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Bible story · 1 Samuel 5:1–12
Face Down Before the Ark
Read it yourself in the King James Bible: 1 Samuel 5:1–12 ↗
“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.”
1 Samuel 5:3 (KJV)The Story
It was one of the darkest days in Israel’s history. The Philistines defeated Israel in battle and captured the ark of God, the sacred chest that represented God’s presence among His people.
The Philistines carried it home in triumph to their city of Ashdod. They set it in the temple of their god, Dagon, right next to his statue, like a trophy.
The next morning, the people of Ashdod came into the temple and found Dagon lying face down on the floor in front of the ark.
They picked him up and put him back in his place.
The next morning, Dagon was on the floor again, face down before the ark. This time his head and both his hands had broken off and were lying on the threshold. Only the stump of the statue was left.
Then a plague broke out in Ashdod. The Philistines moved the ark to another city, and the plague followed. They moved it again, and the people there cried out, “They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us.” Before long, the Philistines were desperate to send it back.
Reflection
Israel didn’t fight this battle at all. They had already lost. Their army was beaten, and the ark was gone. It looked like God had been defeated too.
More Bible stories from 1 Samuel. More about: Spiritual Battles
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Day 10 of Book 5
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