We left the Ark of the Covenant in the hands of the Philistines. “It” didn’t save the Israelites in battle, but the God of the Ark is going to have some fun (and try to communicate to the Philistines that there is one true God). Round one:

Once the Philistines had seized the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon. Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Ark of GOD. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged. (1 Samuel 5.1 – 3, MSG)

You’d think they would have said, “Wow. Dagon is worshiping the Ark. Maybe we have the wrong God.” Nope. “They picked him up and put him back.” Round two:

First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Ark of GOD. Dagon’s head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece. (That’s why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.) (1 Samuel 5.4 – 5, MSG)

“Today, the priests of Dagon…avoid stepping on the threshold.” A practice that was still ongoing until the time of Zephaniah:

On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold… (Zephaniah 1.9, ESV)

Round three:

GOD was hard on the citizens of Ashdod. He devastated them by hitting them with tumors. This happened in both the town and the surrounding neighborhoods. He let loose rats among them. Jumping from ships there, rats swarmed all over the city! And everyone was deathly afraid. (1 Samuel 5.6, MSG)

Tumors and rats. What to do?

When the leaders of Ashdod saw what was going on, they decided, “The ark of the god of Israel has got to go. We can’t handle this, and neither can our god Dagon.” They called together all the Philistine leaders and put it to them: “How can we get rid of the ark of the god of Israel?” The leaders agreed: “Move it to Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. (1 Samuel 5.7, 8, MSG)

Rinse and repeat. Tumors for the people of Gath…

So they sent the Ark of God on to Ekron, but as the Ark was being brought into town, the people shouted in protest, “You’ll kill us all by bringing in this Ark of the God of Israel!” They called the Philistine leaders together and demanded, “Get it out of here, this Ark of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from. We’re threatened with mass death!” (1 Samuel 5.10 – 11, MSG)

Who can stand before this God? The Philistines figured it out: not us! “Get it out of here!” and they do. Stay tuned.

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. (Malachi 3.2, ESV)