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1 Samuel 4:12-8:22<\/strong><\/span> Interesting chapters in First Samuel today!\u00a0 The idol Dagon was no match for the Ark of the Covenant!\u00a0 You\u2019ll notice in verse 4 that Dagon ends up in a worship position before the Ark: \u201cAnd when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Dagon was the \u201cgod\u201d of the Philistines, and was thought to have been some sort of man \/ fish combo.\u00a0 The idol of Dagon may have looked something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n Below is a pretty good map of that will show you where three of the Five Cities of the Philistines (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath) that we read about in today\u2019s readings are located in the Philistine territory:<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s fascinating to see the Philistine\u2019s send back to Israel a \u201cguilt offering\u201d of golden tumors and rats with the Ark.\u00a0 Not quite what was prescribed for guilt offerings in Leviticus\u2026 but, I guess you can give them an E for effort.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 We read in chapter 6 verse 11 \u2013 \u201cThen the Ark of the LORD and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Then we arrive at the people of Beth-shemesh who look in the ark and perish \u2013 and then the ark is sent off again to another town.\u00a0 We then arrive at some wonderful words from Samuel in chapter 7 verses 3 & 4: \u201cThen Samuel said to all the people of Israel, \u201cIf you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the LORD; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.\u201d So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And later in verse 10 we read \u2013 \u201cJust as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived for battle. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Bible.org\u2019s commentary on our 1 Samuel readings today titled \u201cThe hands of Dagon and the Hand of God\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n We have some great dramatic reading today in First Samuel!\u00a0 Tyndale\u2019s One Year Bible Companion today has some good food for thought to the question of Why did Israel want a king? \u2013 \u201c1. Samuel\u2019s sons were not fit to lead Israel 2. The 12 tribes of Israel continually had problems working together because each tribe had its own leader and territory.\u00a0 It was hoped that a king would unite the tribes into one nation and one army. 3. The people wanted to be like the neighboring nations.\u00a0 This is exactly what God didn\u2019t want.\u00a0 Having a king would make it easy for them to forget that God was their read leader.\u201d\u00a0 In First Samuel Chapter 8 we hear Samuel passing on God\u2019s warning to how the king will treat the people\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Today\u2019s readings in 1 Samuel reminded me of Matt Maher\u2019s song \u201cHold Us Together:\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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