What Does 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1 Mean? Trinity Islington

Passage: 1 Samuel 5:1-7:1

Preacher: Jeremy Hobson

I wonder how you feel when you’re told you’re not needed? On the one hand, it can be quite a difficult thing. It’s quite a humbling thing. Somebody on the phone said to me this week, “I really need to feel needed”. I don’t know if you’re like that? It was very honest. But when we are left out, we can find that really hard. I might say to my friend Sarah, ‘do you want me to play double bass in the band this weekend?’, and she says, ‘well actually, John Moody is playing bass, I don’t think you’re needed.’ I might think ‘oh OK fine’. It’s just a little bit humbling, isn’t it? On the other hand, it can be quite a nice, thing, quite a relief. You could be invited over to a friends house for a meal, and you say, “can I help with the washing up”. They then say, “oh no don’t worry, we can put in the dishwasher, you’re not needed”. “Well that is great”, I would think to myself. It’s a bit of relief.

I mention that because we are coming back to our book of the year today in the book of 1 Samuel, which is all about finding a new leader, finding a new king. But actually, Samuel — who is the leader at this point — disappears for a few chapters. More than that, the high priest, Eleazar and his family have all disappeared. And more than that, the army has been defeated and the glory has departed from God’s country, Israel. Here’s the thing: God can look after himself. He can fight his own battles, he doesn’t need us. That is quite a humbling thing, but it’s also quite a relief. This is the account of the ark — a gold box that represents God — in the Old Testament. We are going to read the account of the ark — which has been captured by the Philistines — has been captured back to Israel. It’s written to teach us three things. Here is the first:

1. God can look after himself, his greatness is unequal.
I fell over yesterday, it was ridiculous really. My shoelaces were undone, and as I was walking through the back door, I managed to get my shoelaces trapped inside the door, and then I tried to walk away. I mean who does that? Twice in chapter 5 of 1 Samuel, Dagon has a fall. 5:1-3: “After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezerr to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place”. I love that bit in v3. “Are you alright Dagon? We’re just going to lift you up and put you back on your feet?”. That’s what they’re saying to him. And the next time he falls over, in verse 4, they need to pick up the pieces, “But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained”. It’s like Hannah said in her prayer, in 2:10: “Those who oppose the Lord will be broken”. God’s greatness is unequaled.

As we notice in chapters 1-6, God’s hand is constantly at work. Have a look at 5:6: it says the “Lord’s hand was heavy on the people”. Also, in 5:9: “But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city”. 6:3 at the end, “Then you will know why his hand has not been lifted from you.” This implies that while Dagon’s hands are missing, God’s hands are always at work. Or put it another way, the Philistines had thought that God had fallen into their hands. But as it turns out, they had fallen into His. Notice too, that within these chapters, God’s rescue from Egypt is happening all over again. Perhaps you remember the time way back in Exodus (500 years earlier), when God goes up against Pharoh, and there are 10 plagues. Samuel 5-6 is like this. That’s the way that it is told. It’s not just the exodus is referred to in 6:6, “Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?”. But there are something like ten phrases in these two chapters, borrowed from the accounts of the exodus. I mean, just like the Egyptians, God leaves another country carrying Gold. Just like he did back in exodus. In the end, the Philistines give back the ark of their own accord. Because, wherever the ark goes, there is devastation, panic, and death, until they get the rulers together and they call the advisors that come up with a plan.