I SAMUEL 5

It's overcast today, but a good day for working around the church and getting things done.  We are enlarging our parking lot today to hold 50 more cars.  That will help us out a great deal in the months ahead.  I'm looking at I Samuel and I started with chapter five so I want to make a comment or two about it.  1) DAGON FALLS- All idols fall before the presence of God.  The Ark represented the presence and power of God and Dagon could not stand up to the LORD God of Israel.  He fell over, so they picked him back up.  Then he fell over with his head and hands cut off and only his stump left.  You cannot pick up something like that again.  Then the Philistines who had taken the Ark were put to hurt and death everywhere they took the Ark till they returned it to Israel.  God doesn't need defending, He does that Himself! 2) EBENEZER- In Chapter 4 we see that the battle took place between Israel and the Philistines and because Israel had forsaken the LORD, they lost the battle and the Ark was taken.  The Philistines took the Ark from Ebenezer to Ashdod.  (where the Israelites were to the capital of the Philistines.)  Now, Ebenezer means: "Hither to hath the LORD helped us."  But, it only meant that because the Israelites had been obedient to the LORD.  When obedience fails, then so does the symbolisms.  Remember it is not the symbol, but the Savior that makes the difference in our lives..... don't find yourself just going through the motions.  Have a blessed day!   Pastor Mike Mutchler