The ark of the covenant represented God to the Israelites. They believed it would bring them victory over their Philistine oppressors, but, it was captured by them. The ark was not to be trifled with and it wreaked havoc in the enemy’s camp. Its presence humiliated the Philistine god Dagon and brought its people to destruction, demanding a solution.
Dagon Humiliated
Dagon represented the big daddy of the Philistine gods. The large man like statue had its own house. The Philistines set the ark in Dagon’s house beside him. The first morning after, Dagon had fallen on his face toward the ark. They repositioned the statue. The following morning, it again had fallen on its face. This time however, the head and the palms were broken off and lay in the threshold. The ark of God’s presence proved too powerful for the Philistine god.
Destruction
Dagon was affected, but there was also widespread destruction. The hand of the Lord was heavy upon the city of Ashdod and surrounding territory. The land was ravaged by rats and tumours grew on the people. They begged the Philistine Lords to send it away. to Gath. The results were the same so it was sent on to Ekron where the devastation was either death or, tumours. The land and its people were devastated by its nearness for seven months.
Demanding A Solution
The great outcry of the people demanded a solution. They called on their priests and diviners. What could they do to get it back to its proper place? They didn’t want to send it back empty so they made golden images of the rats and the tumours as a trespass offering. They remembered how the Egyptians hardened their hearts toward the Israelites. They decided to build a new cart to transport the ark with the golden articles and they found two milk cows to take it to Beth – Shemesh. If the cows found their way, it would verify it had been acts of God. The cows did not vere from the path indicating God almighty had been in their midst. The people of Beth-Shemesh rejoiced to see it return.
The presence of the ark in the area of the Philistines humiliated their god Dagon and brought its people to destruction, demanding a solution.