The Ark Abroad

by G. PRASHER, SR. | Category: The Last Of The Judges | Oct 1961

"God ... was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men; and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the adversary's hand" (Psalm 78.59-61). Such is the Holy Spirit's description of the happenings of that dark period.

The enemy, gloating over their victory, brought the ark from Eben-ezer to Ashdod, which means fortress, "and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon" (1 Samuel 5.2). Dagon, a fish god, was the god of the Philistines, and of their fortress city. Their exultings would be great as they placed Dagon and the ark together. Soon, however, these exultings of victory were turned to anguish, for in the morning they found Dagon fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. They set him in his place again, but "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 lay cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him." Dagon had crashed! He was like the man of Daniel 11, who will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; of whom we read, "yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him" (Daniel 11.45). So shall the coming man of sin sit in the temple of God, but the Lord Jesus, He of whom the ark is a shadow, shall slay him "with the breath of His mouth."

They set the ark of God by Dagon, but the retributive hand of God was quick in judgement, for they of the fortress city were smitten with tumours, even to the borders thereof. Gath and Ekron, two other great cities of the Philistines, to which the ark was taken, suffered a like vengeance, and the cry of Ekron went up to heaven.

When they had retained their capture seven months they sent it back to Israel upon a new cart drawn by two milch kine, whose calves were shut up at home. With the ark they sent a trespass offering in the form of five golden tumours and five golden mice. Doubtless a sigh of relief would be theirs as they saw the animals take the high way to Beth-shemesh, a sign to them that what had befallen them and their god was no mere chance, but that the great evil was indeed from the hand of the LORD the God of Israel. The milch kine as they went lowing along the high way were walking contrary to nature in the service they were doing for the LORD. This is something that the LORD's servants must be prepared to do. Shem and Japheth walked backward. Paul says, "What things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3.7). The Philistines should have learned a lesson at this time, but alas, they went on to serve their broken, helpless Dagon.

They of Beth-shemesh rejoiced when they saw the ark of God back again in the land of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrifices the same day to the LORD.

Their rejoicings, however, were soon turned to mourning. Fifty thousand and seventy men of Beth-shemesh were smitten with a great slaughter, "because they had looked into the ark of the LORD" (1 Samuel 6.19). They should have known better than dare to look into or even touch the ark. The command of God was plain: Aaron and his sons were responsible to cover the ark and place the staves in their place, and then the sons of Kohath were allowed to carry the

ark, "but they shall not touch the sanctuary, lest they die." "They shall not go in to see the sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die" (Numbers 4.5, 6, 15, 20). This impiety among the people of Israel brought swift retribution, and they said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? and to whom shall lie go up from us?" "The men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD" (1 Samuel 7.1). There we feel certain the reverence due to God in connexion with the ark was not lacking. Now the journeyings of the ark abroad were over. It was again in the land, though not in Shiloh. It is a solemn matter that the LORD never returned to Shiloh, and should have a voice for His saints today. Well has the psalmist said, " Thou, even Thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?" (Psalm 76.7).

G. PRASHER, SR. | Oct 1961
The Last Of The Judges