In our world, there are many “sensitive, controversial, or even difficult” topics people avoid talking about; they are like “hot potatoes” because to discuss them is “risky.” Yet, there are many topics we need to discuss, anyway; the most important being salvation in Christ. The world needs Jesus and it is the work of believers to share the Truth. Without Jesus, humanity will face the consequence of sin (Romans 6:23).
In the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 4, the Philistine army is at war with Israel and because of Israel’s apostasy the Lord allows Israel to be defeated. But, instead of placing their faith in a relationship with God, the Hebrew elders decide to bring the Ark of the Lord into battle thinking the object will save them from their enemies. All it does is cause the Philistines to fight harder; after all they had heard about the Ark of God and how the Egyptians were destroyed with plagues.
So, the Philistines defeat Israel again and capture the Ark of God. They are excited to get the Ark, because they practice the worship of many gods. Adding one more god to their collection would make things better, right?
In our passage today from 1 Samuel Chapter 5, the Philistines place the Ark of God next to their chief pagan god, Dagon. God does not share space with other gods, so Dagon takes a nosedive and the people in the vicinity of the Ark begin to get sick. The people realize the power of the Ark of God and decide to shuffle it around to other capital cities, but no matter where they take the Ark it brings people chaos, pain, sickness, and tumors—perhaps the bubonic plague due to mice.
The Philistines struggle and ask, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” It’s like a hot potato no one wants. Instead of submitting their lives to God, the elders decide to get rid of the Ark…the shuffling continues. If the Philistines would have submitted to God, the Ark would have become a beautiful blessing. But, the people’s rejection of God made the Ark a curse that brought judgment. The Old Testament foreshadows a deeper meaning in the New Testament.
The New Testament teaches the rejection of Christ will bring the consequence of judgment (Luke 10:16; John 12:48). Jesus is the Messiah bringing the necessary salvation for people to be spared judgment. We need a relationship with Jesus. So, according to Scripture those in our world who reject Jesus will not experience the blessing. That hot potato should bring a sobering thought and quick repentance…
1 Samuel 5 NLT The Ark in Philistia
1 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 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. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.
6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.[a] 7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”
The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.
10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.
Prayer: Lord, your gospel is a warning and message for the world. It is Good News that is either accepted or rejected. We pray for human hearts to be open and for the harvest of souls saved for your Kingdom to be multiplied exponentially. You bless us all the time, Lord, and we want to be a blessing by sharing salvation in you. Empower us, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.