1 Samuel - The Coming King Exemplo

When we see God’s church weakened and under discipline, it’s easy to think that our enemies have won – and even that the Lord has lost control. This passage teaches us, though, that the appearance of defeat can be deceptive. 

In chapter 4 we read about Israel’s shocking defeat at the hands of God’s enemies, the Philistines, which led to the capture of the ark of God. The chapter ended with the depressing conclusion that the glory of God had now left Israel. The Philistines, flush with victory and cocky in their superiority, then set up the captured ark in the temple of their god Dagon as a nationalistic war trophy. It seemed like Israel’s God had obviously been defeated. 

The story shows us, though, that the defeat of God’s people is never the defeat of their God. He remains utterly sovereign and holy. Accordingly, the placement of the ark, the symbol of God’s presence, in Dagon’s temple proves to be a fatal error for the Philistines. The initial warning comes as Dagon, in his own temple, ends up mysteriously prostrating himself before the Lord in total subjection (vv. 3–4). Israel’s God proves to be a devastating holy presence, who, quite literally, blows Dagon apart (v. 4). The Philistines quickly notice that a curse has come upon them – the Lord’s holy presence has ‘brought devastation upon them’ (v. 6). Worried, they try to remove the ark to another city, but disaster, death and mayhem result as they experience the difficulty of living with a holy God. 

The ups and downs of God’s church never reflect ups and downs in our God’s sovereignty and power. Some may talk about Christianity dying out in our society, but the Bible draws a different conclusion. The Lord rules over every enemy and every idol at every moment – even when they seem, on the surface, to be winning. No-one can domesticate, dominate or defeat the holy God of the Bible.

REFLECTION

1. Why shouldn’t the weakening, or seeming defeats, of God’s church undermine our faith?

2. How do we know that our God has not been defeated? From the passage, why is it foolish for people to treat God as ‘dead’ or unimportant?