ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate Tisema 5, 2021

Dagon, fallen...before the ark of the Lord.

ko Tākoni...tō fo‘ohifo...‘i he ‘ao ‘o e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova.

 

1 Samiuela 5 (1 Samuel 5)

(v. 1-5) Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

(v. 1-5) PEA ‘ave ‘e he kau Filisitia ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi. Pea nau fakahā‘ele mei ‘Epenisa ki ‘Asitoti. Pea to‘o ‘e he kau Filisitia ‘a e ‘A‘ake ‘o ‘Elohimi, ‘o fakahū ia ki he fale ‘o Tākoni, ‘o nau tuku ‘i he tafa‘aki ‘o Tākoni. Pea ‘i he tu‘u hengihengi hake ‘apongipongi ‘a e kau ‘Asitoti, tā ko Tākoni ‘ena kuo tō fo‘ohifo ki he kelekele ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova. Pea nau to‘o ‘a Tākoni, ‘o toe fokotu‘u ki hono potu. Ka ‘i he‘enau tu‘u hake hengihengi ‘apongipongi, tā ko Tākoni ena kuo tō fo‘ohifo ki he kelekele ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e ‘A‘ake ‘o Sihova; pea ko e ‘ulu ‘o Tākoni mo hono ongo ‘aofinima kuo motu, ‘o tuku ‘i he tu‘unga matapā; ko hono fakaika pē na‘e toe kiate ia. Ko hono ‘uhinga ia ‘oku ‘ikai ke mala ai ki he tu‘unga matapā ‘o Tākoni hono kau taula, pe ha taha ‘oku hū ki he fale ‘o Tākoni ‘i ‘Asitoti, ‘o a‘u ki he ‘aho ni.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

This is a story of supreme and arresting interest, showing as it does how, when the people of God fail to bear testimony for Him among the nations, He becomes His own witness.

The Ark was not a charm equal to delivering disobedient Israel. It was, however, the center and symbol of their life, and Jehovah would not permit Philistia to trifle with it. If men hold their peace stones will cry out; and if the chosen people are unfaithful to God, then the very Ark, which is the symbol of His presence among them, becomes the instrument, wherever it is brought, of judgment on His enemies.

They first lodged it at Ashdod in the house of the fish-god Dagon, with disastrous results to the idol, which was brought to the ground, and broken. With speed and in fear, the people then carried it to Gath. There judgment fell on the inhabitants which, in all probability, was a plague of mice. While this is not stated in our text, it is found in the Septuagint Version, and the subsequent action of making images of mice makes it probable. In any case, some discomfiture came to the people with the coming of the Ark.

Again they moved it as hastily to Ekron, where painful and troublesome tumors broke out among the people. Thus, at every move, judgment became more severe, and Philistia found that if she had been able to conquer and break the power of Israel, it was a different matter when she came to deal with Israel's God

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for 1 Samuel 5

They brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon: No doubt, the Philistines were jubilant, and confident in the superiority of their god over the God of Israel. They faced the God of Israel in battle, and believed their god Dagon delivered them and defeated Israel. Now, the Ark of the Covenant of Israel’s God stood as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon. The victory seemed complete.

Dagon was represented with a half man, half fish figure, and was said to be the father of Baal. “This deity was a personification of the generative and vivifying [life-giving] principle of nature, for which the fish with its innumerable multiplication was especially adapted, to set forth the idea of the giver of all earthly good.” (Keil and Delitszch)

There was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord: Had the glory of God departed? Not at all. God was more than able to glorify Himself among the Philistines and their pagan gods. God made this statue bow down in worship before Him.

God will glorify Himself. Sometimes when men disgrace the glory of God, we fear God will go without glory. We think the glory has departed. But when men and women will not glorify God, God will glorify Himself.

The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left of it: Imagine the horror of the Philistine priests when they entered the temple of Dagon the next morning. They not only saw their god bowing down before the Lord, they also saw the image broken. It was hard to account for such an accident two days in a row and for the broken head and hands of Dagon.

After seeing the superiority of the God of Israel, these Philistine priests had a choice. They could turn from their weak, inferior god Dagon and begin serving the mighty, superior Lord of Israel. Or they could make a religious tradition instead. They chose the religious tradition: Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

These Philistine priests, like men confronted with the truth today, rejected God despite the evidence, not because of the evidence. They wanted to believe it was an accident.

How could they believe something so ridiculous? Because worshipping the Lord instead of Dagon meant a huge change in thinking and living. The Philistine priests were unwilling to make those changes. It was easier when they took Dagon and set it in its place again. Setting Dagon up and gluing him together is easier than changing your life and your thinking.