The Power of Stone Gods

Dei Break

1 Samuel 5:1 - 6:21

Dagon was a Babylonian import to the area of the Philistines. He was represented as a beast with the torso and head of a man but the body of a fish, from his waist down to his non-existent feet. His priests sometimes wore fish-like capes. He was supposed to provide all the needs of the peoples of the sea, especially in the area of agriculture. Unlike many Canaanite gods whose fame was limited to a few city-states, Dagon was well known and worshiped as a national god.

The story of Dagon's destruction is great. The Ark had been stored in the idol's "house". Every morning, Dagon was fallen to the ground and broken. According to the writer, "to this day" the priests of Dagon would not step on the threshold of the idol's house.

After Dagon's strange destruction, the Philistine leaders decided to bless the other Philistine cities with the strange ark of Israel's God. Finally, the decision was made to just get it out of the territory. They credited the ark, not the God of Israel, for ongoing plagues. (Remember "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?)

The Philistines finally realized that God's power overwhelmed Dagon's but they continued to worship the idol. In a world of rebellion the same crazy thing continues today. People see the power and love of God; hear the witness of neighbors and the Holy Spirit, but return to their own devices for life. Some trust in themselves; others seek advice from television mediums. Others turn to false religions. We may have fewer idols made of stone and clay, but our idols are still numerous.

The Israelites who didn't treat the ark properly died for defying the law that only a Levite priest could touch the ark and not die. It's a sad reminder that even believers can suffer the result of sin, but the punishment of these Israelites did not necessarily indicate God's condemnation. As odd as it seems in the flow of time, Jesus paid for their sins on the cross as well as our own.

Next time: Give us a king!