Post by MikeV on Sept 28, 2020 12:39:45 GMT -5
My number one funniest Bible story is that of the Philistines and the Ark of Covenant. This story, more than any other one, shows God’s sense of humor.
In 1 Samuel, the Israelites battled the philistines and lost. So, they decided to take the Ark with them the next day so that its power would protect them. But not only did the philistines beat the Israelites, but they also captured the Ark of the covenant.
When the Philistines brought the Ark to the temple of Dagon in Ashdod, strange things began to happen. For starters, the statue of Dagon fell facedown before the Ark.
1 Samuel 5:2-5 says, “And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.”
Shortly after, “The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.” (1 Samuel 5:6)
The people of Ashdod became so terrified of God that they sent the Ark of the Covenant to Gath. But God also inflicted that city with tumors so the people of Gath took it to Ekron. When the Ark arrived at Ekron, the people were in “deadly panic” and planned to send the Ark back to its place so they wouldn’t get afflicted.
The Ark of the Covenant stayed in the Philistine country for seven months bringing tumors on the people before it was returned to Israel. And the moral of the story is that God is not a trophy, nor can He be manipulated.
In 1 Samuel, the Israelites battled the philistines and lost. So, they decided to take the Ark with them the next day so that its power would protect them. But not only did the philistines beat the Israelites, but they also captured the Ark of the covenant.
When the Philistines brought the Ark to the temple of Dagon in Ashdod, strange things began to happen. For starters, the statue of Dagon fell facedown before the Ark.
1 Samuel 5:2-5 says, “And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.”
Shortly after, “The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.” (1 Samuel 5:6)
The people of Ashdod became so terrified of God that they sent the Ark of the Covenant to Gath. But God also inflicted that city with tumors so the people of Gath took it to Ekron. When the Ark arrived at Ekron, the people were in “deadly panic” and planned to send the Ark back to its place so they wouldn’t get afflicted.
The Ark of the Covenant stayed in the Philistine country for seven months bringing tumors on the people before it was returned to Israel. And the moral of the story is that God is not a trophy, nor can He be manipulated.
