THE POWER OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of The Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.”  1 Samuel 5:4 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.   After the Philistines captured the ark of God they took it from the city of Ebenezer to Ashdod and placed it beside the statue of their god Dagon. (1 Samuel 5:1-2)  The next day they arose to find that Dagon had fallen on his face, on the ground before the ark of The Lord.  They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.  On the following morning they arose and again found Dagon had fallen on his face, but this time his head and both hands were broken off and they were lying upon the threshold of the temple. (1 Samuel 5:3-5)  The hand of The Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and they were afflicted with tumors so they moved the ark to Gath.  When the ark arrived in Gath, the young and the old were also afflicted with tumors. (1 Samuel 5:6-9)  So they sent the ark to Ekron.  As the ark entered Ekron the people cried out against it, saying that it would kill them.  Then they asked the leaders of the Philistines to send the ark of The Lord away and let it go back to its own place. (1 Samuel 5:10-12)

 

APPLICATION

Our bad times and bad situations do not reflect a diminished power of The Lord God, or a loss of His control.  The Philistines had defeated the Israelites and captured the ark of God, but The Lord punished the people wherever they took it.  Even the people who profess that they do not believe in The Lord God will be made to respect His power.  The day will soon come when everyone everywhere will respect the power of The Lord God.  For as it is written, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Christ is The Lord. (Romans 14:11)