the Ark became a curse and a judgment to them. (Don’t miss the mercy here) (Hades)

1 Samuel 6:1-2 When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, ² the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.” Why did they keep it seven months? Because they were reluctant to give up such a wonderful “trophy” of what they first thought was a great victory over the God of Israel. It can take a long time, and the suffering of many consequences before we realize the absolute futility of resisting God. (Some never Do)

 1 Samuel 6:3-6 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift; by all means send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.” ⁴ The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?” They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. ⁵ Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. ⁶ Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

The Philistines here have finally realized they have offended the LORD God.  And by offering these specific offerings (guilt-Lev. 5 unintentional sin) they are saying; We know the LORD God of Israel has brought these judgements upon us.

Vs5 Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Acknowledging God’s judgment is certainly one way to give glory to the God of Israel. But, please understand God will always be glorified. God will always and ultimately receive the glory due Him. (Every person)

Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Vs6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?                      

Aware of the Exodus account, the Philistines remember that no good comes when someone/anyone hardens their heart against the LORD.

The Philistines admit that the God of Israel has judged them, their gods and has jurisdiction over their lands. They have seen and felt His superiority as Almighty God, yet they still do not fully believe it is Israel’s God and will try to put God in an impossible situation in the rest of chapter 6.