The story of the Ark of God in 1 Samuel 5 is a powerful narrative that points to the sovereignty of God and His ultimate victory, a story that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. To fully grasp the significance of this chapter, it’s essential to understand the context.
The Ark of God was a wooden chest covered in pure gold. It contained the tablets of the law given to Moses, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s staff. On top was a lid with two cherubim facing each other. The Ark’s constant availability to be carried symbolized God’s willingness to go with His people wherever they went.
In chapter 4, the Philistines defeated the Israelites in a battle where 30,000 Israelite men were killed. The Philistines captured the Ark and took it to the temple of their god, Dagon, placing it there as a trophy. Dagon was a fish god, represented as a half-man, half-fish creature. The Philistines were confident in the superiority of their god over the God of Israel.
However, the question of whether God’s glory had departed or if He was defeated is answered with a resounding “no”. God was more than able to glorify Himself among the Philistines and their pagan gods. When the Philistines entered the temple the next day, they found the statue of Dagon had fallen on its face before the Ark. The following day, Dagon had again fallen before the Ark, but this time its head and hands were broken off. God made the statue bow down in worship before Him. This teaches us that even when men fail to glorify God, God will glorify Himself.
God’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, the city where the Ark was taken. He brought devastation upon them, afflicting them with tumors, which could have been hemorrhoids or a symptom of the bubonic plague. The people of Ashdod quickly realized that the Ark of the God of Israel could not stay with them because
His hand was heavy on them and on their god, Dagon. This demonstrates that God does not take men’s disobedience lightly. He is holy and would not allow the Philistines to “unholy” the Ark. The Lord alone is God, and Dagon was no match for His power and glory.
This ancient story points to Jesus in incredible ways. The Ark can be seen as a representation of Jesus in the Old Testament. Just as God allowed the Ark to be captured, the Father allowed Jesus to be captured by the Romans. And just as the Ark was placed next to Dagon as a trophy, so too was Jesus crucified between two criminals. God’s glory was evident in Jesus’s death, just as Jesus himself said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him”.
After God defeated Dagon, the Philistines and their priests had an opportunity to worship the true God, but they chose religious tradition instead. This is why priests of Dagon would not step on the threshold of the temple. Ultimately, this story foreshadows a day when all will bow down to the Lord and declare that He is God. As Philippians 2 states, God has exalted Jesus to the highest place, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
