The only God

1 Samuel 5:1-12

By: Gabril Grayce Gaby Gandey

(Source: https://www.gbitct.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Jumat-17-Juli-2020.jpg)

        After the Philistines defeated Israel, they took the ark of God and took it to Ashdod. They then brought the ark into Dagon's temple and placed it beside Dagon. It seemed as if God didn't care if the ark was in the hands of the Philistines. God was not indifferent, but by allowing the ark to be brought to Ashdod, God wanted to show His true self. He wants everyone to know that there is no other god except Him. This means that God is the only holy person and deserves to be worshipped. And whoever does not respect his holiness will get the consequences. These are the purposes, why God did not prevent the Philistines from carrying the ark.

        The Ark of God which the Philistines took from Israel, then placed it beside Dagon, the god of the Philistines. The Philistines thought that the ark of God that they had stolen could be compared to their idol. However, God did not stay silent and just let it go. As long as the ark was in the temple of Dagon, God manifested His power. To be precise, there were two times God manifested His power in that temple. First, He made Dagon fall before the ark of God. Second, He made the Dagon fall again. However, this time, Dagon's head and both hands were severed and thrown into the doorway, leaving only Dagon's body left. The point of this incident is that there is no other god except God, so He cannot be compared to any idol that is in the heavens or on the land.

        The power that God showed to the Philistines declared that He was the only God in the universe. It means only He is God who is holy and worthy of worship. God's holiness cannot be compared to anything in this world. That's why when the ark was placed beside Dagon, Dagon was destroyed because no god or even a human in this world could equate his holiness with God's holiness. The shattered Dagon not only proclaims the holiness of God, but it also declares that it is God alone that all people should worship. Why? Because He is the only living God. The Dagon worshiped by the Philistines was in the form of a statue that could not breathe, could not hear, and was easily destroyed because it was made with human hands. However, the God worshiped by the Israelites is a God who can breathe, hear the cries of prayers delivered to Him, and a God who cannot be destroyed because He is full of power and eternal glory.

        God's holiness is universal, and He was not only the God of the Israelites but the God of all nations, including the Philistines. Anyone who violates His holiness will be punished. The Philistines suffered the consequences for thinking that God was one of the gods who could be equated with their gods. By taking the ark of God from Israel, not only destroyed their Dagon but also brought them trouble. The hand of God pressed the people of Ashdod and beat them with ulcers. Wherever they moved the ark of Allah, the consequences of their actions persisted. Ulcers continued to appear on them until they finally decided to return the ark of God to the Israelites.

        PoV: The Philistines returned the ark of God to Israel not because they intended to return it. They returned the ark because the hand of the Lord brought an uproar over them, the Lord struck them with ulcers. Why did God do that? We must know that God is holy, the ark is also holy. God is always present in holy places, including places of worship. The Philistines received bad consequences for their actions because they dared to seize and equate the ark with their god. The same thing we will receive if we equate God with worldly things. Not only that, if we don't show our respect to God while in holy places (places of worship, including churches), we will suffer the consequences. Let us learn from the Philistines, not to do anything arbitrary to God, including everything related to Him.

        God is the only God who exists and lives. At the same time, God is holy.  He is also known as love, but we must still remember His holiness so that we can continue to honor God because that is how it should be.

References: 

Bible King James Version