The people used God’s presence as a talisman in their fight
Ark was regarded as a “god” by the Philistines
When the ark was taken, the fear was that God’s glory had left them!
The Defeat of Dagon
5:1-5
You cannot equivocate God with any other “god”
Isaiah 45:5–6 ESV
5I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, 6that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.
Isaiah 42:8 NLT
8“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.
Dagon fell on his face
5:3
Dagon lost his head and his hands
5:4
We would do well to surrender our hearts and minds, as well as our will (hands) to the lordship of Yahweh.
Refusing to Surrender
God afflicts the Philistines
They respond:
Yahweh is being hard on us and our “god”
The ark must not remain with us- we will remain with Dagon
