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But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple (1 Samuel 5:4).

These were some of the darkest days for this new fledging nation called Israel. Their original duo of leaders, Moses and then Joshua, were both dead and buried; memory of both fading fast. A succession of leaders had followed, propelling Israel from one calamity to another. Meanwhile, the Philistines and their god Dagon gained influence and power.

These Philistines made their weapons and armour from new and stronger metals. Controlling the mining and manufacturing of these metals, their army was nearly invincible. It was time to make a statement, the memory of Israel would be wiped from the map. With their metal instruments of war gleaming in the morning sun, they made quick work of the Israelites with their wooden farm tools. They took the ark of Israel\u2019s God, hauling it back to Philistine territory where they put it in Dagon\u2019s temple as a trophy of war. Israel and her God were finished. The Israelites knew it. The Philistines knew it. It was party time.

Except, the next morning, when the Philistines went to pay their respects to Dagon, there he was, fallen from his throne, laying prostrate before the ark of Israel\u2019s God. That was humiliating. Assuming their god needed a little help (maybe he had drunk too much the night before), the priests hoisted Dagon back onto his throne.

But the following morning, it was even worse. There was Dagon flat on the ground in front of Israel\u2019s God again, his head and hands knocked right off his body rolling all the way to door. The priests were mortified. Israel\u2019s God had left Dagon powerless in his own temple. It was unthinkable. And then the complaints started coming in: rats running wild in the town and people afflicted with tumors. The meaning of the original word is illusive, but one of the more persistent theories is that it refers to hemorrhoids resulting from dysentery.

Can you imagine all those iron clad soldiers not able to remove their armour fast enough? Yes. Use your imagination to consider what that would be like. Does that seem irreverent to you? Well, as I said, this is one of the darker periods in Israel\u2019s history. Israel thought she was finished; her covenant God had finally been defeated. They were done for.

But in that darkness and apparent defeat, God asserts himself as undefeated and powerful, not just powerful in Israel, but in the very temple of the Philistine god Dagon. And God has a little fun doing it. Dagon lies broken, powerless in his own temple. Rats invest his city. And his people are being wasted by these tumors.

These people decide Israel\u2019s God cannot stay. And so, he is passed around from Philistine city to Philistine city like a hot potato. And each gets burned. They finally decide to send the ark back. What do they put on the cart beside the Ark: golden rats and golden tumors! Without lifting a sword, God lays low these mighty Philistines, demonstrating to both them and to Israel that they very much underestimated him. And he has some fun doing it.

No one can manipulate or control this God simply by obtaining possession of his ark. He is sovereign and free. He is not chained to his throne.

Is it only darkness that you see? Read 1 Samuel 5, and chuckle along with God as he reveals himself. And know that this is the same power Jesus revealed when he faced the forces of chaos, centuries later. Trust him, the darkness cannot last, He has defeated it.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.