Text: 1 Samuel 5:1-5
1 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. 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. 4 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.
Note:
Dagon was the principal deity of the Philistines, whose ancestors migrated to Palestinian shores from Crete. He was the god of fertility and crops. Dagon also figured prominently in the Philistine concepts of death and the afterlife. In addition to his role in the religion of the Philistines, Dagon was worshipped in the more general society of Canaanite peoples.
The Ark of the Covenant is the chest that contains the tablets of the 10 Commandments of God to Israelites through Moses’ leadership.
Things to Ponder
1.Where did the Philistine placed the Ark of the Covenant?
2.What was the Ark symbolizes?
3.What happened the next day?
4.What happened the second day?
Treasures to Discover
1.How does the Philistine honored the God of Israel?
2.What happened in the next two days?
3.How does this story impact the way we honor God?
4.Cite some practical applications.
