“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.” 1 Samuel 5.1-5
As we see throughout Scripture, false gods and idols are no match for Yahweh. No matter which idol is brought before the Israelites as a temptation, every one of them fails.
When I visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, I was fascinated by the stone, wood, and metal idols excavated from hundreds of archaeological sites across the country. None were as impressive as the depiction of a giant golden calf in my children’s Bible, which Aaron made in Genesis 32. In truth, every one of these idols was much smaller than I had imagined—some were handheld—and they were dull, deaf, and mute. They were powerless to act or respond to the prayers of the people.
When the Ark of the Covenant was taken into the temple of Dagon, a Philistine god said to promote fertility and prosperity, the idol was found face down before the Ark each morning. On the second day, not only was Dagon on the ground, but his head and hands had been broken off. God was clearly sending a message to the people!
Too often, we worship idols that cannot meet our needs, expectations, hopes, or dreams. These idols don’t have to be statues of false gods; they could be money, sex, position, or power. We can—and often do—make idols out of many things, none of which can fill the emptiness in our hearts and souls without Jesus.
Idolatry was such a problem in the ancient Near East among God’s people and their neighbors that God made the second commandment to Moses and the people this in Exodus 20:4-6: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Idolatry has been around for many thousands of years and remains a problem today.
Worship God only. Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” And He means it! Not only because God is jealous, but because He knows what is best for us. We shall not worship any person, place, or thing except for the Lord.
What idol are you worshipping today? How has that idol failed you, left you empty, or left you stranded? Only God can save you. Only the blood of Jesus will redeem you. Only the Spirit will fill you. Turn back to the Lord this day, reject the idols of the past and present, and lean into the Lord, who is your God and your guide.
“O Lord God, you are good. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for allowing me to walk in newness of life and to find my hope in your hands. When my love fails, your love remains steadfast. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill me with power. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.