They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So, they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 1 Samuel 5:2-3 NLT
Read 1 Samuel 5.
Does anyone remember the Rocky movies from the 70’s and 80’s? It’s kind of a Cinderella story, but from the perspective of a boxer. There is one character from these movies, however, that comes to my mind when I read chapter 5, Apollo Creed. He was the heavy-weight champion of the world who gave Rocky his shot. What was so fun about his character was that he knew how to intimidate his opponents. He put on an elaborate, no-holds-barred show every time he fought, and he would talk a big game with the media before his fights. He was so full of hype!
This was part of his strategy. He tried to wear his opponents down mentally before the great show-down, and this would give him an edge. However, because he was full of hot air, he wasn’t prepared for the real thing. A street-wise fighter from Philadelphia came along and put it to him. No one expected Rocky to be able to stand up to Creed, much less last all 15 rounds! They both collapsed at the end, and it was disputed who really won the fight. Therefore, Rocky got another chance, and on the second fight, Rocky wins by a knockout!
This may seem like a strange connection with the story of the Philistines capturing the ark, but wait until you see this!
The Philistines had defeated the Israelites, and God used them to pour out His wrath because of Israel’s disobedience. If you remember from chapter 4, Eli and his sons were also killed, but the worst part was when the Philistines had made off with the Ark of the Covenant. What a dreary day for Israel!
The Philistines worshiped a false god named Dagon. When they returned home with the captured ark, they placed it in the temple of their god, Dagon. This is where the Apollo Creed analogy comes in for me. The Philistines had tried to intimidate the Israelites, and they set up their god in the temple as some great and mighty conquering hero to worship. The people were hyped into believing he had supernatural power and made them superior to their enemies. But, just like Creed, he was full of hot air!
When the one true, living God, who is the Most High, entered the picture, Dagon’s balloon full of hype was deflated! When the Philistines entered the temple the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face right in front of the Ark of God! Their god was just a statue and had no power or ability to move, and no one had been inside the temple. What could have happened? They knew!
Just in case it was merely a fluke, they picked Dagon up and put him back in his place. The next morning, however, Dagon was on the floor again, but this time, his head and his hands were broken off. He was no match for power of Yahweh!
To make matters worse, the people in the town of Ashdod and the surrounding towns were struck with terrible tumors. Some translations also say they were infested with rats.
This part of the story reminds me of when the boxing match built with intensity, and Rocky began pummeling Creed to the floor. The better fighter rose above all the hype!
The Philistines suddenly decided to send the Ark to the next town, Gath, and then to Ekron, but the people in both places were struck with tumors as well. In a panic, the people desperately scrambled to get rid of the Ark. There was no doubt they were in the presence of a holy and mighty God, and they could not stand in His presence.
Knock out! The One True God wins again!
May this remind us again of the danger of mishandling the things of God. May we tremble before His holiness and majesty. To God be the glory!
