Lesson #06

1 SAMUEL 5 and 6
Lesson 06
THE POWER OF GOD DEMONSTRATED OVER DAGON

• Memory Verse: John 14:6

• Read 1Sam 5:1-5 The captured ark confronts Dagon
• Background concerning Dagon:
• Dagon was the principal God of the Philistines. It is believed that he was the father of the god Baal. Baal is one of the principal gods of the Old Testament.
• Dagon was also worshipped throughout the Old Testament. Specifics on this important god are unclear. He may have been a fertility god.
• The name, Dagon, may come from a word meaning, “grain” or “corn”. The Philistines were an agricultural society.
• The appearance of the god, Dagon, may have been with the upper part of the body of a woman and the lower part of the body with the appearance of a fish.
• The Philistines would lay their trophies of war at the feet of their god, Dagon.
• This is exactly what they did with the ark of the covenant when they captured it.
• Background concerning Ashdod:
• The city of Ashdod was a strong, beautiful city of great importance in trade with Egypt.
• The city of Ashdod was one of five important Philistine cities.
• How do we explain the interaction between the ark of the covenant and the idol of Dagon?
• The first day, the idol was humbled before the ark of the covenant because the ark represented the presence of the Almighty God.
• The second day, the head and the hands of the idol were cut off.
• The head symbolizes authority and power.
• The hands symbolize power in action.

• Read 1Sam 5:6-12 Plagues and the wandering of the ark
• God put a plague on the Philistines.
• What are emerods?
• Emerods are tumors.
• This is either a venereal disease or a bubonic plague.
• The Septuagint version of the Bible adds to verse 6 that rats appeared in the land bringing death and destruction.
• Rats carried fleas that caused bubonic plague.
• The word for tumors also means = fortress or a place of strength.
• The Philistines were stricken with illness in the area of fertility or the place of their strength.
• Their faith was in Dagon, a god of fertility. Therefore, the very basis of their strength of faith was attacked. They were an agricultural people dependent on crops.
• Grain was the source of food for rats.
• The Philistines sent the ark from Ashdod to the city of Gath, and then to Ekron (10), and then the Beth Shemesh (6;12)
• Finally, because the plague spread everywhere they sent the ark, they decided to Return the ark to the Israelites after 7 months. (6:1)
• What was God trying to prove in 1 Samuel 5?
• We see some principles from this chapter that are universal principles in the Kingdom of God.
• =1= Whatever is acquired by improper means can never bring a blessing?
• =2= No other God can stand in comparison to our God.
• Read Mat 12:25-30
• Discussion:

How does this passage in Mat 12:25-30 parallel the story in 1Sam 5?

• Read 1Sam 6:1-21 The RETURN of the ark
• The leaders of the Philistines agreed that they should RETURN of the ark with an offering.
• The trespass offering.(3)
• The trespass offering was a Jewish offering for sin against God. It specifically referred crossing over the line marked out by God.
• The offering of 5 gold tumors and 5 gold mice. (4, 17, 18)
• It was a common practice to make an idol of that from which you wanted deliverance.
• How did they RETURN the ark? (7)
• They placed the ark on a cart. The cart was to be pulled by 2 nursing cows. For the nursing cows to leave their young and make a swift course to Israel pulling a cart to which they had never previously been yoked would be against their nature.
• That would be a sign to the Philistines that the cows were being led supernaturally, and that the plague had been the judgment of God, and that the plague was now lifted.
• What tragedy took place upon the RETURN of the ark of the covenant?
• The Lord killed some of the men of Beth Shemesh.
• Why was God angry with the men of Beth Shemesh?
• These men handled the ark and looked inside.
• Only the priests from the tribe of Levi were supposed to touch the ark. No one was supposed to look at the ark, for when it was transported from place to place, the ark was supposed to be covered with a blue cloth and carried by hand.
• Read Num 4:20
• They offered burnt offerings. (15)
• Only the priests from the tribe of Levi were supposed to offer burnt offerings to God.
• 50,070 were killed for violating God’s Law.
• The historian, Josephus, wrote that 70,000 were killed.
• The men of Kiriath Jearim came to retrieve the ark.
• The Bible does not tells us why the ark was not RETURN ed to Shiloh where the Philistines first captured the ark.
• Perhaps it is because the Philistines had overrun the territory around Shiloh.
• Application:
• The attitude that was prevalent at the time among the Israelites can be observed in chapters 4-6.
• The people neglected God’s presence and His Word
• As a result, they were ignorant of God’s ways and made simple ;le mistakes that caused a great deal of death.
• Many Christians today are ignorant of God’s Word. As a result they make serious mistakes in their lives which cause much unnecessary suffering and pain in their lives.
• The people took God’s promises of protection for granted.
• The people used the ark as a lucky charm.
• The people did not consider the ark as something holy. Instead it was an historical relic at best, and at worst, a curiosity.
• What lessons can we learn from 1Sam 5 and 6?
• The God, Jehovah, is above every other God no matter what people believe about Him.
• There are consequences to pay for violating things that God considers sanctified.
• Read Dan 5:1-4, 22, 30
• The Old Testament objects of worship are the sanctified things of God.
• In the New Testament, the people of God are the sanctified things of God.
• Read 1Cor 1:2
• Because God is committed to the believer in Jesus Christ, revenge is not necessary.
• God demands obedience and respect.

HOMEWORK
1 SAMUEL 7
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of 1Sam 5 and 6
• Did you ever acquire something by improper means and have it turn out to be a curse? If so, recall the incident here and what you learned from it?
• Preparation for 1Sam 7
• Read 1Sam 7:1-17
• What are the characteristics of revival that you see in this passage?
• Memory Verse: Psalms 18:2