IN THE HOUSE OF DAGON!

IN THE HOUSE OF DAGON!

1 Sam 5:1-6

5 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto 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 they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord . And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6 But the hand of the Lord  was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

          God punished the wickedness of Israel by allowing them to suffer defeat at the hand of the Philistines. Moreover, He allowed the sacred ark and the mercy seat to be carried away and placed in the house of the idol Dagon. The idol had the head of a woman but all the rest of the body resembled a fish. Dagon was said to be control the grain harvest and storms. The ark was placed in her house to humiliate Israel and Jehovah God.

          Early in the morning it was discovered that Dagon had prostrated herself before the God of heaven! The idol had fallen face down upon the ground before the ark. The same God that allowed the defeat of His people would not allow Himself to be humiliated. So Dagon was replaced upon her pedestal once again.

          The next morning Dagon was discovered fallen again. This time she had fallen across the threshold which acted as a sort of guillotine chopping off her head and her hands. Without a head she could not think and without hands she could not act. So are all the idols in our life! They are unthinking, unresponsive and impotent. Instead of carrying us in our times of need we carry them about. Nevertheless, whatever evil energized Dagon now bowed before the Almighty God.

          One final insult proved that Jehovah has a sense of humor. He smote the Philistines with “emerods.” Now, if the word emerod sounds familiarly like our word hemorrhoid, it should. To the proud Philistines God had become a royal pain in the …

Dear Lord, we know that you are God alone. Help us to identify the idolatry within us. We renounce the idols that can’t think or respond when we cry neither help when we have a need. You see us always and hear us when we pray. You rush to our aid and comfort. Thank you Lord. AMEN