While I plan to cover chapters 5 and 6 this morning, the seed for our discussion is found in chapter 2. The key word is honor.

Our Lord speaking to Eli: “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me… Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares…for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed’” (2:29-30).

God’s passion for His honor—Atheme that runs throughout the pages of Scripture.

Malachi 1:6, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?” Psalm 4:2, “O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Psalm 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

Paul’s great doxology, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. (1 Timothy 1:17; cf. 1 Ti. 6:16). The twenty-four elders cast their crowns before Him in heaven saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Rev. 4:11). As the angels contribute they sing in a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).

John Piper wrote, “God’s own glory is uppermost in His own affections. In everything He does, His purpose is to preserve and display that glory. To say His glory is uppermost in His own affections means that He puts a greater value on it than on anything else. He delights in His glory above all things… God’s overwhelming passion is to exalt the value of His glory. To that end He seeks to display it, to oppose those who belittle it, and to vindicate it from all contempt” (Desiring God, p. 43).

We already learned that God will honor those who honor Him. If we were not convinced from the story of Eli, we will see once again this morning what happens when people refuse to give God the honor He requires.

The sermon outline as we consider chapters 5 and 6 is very simple. First I will do my best to explain the text, and then with the remainder of the time, present some applications that are relevant for us today.

1. THE EXPLANATIONs

Let’s begin with the first point: “The Explanation.”

The Philistines

First we will see what happens when the Philistines do not honor God.

As we concluded chapter 4, the ark of God fell into the hands of the Philistines. God would not permit Israel, even though His covenant people, to presume upon His glory. Though they waved the ark around like a magical wand and expected its presence to defeat their enemies, God would rather suffer defeat than condescend to the manipulation from His disobedient friends. As He upheld His honor, Israel was taught a very painful lesson. We learned that the nation was defeated, the priestly family died, and Ichabod had arrived while the glory of the Lord had departed.

The scene shifts. The heathen Philistines captured the ark. Wait to you see where they brought it! Immediately we have to wonder how God will respond. We have this feeling we haven’t heard the last word. He used the Philistines to humble the Israelites, would He now in turn humble the Philistines? Would He once again vindicate His honor? Would He teach the Philistines a lesson as well?

This is where our text picks up in chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. “Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.”

Remember, back in 4:7 the Philistines became afraid when the ark arrived on the battlefield. They said, “God has come into the camp…woe to us!” Nevertheless, they were empowered to fight. They defeated Israel and, as they presumed, Israel’s God as well.

Now the principle deity of the Philistines was Dagon. Since they attributed the victory to Dagon, the ark was ushered into his temple as a trophy of his triumph. The ark was not an idol like Dagon, but to the pagan Philistines, it came close enough. In their minds, the showdown was completed. Dagon was champion. Their god was victorious.

The Philistines believed Dagon triumphed over the ark. Yet beginning in verse 3, we will see how the ark triumphed over Dagon.

“When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day” (5:3-5).

Within 24 hours, Dagon was found prostrate before Yahweh, signifying a position of adoration. Humans have been created for the glory of God. But in this account it seems the only one honoring Him is a lifeless idol. Moreover this scene pictures Dagon’s defeat as Yahweh brings him low even on his own turf.

The Philistines were not totally convinced. They set their god back up, only to come in the next morning and see him totally disgraced and mutilated. Decapitation and the cutting off of hands was not infrequent in ancient warfare (17:51, 54; 31:9). Once again, the true God showed everybody who the true God really was.

Beginning in verse 6, “Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, ‘The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god’” (5:6-7).

After God judged Dagon, He began to judge the people through sudden death and disease in the form of tumors. Because they did not honor Him, the text says, “The hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites.” The object that the people originally were excited to capture had turned to be a great cause of agony on both their god and now them. They attributed their calamity to the unlawful possession of the ark, but they needed some official consultation.

Beginning in verse 8: “So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, ‘What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?’ And they said, ‘Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.’ And they brought the ark of the God of Israel around. After they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city with very great confusion; and He smote the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them” (6:8-9).

In addition to Ashdod, Gath was one of their five major cities. Gath was about 12 miles further inland. It was the land of the giants. Goliath was from Gath (17:4). Nevertheless, even the giants are not immune to God’s power. They suffered the same consequences and came to the same conclusion.

Verse 10, “So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron the Ekronites cried out, saying, ‘They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to us, to kill us and our people.’”

In the modern vernacular: “Oh no you don’t!”

The people had seen enough. The ark had become a liability. Finally they had come to their senses. Proud men are not easily humbled. Yet after prolonged suffering, they finally discern the most logical conclusion.

