DEVOTIONAL

Prayers:

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise:

Worship Song Sung or Said: We Believe In God The Father (Graham Kendrick)

https://youtu.be/C_Z-tKOfGfM

We believe in God the Father
Maker of the universe And in Christ, His Son, our Saviour Come to us by virgin birth
We believe he died to save us Bore our sins, was crucified

Then from death he rose victorious Ascended to the Father's side
We believe He sends His Spirit On His church with gifts of power
God, His word of truth affirming Sends us to the nations now
He will come again in glory Judge the living and the dead
Every knee shall bow before Him Then must every tongue confess

We believe in God the Father
Maker of the universe And in Christ, His Son, our Saviour, Come to us by virgin birth
We believe He sends His Spirit, On His church with gifts of power
God, His word of truth affirming, Sends us to the nations now, He will come again in glory
Judge the living and the dead, Every knee shall bow before Him,

Then must every tongue confess

Name above all names
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) You are the Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) Jesus Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) King of all Kings
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) Jesus Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all)

Name above all names
Name above all names
Name above all names
Name above all names

God’s Word for Today: 1 Samuel 5:1-12

1 After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the Ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 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. 
5  That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold. 6 The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. 
7  When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The Ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 
8  So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the Ark of the god of Israel?” They answered, “Have the Ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel. 9 But after they had moved it, the LORD’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. 10 So they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. As the Ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the Ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the Ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven. 

Devotional/Study: Part 2                                                                                             

The philistines had captured the Ark. They knew how important this victory was. In their minds they had defeated the God of Israel; the God who had saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians. They took the Ark of the Covenant to a place called Ashdod and placed the Ark next to one of their gods named Dagon in order to demonstrate that their god was superior to the God of Israel. v1-2 

The Philistines treated the God of Israel as one god among many. What they didn’t know was that the one true living God could not be mocked. The next morning when people arrive to praise and worship their god, Dagon, for the victory it has given over Israel. To their horror they find the statue of Dagon lying prostrate before the Ark of the covenant.

Then they pick back up Dagon and put him back in his place. however, when they arrive early the next morning, things are even worse. 

As they enter their temple, they that their god Dagon is again found lying prostrate before the Ark, however this time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only his body was left intact. 

We read in 1 Samuel 5:1-3 3 "When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 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.”

God was showed & proved that he was not just one god among many. He was the one true living God. Brothers and sisters, the God who we worship is still powerful – over every nation and over every god. He is the almighty one and the holy one. Although the Philistines had just witnessed a great victory by Israel's God over their god Dagon, they continued to reject the God of Israel. 

These people even when they saw the power of the God of Israel, they do not humble themselves and confess that the God of Israel is the only true God. The next thing to happen is the people in the town are afflicted with tumours and a plague of rats was also over the land. (1 Samuel 5:6,9) 

In response to this the people of come together and call for the Ark be taken away. the leaders come to realize that the plague is due to the presence of the Ark. So, they decide to move the Ark to different cities, however God continued to afflict the people with tumours and death. v8-12

After the Ark had been among them for seven months, the Philistines, on the advice of their priests made a decision to return it to the Israelites. (1 Samuel 6:2-3)

However, on route another disaster came, some of the people looked into the Ark. it was an action that was forbidden and as a result many Israelites lost their lives. The others said in 1 Samuel 6:20 “Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God? To whom will the Ark go up from here?” 

Then in chapter 7 we are told that The Ark of the Covenant was then taken to another city where it remained for 20 years 1 Samuel 7:1 Than at some point Samuel is back on the scene as a grown man and he calls for the people to get rid of all their foreign gods and commit their lives and serve the one true living God. (1 Samuel 7:3)

 

The people responded, they repented and confessed their sins and they put away their gods and served the true living God. We read in 1 Samuel 7:3-4 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.

Brothers and sisters, we may not bow down to idols and images as Christians, but there is always the temptation putting things of the world before the Lord. When the Lord is the love of our life there will be no room in our hearts for any kind idolatry.

As we continue this amazing story we discover once again, the philistines tried to attack the people but this time they looked and cried out to Him with humility and tears. This time God was with them and gave them victory because they looked to God.

Brothers and sisters, we must remember God is not in a box, or in an object, or in a ceremony. He’s not in a building, or an icon. God is in the lives of those who have given their lives to Jesus.

Personal Prayers: