Making sense of scripture Wednesday January 21st 2015 It’s encouraging to know so many are still continuing this journey through 1 Samuel with an amazing 350+ dropping by on Monday. At first sight Chapter 5 contains really hard ideas like “Why would God use statues for a religious tug of war?” and the hoary old question “Would a God of love send the plague to people?” Let’s read the first few verses before thinking about them. * * * I Samuel chapter 5 New Living Translation Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. 4 And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumours, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” 8 Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” * * * The Ark of the Covenant was the Big Ben or Sonehenge of its day. It was an iconic focus of unity for the loosely federated twelve tribes of Israel. That’s why it’s capture was as significant then as the fall of the Twin Towers was in New York. The Ark was first taken to Ashdod where there was a temple dedicated to the worship of the false god Dagon. Some years before Samson had chosen to lose his life in Dagon’s temple at Gaza (Judges 16 23-30). On two consecutive mornings Dagon’s Temple was opened only to find the main statue had fallen before the Ark demonstrating the power of the God of Israel. Confronted with this evidence the priests of Dagon had a choice- they could leave idolatry behind and start to serve Almighty God or they could make up a little religious ceremony to commemorate the event. They chose to invent a religious tradition which is remembered in verse 5 “Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.” These priests were like many today who reject Jesus and the truth of His resurrection not because of the evidence but in spite of it. Dagon’s priests wanted to believe his downfall was an unfortunate accident. Leaving Dagon behind and turning to the true God would have meant a big change in their thinking and behaviour, a change they didn’t want to make. Picking up the pieces of Dagon and sticking it together like an Old Testament Humpty Dumpty was going to be easier than repentance and changing their way of life and thinking. When people reject the obvious the Lord will often find another way of getting their attention. Different commentators have suggested these tumours were anything from bleeding haemorrhoids to bubonic plague. Whatever the precise medical symptoms it was ghastly and the inhabitants of Ashdod recognised it as a judgment of God for removing the Ark. They said “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” The human heart is so hard and in need of God’s touch. Like so many people today who wont yield to God the Philistines sought to shovel the Ark off to another place. Many people we know try to push God away but one day everyone will have to face God and give an account of their life. May we do so confidently, relying on the forgiveness and cleansing provided by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus upon the Cross. A prayer – Lord I bring to you today the names of five people I would love you to reveal yourself to ….. Help me to be a link in the chain which brings them closer to you A cheerful song to conclude https://youtube/results?search_query=i%27ve+got+a+river+of+living+water
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 00:01:00 +0000
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