Even in Philistia there was proof that God’s light lightens every man who comes into the world.
Dagon’s image lay in ruins on the temple floor at Ashdod. With it lay the delusion of the Philistines: “Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day” (1 Sam 5:5). But idolatry dies hard. So if you were going to neutralize it among these people, well known for their gigantic men, what tactics would you use? Earthquakes and thunderbolts? No, said the Lord, I think mice and hemorrhoids (euphemistically called “tumors”) will work. The vermin would ravage the blessing of the so-called fertility god, and the other would neutralize his worshipers. When this double affliction hit Ashdod, what did they do? They moved the ark to Gath, and the same thing happened. Then it was moved to Ekron, but when they saw it, they cried, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” (v 10). The ark had been “in the country of the Philistines seven months” (6:1), so something had to be done! Interestingly, we read of this third stop, “the cry of the city went up to heaven” (5:12). When they sought the advice of their “priests and the diviners” (6:2), we can see the remnants of truth in their answer. “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering” (v 3). What would be an appropriate offering? Why not five gold images of each item that plagued you, representing the five “lords of the Philistines” (v 4)? Through this, they said, “you shall give glory to the God of Israel” (v 5). Even these pagans knew what many moderns have forgotten: our lives are failures if we don’t glorify the Lord. So today, “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31).