06.01.2025 | The Ark was Captured
1 Samuel 4-6
On April 21, 1980, Rosie Ruiz was declared the winner of the women’s division of the Boston Marathon. The only problem was that Rosie Ruiz was a fraud. Instead of running the 26.2-mile race, Ruiz waited in the crowd and snuck onto the road to run only the final mile of the race. She was disqualified, and the real winner was crowned. Clearly, she had no business running the race with the real marathoners!
After the Philistines defeated the Israelites, they captured the ark of the covenant and took it back to their city. The ark was a symbol of God’s presence, but the Philistines placed it beside the statue of Dagon, a false god they worshiped. The next morning, the statue of Dagon had fallen on its face in front of the ark. The Philistines set the statue up again, but it fell again, causing its head and hands to fall off! God was making it clear that He is the One True God and that Dagon—or any false god—has no business standing next to Him!
God promised to be with His people. This promise gives comfort to know that God is near, but it also gives courage to know that He is the One True God who has all power, authority, and control. There is no one as great as Him!
God is holy and punished the Israelites and Philistines for misusing the ark. All people sin and deserve God’s judgment, but Jesus took that judgment when He died on the cross. All who trust in Jesus are forgiven of sin and saved from judgment.