Verses 11 and 12, “They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, ‘Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people.’ For there was a deadly confusion throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”

The decision is made to return the ark. Now, they have to get down to serious business as how to go about this procedure correctly. Did you notice how their attitude to the ark and the God of the ark has completely changed from disgrace to respect?

Chapter 6, verses 1-3, “Now the ark of the LORD had been in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, ‘What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to its place.’ They said, ‘If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.’”

The people seemed to agree, but further information was necessary.

Beginning in verse 4, “Then they said, ‘What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him?’ And they said, ‘Five golden tumors and five golden mice according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will ease His hand from you, your gods, and your land. Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not allow the people to go, and they departed? Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them. Take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go. Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance’” (6:4-9).

The spiritual leaders proposed a solution that would answer the three questions in the minds of the people:

First – The only hope of ending the plague would come if the ark were returned to its proper owners.

Second – The ark must be returned with some form of guilt offering. As neighbors to the Israelites, they knew this was a requirement. Unfortunately the idolatrous golden mice and tumors are not what God requires. He always requires a blood sacrifice, but according to the revelation they possessed, they did their best with a new cart and the most costly gift. So costly, it appears some in verse 6 resisted the idea. Yet their opposition was quickly squashed when the example of the Egyptians was cited. No price would be too high if it prevented further destruction.

Third – To be positively sure God had brought upon this plague, and it was not a matter of chance, a specific test was suggested. Two mother cows unfamiliar with pulling a cart would be chosen. If they pulled the cart and did not return to their young, both actions contrary to their instincts, the people would know for certain that God was responsible.

The proposal was put into action:

Beginning in verse 10, “Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors. And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

Sure enough, directed by God, the ark returned to Israel, a border town about 9 miles away called Beth-shemesh.

The Israelites

Though there is no indication that the Philistines submitted to Yahweh, they did remove the ark from their presence only after they suffered the consequences of failing to honor God earlier. Now that that ark returned to Israel, would God’s covenant people do any better?

Verses 13-15, “Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the LORD.”

Sounds good so far! Unfortunately the joy was short-lived. Just when we are prepared for a happy ending, we abruptly go from gladness to gloom. To our surprise, the ark and Israel will not ride off into the sunset together.

Verse 19, “He (God) struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck down of all the people, (I believe the NIV version is correct when it says 70 men were killed when they looked into the ark), and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.”

Immediately we are shocked that many were killed when they looked into the ark. Actually, if we wish to be technical, the text says they died when they looked at the ark. It is similar to Uzza who was struck dead simply because he attempted to prevent the ark from falling (1 Chron. 13:9-10). Isn’t this treatment by God somewhat harsh? Shouldn’t God be thankful that these Israelites welcomed the ark back and rejoiced greatly upon receiving it? Their joy is turned to mourning. Why did He ruin such a joyous occasion?

Answer: Once again while trying to be manipulated, He refuses to budge one inch on His expectations. God had given the Israelites clear rules for handling the ark. Numbers 4:17, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ‘…But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die’” (Num. 4:17, 19-20). Only the high priest was permitted to see the ark and that one time a year, in the Holy Place and through a cloud of incense. God will not compromise. The theme of this sermon: He will not forsake His own honor even if it means bringing disaster on His own people.

Unfortunately instead of repenting, the men of Beth-shemesh said, verse 20, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God?” Instead of submitting they resort to the tactic of the Philistines. “And to whom shall He go up from us” (6:20)? Verse 21, “So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, ‘The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up to you.’”

So sad, what God intended as a blessing, had become a curse even to His covenant people. The people moved from presumption now to rejection without ever giving God the obedience He required.

Let’s fast-forward to the 21st Century. Where do we go from here? We don’t have the ark, milch cows or Dagons in our midst. What can this account personally mean to us 3,000 years later? We have finished the explanation; so let’s conclude this message with some application.

2. THE APPLICATION

1. God will be honored.

Even the pagan Philistines knew this – “You shall give glory to the God of Israel” (6:5). As the theme of this sermon has proven, God will be honored. And we honor God when we respect His holiness. Dale Ralph Davis said, “Our culture does not help us to smash our graven image of the casual god. Our culture proclaims that God must be the essence of tolerance; He is chummy rather than holy; the ‘man upstairs’ rather than my Father for Jesus’ sake. So long as our novelty license plates declare that “God is my co-pilot’ we can be sure that we have not yet seen the King, Yahweh of hosts” (1 Samuel, p. 67, 68). This morning, we have clearly seen the results when God is not honored. Will we learn from the example of others?

