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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 19 July 2025:
1 Samuel 5:1–2 — When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.
The Philistines, having captured the ark, bring it triumphantly into the temple of their national god Dagon. Their intent is to display their victory, as if Yahweh had been defeated and brought into submission. To place the ark beside Dagon was an act of political theater and spiritual arrogance — a declaration that their god had triumphed over the God of Israel. But God does not need Israel’s military to defend His glory. He will vindicate His own name. Likewise, God will deal with those who mock Christ and the Gospel. We should boldly proclaim the Gospel, but only while abiding in the Lord like branches connected to the Vine, bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, gratefulness, contentment, etc. Herald the King, but there is no need to defend Him.
– Isaiah 48:11 — For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
1 Samuel 5:3–4 — And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.
The idol Dagon is humiliated. The first time, he merely falls prostrate — perhaps the Philistines thought it was coincidence. But the second time, Dagon is decapitated and dismembered. This was God’s sovereign declaration that no god can stand in His presence. Like Goliath who would fall later with his head removed, so too the “champion” of the Philistines is rendered powerless.
The irony is rich: Dagon must be picked up and set in his place by his own worshipers, while Yahweh — who needs no help — defeats His enemies by His own hand. As Psalm 115:4–8 reminds us, idols have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. God will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8).
Your idols cannot stand before the presence of God in your life. Anything which dominates a primary place in your life that should be occupied by God alone is an “idol of the heart” or metaphorical idol for you. God will have nothing get in the way of your right relationship with Him. If you won’t deal with your idols, He will because He loves you too much to let them remain barriers between you and Him. How do you respond when God knocks down your idols? Do you just put them back up again? Don’t spend your days trying to keep your idols standing; instead, lift up Christ in your life.
– Ezekiel 14:3 — “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let myself be consulted by them at all?”
– 1 Samuel 15:23 — For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the wickedness of idolatry.
1 Samuel 5:5 — This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
Rather than repent or turn to the living God, the Philistines ritualize their humiliation. They create a superstition from divine judgment, refusing to step on the threshold as if that were the issue. This is how hardened hearts respond to God’s hand: they distort truth into tradition rather than submit in humility (Romans 1:21–23).
We too must consider how we are responding to the truth of God’s word, avoiding externalism, mere behavior modification rather than genuine heart change. Remember, what God wants for you is transformation into Christlikeness, and what He wants is not just for you to do what He says (He could easily force you to do that), He wants you to do what He says because you really want to above all else – obedience being the natural product of who you are at your core. If you find yourself struggling to obey God, obey Him anyway, but pray that God will give you a heart which really wants to.
– 1 John 5:3 — For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 Samuel 5:6–7 — The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”
The people are physically afflicted with tumors — likely painful and humiliating — demonstrating that God’s hand is not weak without Israel’s army. The phrase “the hand of the Lord was heavy” echoes the earlier use of Ichabod — the glory (kavod, weight) has departed. Now the weight of God’s glory crushes the enemies who thought they had won.
The Philistines were suffering greatly because of the presence of the Ark of God. What was their solution? Separate themselves from the Ark so that they could be restored to their idols and their lives apart from The One True God. The Philistines saw the power of God and “believed” in God but did not have a heart to worship Him as God and follow Him (see James 2:19). The Philistines preferred to remove the presence of God (not really a possibility) rather than conform to Him. Are there any places in your life where you keep God at a comfortable distance so you can live as you desire?
1 Samuel 5:8–9 — So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.
Instead of turning to Yahweh, the Philistines try to relocate the problem. Each city tries to pass off the presence of God like a cursed object, rather than repent. But God’s hand follows them. You cannot evade the presence of the living God by logistics or politics.
1 Samuel 5:10–12 — So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
The escalating panic shows that no Philistine city is safe from God’s presence. The people recognize what Israel had forgotten: that God is holy, powerful, and not to be trifled with. Their cries go up to heaven—not in prayer, but in terror. Ironically, the enemies of God show more fear of His presence than His own covenant people did.
– Colossians 3:5 — Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
– 1 Corinthians 10:14 — Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
– 1 John 5:21 — Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
As stated previously, idols are not just worshipped objects but anything in our lives which occupies the place which should be occupied by God alone – anything which is central in our lives rather than God. Idols are those things rather than God by which we live and on which we depend, those things which hold such a controlling position in our lives, we will direct our time, attention, energy, and resources towards them rather than God and what He desires. Timothy Keller says, “When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshipping.” Idols are usually things that we would consider good things or blessings such as work, family, friends, beauty, health, reputation, hobbies, service, and even religion. However, when good things or blessings become our focus and priority over Jesus, they become our spiritual stumbling blocks. At some point we will choose them over Him.
Ironically, when we love something more than Jesus, we rob both ourselves and our beloved of true love – our misguided affection destroys us and our idol. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) There is no life in an idol. Where Christ is central, where the branch is connected to the vine (see John 15), there is life to its fullest. When you seek Christ first and foremost in your life, the good things in life (which some make idols) will naturally blossom.
It is important for us to understand that, while these idols in our lives (those requirements for our happiness which control our thinking and behavior) must be removed, they are all just subordinate idols to the ultimate idol of self, which 1 Samuel 15:23 and Colossians 3:5 indicate. They are all intended to serve our self-centered desires of love, security, personal fulfillment, self-righteousness, etc. Ultimately, we seek gods which serve us rather than seeking to live lives fully dedicated to loving, joyful service to the Sovereign, Almighty God, which ironically is the only thing that can bring us fulfillment. The primary idol we need to tear down is the idol of self – “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'”
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 19 July 2025: The Philistines thought they had captured Israel’s power source, as if God could be contained or used. But Yahweh showed them that He is not a trophy, a charm, or a tradition — He is the living God who brings nations low and who will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7). How often do we treat God’s presence casually or assume His blessing without pursuing His holiness? Practice reverence today: Before you act, speak, or decide — pause to acknowledge God’s presence and authority. Ask: “Am I honoring God’s glory here, or presuming upon it?” Reject superstition and sentimentalism. Worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Pray: “Father, You are glorious in holiness, awesome in power, and jealous for Your name. Forgive me for the ways I have treated Your presence lightly — like a supporter rather than the center of my life. Teach me to fear You rightly and walk humbly before You. Let my worship be marked by awe, not assumption; by surrender, not superstition. You are not a God I can control, but the King to which I must submit. Let my life bring You glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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