1 Sam
5:6-12 (ESV) The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and
he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7
And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the
God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and
against Dagon our god." 8 So they sent and gathered together all the lords
of the Philistines and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of
Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought
around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9 But
after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city,
causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young
and old, so that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to
Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried
out, "They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill
us and our people." 11 They sent
therefore and gathered together 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, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly
panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The
men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to
heaven.
NOTE: Four times the
phrase or a facsimile, "the hand of the Lord was heavy against the
people," appears in the passage. It was obvious to the Philistines that it
was not good for them to have the ark in their midst. The ark was given to
Israel to symbolize the presence of God with his people. At this point, which
is also the end of the period of the Judges, Israel has lost its most important
possession. The people God chose to place his name have foolishly brought the
ark to a battle and lost it. They were using the ark for their own purpose and
ignoring the Ark's true purpose. God judges Israel, but he also judges the
Philistines. They did not have permission or privilege to have the Ark among
them. They stood against Israel as an example of sin pestering our lives. And
now sin has mixed itself with the holy. The result is the hand of the Lord
heavy against them.
As I look at my own
life, am I living as God intended or have I let sin mix in with holiness. Are
some recent setbacks evidence of God's heavy hand or of a need to trust more?
Clearly, hard times drive us to the Lord, and that more than anything else is needed
in my life. I have let prayer become an occasion rather than a pattern of life.
God knows I need prayer, and I know deep down that I need it too.
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