Title: Judgment / Restoring Damaged Glory
Contents
1 Samuel 5:1-12
1 The Philistines took the ark of God and took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
Why the incident started: Israel lost the war because of its crimes
Israel was defeated in the war between God's people, Israel, and the idolatrous Philistines. These events occur after the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines and transferred to the Temple of Dagon.
The reason God's army was defeated: Israel is God's army and the Philistines are idolaters. The war in the Old Testament can be said to be the war of the gods. Israel goes out in the name of the Lord, and the Philistines go out in the name of their god. In God, idols are nothing, but they believe and believe that idols exist. However, if God's people fall and sin, he will punish them. It is a defeat in war, and it is humiliated and persecuted by idolaters. He once spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon. Because of Israel's transgression, God was not with him. The absence of God is a defeat in war and a failure in human life.
Without God, Israel and the Philistines versus humans. Man versus man is always a failure and cannot be won. Because God's people are beings that can only live with God. Those who say they can live well without God are not God's people. They are the Edomites who are doomed to always have war with God. Therefore, God's people are beings who must live with God. When there is failure and suffering, God is not with us. Failure in the world and failure in life. You can't win even in a friendly competition with people.
148:13 Praise the name of the LORD, all these things; his name alone is great, and his glory shines on earth and in heaven.
Punishment of idolaters: The Philistines, who are proud of their victory in the war with Israel, seize the ark of God and place it in the Temple of Dagon. They could only be afraid of what happened next. For they believed that Dagon was nothing, and the LORD, the God of Israel, did as they had heard. He shows that idols are nothing and gradually punishes the Philistine army.
The Philistine's Fault: Their pride in their triumphant pride incapacitated their God. The sins of the people of Israel damaged the glory of God. Therefore, God's omnipotence is demonstrated by overthrowing the statue of Dagon in the temple of Dagon and breaking his neck and arms. He is a God who works transcendentally and restores glory as a God who creates and rules the universe.
Discipline and Judgment: Although God disciplines Israel for their sins, God guides them by His grace. Even if we suffer and suffer hardships, we must believe that we are the people of Israel until the end. Just as the relationship between parent and child cannot be broken until it is cut off, so is the relationship between God and Israel. God disciplines the people of Israel, but saves them again and blesses them. But the idolaters judge and destroy them forever. Intoxicated with the glory of victory, the Philistine's discernment is darkened, and God's judgment comes upon those who do not know God. Because God's punishment is so frightening, we are afraid of God, so we want to send the ark of God back to its place.
Exodus 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than any god, because the LORD has saved the people of Israel from the Egyptians who were arrogant toward them.