God of Nations

1 Samuel 4:18 (ESV) As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.


1 Samuel 5:4 (ESV) But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Two broken necks from two different national icons. 

The first neck is that of Eli, the old, overweight and out of touch priest of Israel. He failed to restrain his sons or himself (consider his weight). He grew blind and impotent. He sat when he should have been standing and doing his duty for the Lord's people in the Temple. The prophecy given to Samuel concerning his sons comes true, they are dead. The nation he leads has lost its worst battle. The Philistines are victorious. But the worse, the Ark is captured. Upon hearing the news of the Ark, Eli falls back and breaks his neck. His daughter-in-law soon dies in childbirth because of the same news. For Israel, this moment could not be darker.

The second broken neck is of the statue "god" the Philistines worshipped named "Dagon." The statue is a life-less man-made object the Philistines looked to for hope and victory. When the Ark is brought into its temple, the statue of Dagon is found face down with its neck broken and its hands also cut off. 

Why does scripture bring these two broken necks together so clearly? Because the Lord is sending a message to His people. It is not HE that needs them, it is THEY that need HIM. He is the God of the nations. Now when His chosen people are completely void of conscience and lacking in sensibility or piety, He leaves. Yes, the notes of grace have already been sounded in the first few chapters with the arrival of Samuel. But until Samuel takes the lead, the Ark is in Philistine control, departed from the center of Israel's worship life. 

What happens? The Lord God Himself does what Israel should have done. He humiliates the false god of Philistia. The statue to Dagon falls face first before the Ark one day and when it is re-setup it falls and is broken apart the next day. Even the Philistines are aware of what the Lord did to Egypt for Israel. Look at what they say when determining to get rid of the Ark in the following chapter:
1 Samuel 6:6 (ESV) Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed?

It's a short departure for the Ark. Many Ark hunters have sought to find where it may be today. But there's no point in locating it now. The Ark was a symbol of the presence of God among His people. Here in 1 Samuel we learn that the Lord will withdraw His manifest presence when His people determine to act wickedly before Him. Yet His departure for Israel here does two things, it causes the nation to long for Him and it causes the other nations to reverence Him.

We are reminded in this passage of something phenomenally important for the people of God. The Lord will be God over all and accomplish His purpose no matter what. We are privileged to have Him among us. We are only instruments He's chosen to use. Our calling is not a right, it is a Divine gift. Let us make the most of it and bring Him glory and shine as stars in the universe.