What Does the Story of Dagon Tell Us about Our Idols Today?
By Emma Danzey
1 Samuel 5:4 says, “But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.”
You might be thinking that this is a strange verse of Scripture to focus on for a daily devotional. However, this is one of the most key themes in all of Scripture. It all ties back to having no other God besides Yahweh.
During the time of the Philistines conquering Israel, Samuel had become the prophet, yet Eli’s sons and former priests had been evil and during their time in the temple, the Philistines came and took the ark of the covenant. This was a huge dilemma since the presence of God rested in the ark. The Philistines placed the ark of God in the temple of Dagon next to the statue. What would happen next, verse 4 reveals.
But the following morning when they rose…
This implies that the enemies of the Lord woke up. This meant they were sleeping. People sleep because they have to in order to survive. However, our God never sleeps. Psalm 121:4 says, “Behold, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” This reminds us that even our greatest enemies cannot be in the place of God. The Philistines were going against Someone they did not realize was far above and beyond their ability to defeat. Yahweh has an undefeated track record. He did not close his eyes for a moment and they left His ark next to their false god. So while they were snoozing and thinking that they had victory, the Lord who never sleeps, was working.
There was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord!
Dagon is described in history as an idol. Hope Bollinger from Christianity shares, “The name Dagon in the Bible derives from the word “dag” which means fish. As we can see, the Assyrians decided to take the quite literal route of calling it as they saw it.” She explains that Dagon was known as the “Fish god” who was tied to crops and fertility.
You might be thinking that you do not worship a statue in a temple. However, any idol is anything that we place above God in our hearts. This can be a good or a bad thing that leads to idolatry. Blessings are gifts, but when they become worshipped they enter into an area that they never belonged.
Sins not nipped in the bud take greater places in our hearts. Even as believer in Christ, we are prone to fall into the temptation to make gods out of people, places, or things. But they all fail in comparison to Jesus.
I love that it says their god Dagon literally fell face down to the ground before the presence of God. It reminds me of Philippians 2:10 which says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” If we do not take the joy of worshipping the one true God now, then we will one day. This can be a delight or a despair depending on if we accept Jesus or not.
His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.
Ponder this, Dagon’s head and hands were broken off, only his body laid there bowing down. The Philistines may have thought with their heads that Dagon was a god, they may have sacrificed with their hands to him, but ultimately that led to destruction.
We are reminded that no god, no weapon, and no power of darkness will stand in the light of our Savior Jesus. If you are feeling defeated today or have forgotten that God is on the throne. Look to the story of 1 Samuel 5 to remind you that all will bow before the Savior and He is on our side and for us when we accept His gift of salvation and love.
The powers of evil who think they have won do not have a real victory. Our idol, who we ourselves have relied on, does not compare to the real deal. Jesus is Lord.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How does the account of Dagon remind you that God is worthy and always has the victory, even when it may not seem like it in life? Are there any idols that you need to lay down before the Lord today?
Further Reading:
Exodus 20:3
John 14:6
Ephesians 6:12
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Iyan Kurnia
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