1 Sam. 5:2-4...

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The Philistine army soundly thrashes Israel at Ebenezer, and they capture the ark of the covenant. The triumphant Philistines parade the ark to Ashdod which is one of Philistia’s five major cities.

So they Philistines capture the Ark and what do they do with it in v2?

Dagon was an agricultural and storm god of Canaan and Mesopotamia but the Philistines made him head of their pantheon.

You’ll notice that the Ark of the Covenant had never been in danger before even though it was always surrounded by unarmed priests.

It wasn’t until it was protected by carnal weaponry, that it was captured.

When the civil power came to connect itself with the arm of God’s strength that the ark was successfully taken away!

We just need to come to grips with this fact: Let God’s truth alone and it will take care of itself without the aid of kings and presidents, laws or establishments, or privileges.

Just stating the truth of Scripture and it will force its own way in but if we tarnish and adorn it by our eloquent words or seek to guard it by our own carnal wisdom and the truth goes into captivity.

I want to take this passage and see how this passage reveals to us a pattern. And that pattern is this:

Where the living God comes into the soul, Dagon (the idol, sin, worldliness) must go down!

This is the one thought that we want to hammer on tonight.

I. To begin, The COMING OF THE ARK INTO DAGON’S TEMPLE WAS A CLOSE COMPARISON OF THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THE SOUL.

Not long did the ark remain where it was, with Dagon still supreme, but the mere incoming of the ark into the idol temple was a pretty good picture of the introduction of the grace of God into the human heart.

was a pretty good picture of the introduction of the grace of God into the human heart.

The Philistines brought in the ark of the Lord, but only an act of divine power can bring the grace of God into the soul.

Through many instruments the truth. "assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,” ()

This “truth is in Jesus” is read, is heard, is brought to the recollection, is seen printed in the lives of men, and so

Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Christ in the Old Testament: Sermons on the foreshadowing of our Lord in Old Testament history, ceremony, and prophecy (electronic edition.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

enters into the temple of the inner man.

When it first comes into the heart it finds sin enthroned there; and the Prince of Darkness reigning supreme.

When grace first comes into our souls, there is only darkness and death there and under the dominion of sin.

Thank God we don’t deliver ourselves first of death and darkness and then receive grace!

You see, it’s while the Dagon of sin sits firmly on his throne, as if he never could be stirred, and his horrid form is alone to be seen lording it over all the thoughts and imaginations of the heart,

even then it is that “God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses” (), sends His almighty grace to dwell within us.

5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.” sends His almighty grace to dwell within us. When

Now that Dagon and the ark are in the same temple, sin and grace in the same heart, but this state of things cannot last long.

What’s Jesus say in Matthew 6:24?

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publis” sends His almighty grace to dwell within us. When

"“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” ()

The two great principles of sin and grace will not abide in peace with each other, they are as opposite as fire and water. There will be conflict and a victory, and we know which will conquer!

That night, when the Philistines had finished their exulting ceremonies, they thought they had left Dagon robed in glory, reigning and triumphing over the ark of the Lord.

Spurgeon, C. H. (1998). Christ in the Old Testament: Sermons on the foreshadowing of our Lord in Old Testament history, ceremony, and prophecy (electronic edition.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

They had scarcely shut the doors and gone before Dagon fell on his face to the ground before the ark. Down he went.

He didn’t lean over. “fallen” (v3). He was made to do obedience before the ark.

He had fallen with his face to the ground!

This is a position that is very significant to how worshippers in scripture are described.

"“Neither,” he replied. “I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?”” ()

"Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” ()

There the idol is prostrating himself in worship before the great and mighty God!

Even thus grace in the soul is not long before it overthrows sin.

What a turning of things upside down grace always makes!

The watchword is, “Overturn, overturn, overturn.”

The Breaker is come up, and the images of man’s invention must be dashed to shivers.

Running the parallel further. This fall of Dagon was perceived quickly. “When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground...” (v3)

Very soon after the entrance of grace this sign follows and before long it’s seen and known!

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Let us not conceive that there is grace in our souls if Dagon sits on the throne still!

At the same time we observe that Dagon was not broken.

He had fallen on his face but that was all! The next day his foolish worshippers could set him up again.

Sometimes at the first entrance of grace there is a downfall of sin,

but nothing like such a breaking and destroying of sin in the soul as there will be afterwards (v4).

When the divine life has entered sin is dethroned, it no longer sits up there in the place of God;

but yet, for all that, there is an awful power remaining in the corrupt nature,

a deadly tendency to sin, a powerful law in the members.

Still, down the idol goes, even if it be not broken: it cannot reign, though it may remain to trouble us.

During the day that they captured the ark there was surely noise and shouting and the false god sits above and and in the quiet of the night is when the deed of dethroning Dagon was done!

This is how is so often in the hearing of the word, grace is introduced into the heart,

but you would not know that any change was wrought,

Because it is only when the man gets away from the world’s business—

gets alone and begins to consider—

that a divinely-mysterious might is displayed by the inward grace,

so as to sink sin, and lay low the power of evil!

Carson, D. A. (Ed.). (2015). NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Built on the Truth of Scripture and Centered on the Gospel Message (p. 499). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.