click to Read the passage: 1 Samuel 5 (a new browser window will open)
1) God’s enemies despise the word of God.
1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2) God’s enemies attempt to cut off the word of God from God’s people and to cut off God’s people from the word of God.
2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
They hope to minimize or marginalize the word of God, to attribute powerlessness to God.
3) God’s people may not even be aware of the power of God’s defense on their behalf.
3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was
fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4) The obstinence of the enemy towards God is fully understood by God; God deals with rebellion of the enemy’s heart.
4 And 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 were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.6 But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
5) Occupying a position of faith, God’s people may rely on God to take care of the enemy.
8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
6) The promises God makes through His word to His people are real and cannot be halted by any enemy.
11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
7) The word of God advances its inherent victories to the children of God, to accomplish that which God has purposed and promised; the enemy is always defeated. Ch 6, 7
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