Not as Beat as You Think

1 Samuel 5-6

            Here’s an insight from The Lutheran Study Bible:  when the idol of Dagon falls face down before the ark of the Lord and his head and hands are lying cut off—this is a lot more than a little oopsie with the furniture.  Falling facedown before the ark suggests that Dagon had submitted himself before one who was more powerful, namely, Yahweh of Israel.  When the next morning his head and hands are cut off—not broken off, mind you, cut off—we are looking at the military defeat of the Philistine god.  (Dismemberment was absolute proof of death, and David cut off the head of Goliath.)  So whether the Philistines prefer to think that their god was whupped by the God of Israel or whether they prefer to think that he voluntarily kowtowed to Him, the point is rather the same:  your god doesn’t stand much of a chance, so don’t read too much into having captured Yahweh’s ark.

            As a matter of fact, the Philistines wouldn’t have defeated Israel with the Lord’s allowance.  He’s the one who raises up and casts down; He’s the one who disciplines His people like a father.  And to prove the point, he afflicts the people in 3 of the 5 Philistine cities.  The message seems clear:  you didn’t win; I taught a lesson.

            I find it helpful in times of trouble to remember that ultimately God’s enemies don’t win.  He may allow them the upper hand—sometimes for a lot longer than I’m comfortable with.  (Maybe that’s the case because I’m a slow study.)  But ultimately they don’t win.  I think that’s a big part of the Easter message:  you can kill the Son of God, but death can’t hold him; and if death can’t hold him, it can’t hold me, either.  I know it’s hard to live with that confidence in ultimate, end-time victory.  We would naturally appreciate the occasional taste of victory, but even in the absence of that, we are called to live as ‘more than conquerors’ (Rom. 8).