The Philistines didn’t know what to make of the ark of the
covenant. Generally, when one nation
vanquished another they took the idols of that nation’s gods and set them in
the temple of their own god to show the inferiority of the conquered nations’
god or gods. The ark would hardly have
served as an idol but the Israelites bringing it to the battle likely caused
the Philistines to believe it was an idol, that was how the Israelites treated
it. The first night it was there the
Philistines own idol to their god, Dagon, was toppled and found in a worshipful
position before the ark, lying face down.
The second night, the hands and feet of the idol were broken off. Armies of the time typically cut off the
hands and feet of their foes as part of their conquest. The message was clear, the army of Israel may
have been defeated but their God had not.
The people of Ashdod couldn’t wait to get rid of the ark so they sent it
to another Philistine town, Gath, home of Goliath, where its arrival brought on
tumors to the men of the town who then want to get rid of this pestilence as
well. The next town wants no part of it
at all. There is power in that ark
against unrighteous people.
Stay awake at all times is poor health advice but it is
sound advice for us as far as preparation for the end of days. Staying awake is contrasted here with
drunkenness and dissipation. Sometimes
the idea of drunkenness is used in the Bible not solely in regards to excess
alcohol consumption but with being drunk on the pleasures of this life. I think we need to examine ourselves and see
where we are drunk with the pleasures or diversions of this life. Do we know more about movies, sports, politics,
other things that we do about either the Word of God or what the Spirit is
doing and saying? We spend our time in
pursuit of pleasure rather than eternal things and in that way we are guilty of
drunkenness and dissipation. We are,
indeed, amusing ourselves to death.
In these early days of the church it looks for all the world
like it did when Jesus was alive.
Remember in Capernaum early in Jesus’ ministry and also other times when
people were bringing the sick and the demon possessed to Him in droves to be
healed? As word got round that the
apostles were also able to do signs and wonders as Jesus had done, it happened
again, people were desperate and hopeful to see if they could heal their loved
ones as well. Predictably, the chief
priests sought to rid themselves of this pestilence as the Philistines did the
ark. Their jealousy over these men
caused them to attempt to put them in jail but the power of God isn’t hindered
by jail cells any more than it is hindered by being in the temple of a foreign
god. He breaks out.
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