Chapters 5-6 – THE RETURN OF THE ARK

There are two occasions in the Old Testament when ears "tingled". In both cases, Israel faced disaster from which there was no apparent recovery. The first occasion was defeat at the hands of the Philistines. "And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle" (1 Sam 3.11). The second occasion was captivity at the hand of the Babylonians. "And the Lord spake by his servants the prophets [including Jeremiah - see Jer 19.3ff], saying…"Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle" (2 Kings 21.10-12).

In both cases, the "glory departed". As she died, the wife of Phinehas named her child "Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel" (1 Sam 4.21). Centuries later, shortly before Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, Ezekiel watched the departure of the glory of the Lord. "Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house" (Ezek 10.18).

But this was not the end. In both cases, the glory returned. While the ark, taken by the Philistines, returned seven months later, the word "glory" does not appear again in the Old Testament (apart from 1 Samuel 6.5 where it is used in a different connection) until "the glory of the Lord...filled the house of the Lord" at the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8.11). The glory that was withdrawn prior to the Babylonian captivity, will return when Christ returns to reign. Ezekiel saw the return of "the glory of the Lord" (43.2). Significantly, Christ will return to the Mount of Olives (Zech 14.4) from which the "glory of the Lord" departed.

1) The ark amongst the Philistines (5.1-12)

There are twelve direct references to the ark in this chapter. On six occasions it is called "the ark of the God of Israel" (vv.7,8 - three times - 10, 11. On four occasions it is called "the ark of God" (vv.1,2,10 - twice). On two occasions it is called "the ark of the Lord" (vv.3,4). Notice that the Philistines always called it "the ark of the God of Israel". The narrator always calls it "the ark of God" when the Philistines moved it from place to place. But it is called "the ark of the Lord (Jehovah)" when presiding over the downfall of Dagon.

There are clear similarities between events at Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron.

Centuries later, the evangelist Philip preached at Ashdod: "But Philip was found at Azotus [the Greek form of Ashdod]: and…he preached" (Acts 8.40).

a) The ark at Ashdod (5.1-7)

The Philistines were proclaiming the superiority of their god over the God of Israel. The Babylonians did the same. Nebuchadnezzar carried "vessels of the house of God" to Shinar, where he placed them in "the treasure house of his god" (Dan 1.2). Belshazzar found out to his cost that this did not pay (see Daniel 5), and so did the Philistines! The capture of the ark only served to emphasise the power of God. It resulted in destruction for Dagon, and destruction for the people. The men of Ashdod cried, "His hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god" (1 Sam 5.6).

i) Destruction for Dagon (vv.2-5). While some commentators have concluded that "Dagon" derives from dagan, meaning corn, and was therefore the grain-god, the "true derivation is from dag, a fish, which represents the sea from which the Philistines drew their wealth and power" (Ellicott’s Commentary). We are told that the idol had a human head and hands, and the body of a fish.

The Philistines found Dagon on his face "before the ark of the Lord" on the first morning (v.3), and in pieces "before the ark of the Lord" on the second morning (v.4). This simply proves that "an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one" (1 Cor 8.4). It also proves that God means exactly what He says. "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images" (Is 42.8). The Philistines worshipped a "god that cannot save" (Is 45.20). Dagon certainly did not save them when Samson pulled down the temple at Gaza (see Judges 16.23-30)!

Although Keil & Delitzsch think otherwise, the refusal of the priests and worshippers of Dagon to "tread on the threshold (miptan) of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day" (v.5), does seem the best explanation of Zephaniah 1.9: "In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on (over, JND) the threshold (miptan), which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit". The word miptan means the "threshold of a sanctuary". If Zephaniah 1.9 does refer to 1 Samuel 5.5, then it just demonstrates the depths to which Judah had sunk in the days of Zephaniah. The "fear of the Lord" had given place to the fear of idols.

ii) Destruction for the people (vv.6-7). "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." People at Ashdod died under "the hand of the Lord", and the survivors were afflicted with emerods. Two different words are translated "emerods" in chs.5-6. Most of the references may be rendered "tumour", but 6.11,17 are a little more specific, and evidently refer to what we call haemorrhoids. It is not difficult to see affinity between the words emerods and haemorrhoids.

We should remember that whilst there was not a Hebrew in sight at Ashdod, God was perfectly able to look after His own interests without their help! The ark prevailed! The people who thought that the God of Israel was inferior to Dagon soon discovered, within hours, that they had made a dreadful mistake. This reminds us that at the end-time, the whole world will unite against Christ (see Rev 19.19, etc), only to be utterly defeated. Christ, the true Ark, will prevail! Notice that at the end-time, under the first vial, a "noisome and grievous sore" will afflict "the men which had the mark of the beast, and...them which worshipped his image" (Rev 16.2). We are not surprised to read that the men of Ashdod determined to get rid of the ark without delay.

b) The ark at Gath (vv.8-9)

The story was repeated. "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." The presence of the ark at Gath was an intolerable liability, and "Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron".

c) The ark at Ekron (vv.10-12)

Bad news travels fast. "The Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people." We can imagine the panic! Enough was enough. There was only one thing to do - send the ark back to Israel. "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." Ekron was evidently plagued with even more severity than Ashdod and Gath. "The longer the Philistines resisted and refused to recognise the chastening hand of the living God...the more severely would they necessarily be punished, that they might be brought at last to see that the God of Israel...was the omnipotent God, who was able to destroy His foes" (Keil & Delitzsch). No attempt was made to carry the ark to either of the two remaining Philistine cities. We can be quite sure that Gaza and Askelon just did not want to know.

To be continued.