The Philistines return home from
battle victorious, having captured the Ark of the God of Israel. However, that
is not the end of the story!
The Philistines took the Ark from
Israel’s location in Ebenezer (re 4:1) which poignantly means “up till now the
Lord is with us”, to Ashdod one of the 5 main cities of the Philistine domain.
The victors placed the Ark of the Covenant in the temple of their god, Dagon. Dagon was the principle god of the
Philistines. Some think the word means “fish”
and others think “grain”. “The
practice of capturing the enemy’s gods was common in ancient Near East warfare
and is often mentioned in documents such as the Assyrian royal inscriptions. It
was understood that a people whose gods were in enemy hands was completely
conquered.”[1]
The story reflects quite the opposite.
Not only does the statue of Dagon fall prostrate and broken before the
Ark but the author records (5:5) that the
people remembered this humiliation even up to the time of writing. Not only was their deity humiliated, but the
people of Ashdod were afflicted with “tumors”.
Sharing their misfortune, they decided to send the Ark to the people of
Gath who experienced a similar affliction.
From there the Ark went to Ekron. No wonder the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to
kill us and our people.”[2]
The result of this victorious capture was reacted to with deadly “panic”
(5:9,11). The analysis of these pagan
peoples was repeatedly, “The hand of the Lord was heavy against [them]”[3];
“his hand is hard against [them] and against Dagon”[4]; “the
hand of the Lord was against the city”[5]; and
“The hand of God was very heavy there.”[6] “The
Lord was pictured to be actively involved in judging the Philistines.”[7]
When Dagon toppled to the ground, the author wrote, “both his hands were lying cut off on
the threshold.”[8]
Although the pagan idol’s hands were rendered helpless, the hand of Jehovah was
certainly not. The “hand of God” is God’s
involvement in the lives of men and women.
The God of the Bible is not the god of Deism. The “hand of the Lord” is a dangerous hand regarding
His enemies. But His hand is a blessing
to those on whom His favor rests (e.g., “Jabez was more honorable than his
brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in
pain.” Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me
and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you
would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted
what he asked” (1 Chronicles 4:9–10, ESV)).
Regarding the early Church we read, “And
the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to
the Lord.” (Acts 11:21, ESV). It is
good news to the Believer that even in times of discipline, God’s hand – His gracious
hand is upon them. David wrote, ““Blessed
is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered . . . For day
and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat
of summer. Selah” (Psalm 32:1–4, ESV).
Rick Crandall writes, “When the Hand of the Lord is against you, you are in extreme danger. When the Hand of the Lord is against you, nothing and no one on earth can help you. And the Hand of the Lord is against His enemies, unless they turn to the Lord and receive Him.”[9]
For the Christian, the hand of the
Lord is great comfort. “My sheep hear
my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and
they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father,
who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
(John 10:27–29, ESV) [Emphasis Mine]
The “hand of God” is God’s interaction
in human affairs. He is not
distant. He is involved. For His enemies, His hand is a fearful
thing. But for those who have obeyed the
Gospel, His Hand, protrudes through the veil of eternity and holds His
children, such that no shall be lost.
The security of the Christian rests firmly in the hand of God.
[1] Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible
(p. 500). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[2] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 5:10). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[3] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 5:6). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[4] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 5:7). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[5] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 5:9). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[6] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 5:11). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[7] MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study
Bible (electronic ed., p. 385). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
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