2. Do we want God or an idol?

A response from the reader is clearly expected from the writer. The average Jew that read this account about Dagon would have found it hilarious. The Philistines attributed their victory to one who could not even keep his on own feet when placed before the ark. Dagon needed the assistance of humans to help him up when he had fallen down. The one to whom the people looked for help, needed help from the people. Where was Dagon when God was ravishing the land?

Like Dagon, all idols are powerless and unable to deliver. But just like the Philistines, we cater to our idols. We sustain our idols. We nurture our idols, while rejecting the almighty power of the living God. It is folly to reject the true God and follow the sophisticated idols of the 21st Century, especially the god of “self,” that are spiritually lifeless and worthless.

3. Don’t fight against God.

Learn the lesson now! Destruction will come to all that is in opposition to Him. His will will always be accomplished. In the long run, He will always be victorious. Matthew Henry said, “Those that fight against God will soon have enough of it, and, first or last, will be made to know that none ever hardened their hearts against Him and prospered.” It took the Philistines seven months (6:1) until they learned this painful lesson. How long will it take us?

4. Allow the holiness of God to fuel repentance

The Philistines knew their suffering was a direct result of their dishonoring God. Yet instead of fearing God after Dagon’s disgrace, they feared the threshold that contained Dagon’s body parts (5:4-5). Instead of humbling themselves and honoring God, they sent the ark to another place. They see God sovereignly direct the ark, but probably just return home and take Dagon to the local idol shop for repairs with a “we’re glad that’s over” (Davis, 1 Samuel, p. 64).

We cannot miss all the references to the Exodus account. Think how much agony Pharaoh would have saved if he just had done the right thing from the beginning and repented. The Philistines were no exception. Neither are we. Speaking specifically of our sin, we would be much better if we would (like Pharaoh and the Philistines) just “let it go!” How much needless suffering could we spare in our own lives if we would just repent and turn to God!

5. God can defend Himself

Even on Dagon’s home field, God showed that He can defend His glory. He may use us at times, but He doesn’t need us. Let’s get out of our minds a god who is frantically running around heaven trying to find someone willing to uphold His glory. We do this every time we sing songs like, “Somehow, He needed me.” On the contrary, we are blessed when God condescends to use us. God does not need us to carry Him. If any carrying will be done, it will be Him carrying us (Isa. 46:1-4).

6. Don’t send God away

This account clearly proved as the ark was pushed from city to city that either we will worship God or want nothing to do with Him. Either we will treat Him as a friend or abhor Him as an enemy. His holiness either attracts us to His presence or pushes us further away.

Remember Peter’s words when he encountered Christ? “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk. 5:8). Remember when Jesus cleansed the two demon-possessed men “and…the whole city…implored Him to leave their region” (Mt. 8:34)? Remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians? “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:15-16). We will either view God’s holiness as a danger or a delight.

7. Are we willing to make costly sacrifices for the Lord?

Though there appeared to be some resistance in 6:6 to the costly offering, the Philistines wanted to give God their very best. As you know, they returned the ark with gifts of gold, the most precious metal. May we learn from these pagans. Are we willing to offer the Lord the very best of our time, our treasures and our talents? In 2 Samuel King David said, “I will not offer…to the LORD my God (anything) which cost me nothing” (2 Sam. 24:24).

8. God is not chained to His creation

God is free and sovereign. As much as we often try, we cannot contain Him. Though the ark was captured, the God of the ark was not conquered.

9. Love to honor the Lord

It is good to fear displeasing the Lord, but it is better to get to the point where we also love to honor Him. In other words, may we come to Jesus every day not just to stay out of hell (“fire insurance”), but with a sincere desire to honor Him throughout eternity.

10. Who can stand before the Lord?

After the much destruction was wrought due to the ark, many in 6:20 asked this question: “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” We answer that question by saying: No one! Seventy died for just looking at the ark! “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). On our own, none are able to stand before the Lord (cf. Ex. 33:20). But God has provided a way. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear our sins on the cross. When we trust in Christ, we are able to be clothed in His asbestos covering. And that invitation from God goes out to all. Freely receive the gift of reconciliation with God, salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

What is the problem with honoring anything above God? One word: Idolatry! The text this morning could not be any clearer. To dishonor God is disastrous.

According to Romans 1:21, dishonoring God is the mark of an unbeliever. But for those of us enlightened by the Spirit and with the mind of Christ, our affections have been changed. As God’s dear children, bought with the blood of the Lamb, we should find it our greatest joy to honor our heavenly Father.