1 Samuel 5

Not everything that calls itself “god” can save us. The Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant, the ark of the true God. They set it up in the temple of their god, Dagon, but even the image of Dagon could not stand before the Lord.

When we are confused or ashamed, it is of great importance that we find the real God and extol Him. We do not need a god made by man. We need to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Dagon needed to be put in His place.

Jesus, the eternal Son of God, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His rightful place is at the right hand of the Father in heaven. For a brief time here below he lived on a cross in a place of great disgrace and then his dead body inhabited the tomb of a rich man in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. But He is not on the cross or in the tomb anymore. He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for you, that where He is you also may be.

The ark of God was not an object that automatically brought good luck to anyone who touched it. It was a sacred gift of God to Israel where the Law of the Lord and the mercy of God met. But the Lord of life was God over the ark, and He used it according to His own purposes. He did not intend that the stolen ark of Israel would be a blessing to their enemies.

The Lords of the Philistines soon realized that they needed to get rid of this dangerous object. But how should they do that? Everywhere where they brought the ark of the covenant, death came with it. They had defeated Israel in battle, but they were not lords over the ark.

We need to consider the Hand of the Lord Himself and His holy purposes in the history of His people. God had made a promise to Abraham to be a blessing to the nations through his seed. The nations cannot find eternal safety by simply getting rid of every reminder of the Lord. We need to find a way to worship the God of Israel and to fully obey Him. But to even approach Him is a frightening prospect for those who are guilty of sin.

But now God has made a way of salvation for us, salvation over sin and even over death. The Lord has come in person and taken upon Himself the fullness of the danger of the wrath of God. In Jesus we can now boldly approach God and find peace and life. Therefore we will extol the Lord, the true God of heaven and earth. We will bless His Name forever and ever.