Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

QT 10/25/2022 1 Sam 5:4-6, What is the hand of God doing in my life?

1 Samuel 5:4–6 (ESV) —

4 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. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 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.

 

NOTE: After the capture of the Ark, the Philistines placed the ark next to their god Dagon where it would be one of his attendants. The next morning, the god Dagon is found prostrate before the ark. The following morning it is found prostrate with his hands and head removed -- completely defeated. What followed were plagues in every city they tried to move the ark. The word "hand" is used repeatedly.

 

… hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod (vs 6)

… his hand is hard against us (vs 7)

… the hand of the LORD was against the city (vs 9)

The hand of God was very heavy there. (vs 12)

 

In an interesting irony, Dagon's hands are removed, but God's "hand" is 'hard, heavy, very heavy, and against.' In 1 Sam 5:12, it says "… the cry of the city went up to heaven." God did not hate the Philistines. He hated their sin, their idol worship, and their refusal to turn to him. But God loves the world. The ark of God required special handling. It was to their detriment to keep it. Only the Israelites had the training to properly handle an item that represented the holiness of God. I believe God's judgment is mercy toward the Philistines -- they needed to get rid of the ark.

 

PONDER:

  1. God loves me, but hates my sin. Do I have the same attitude toward sin as God?
  2. Do I see God as holy and what is the impact in my life? Does it even change my speech or the things I view?

 

PRAYER: Father, you are holy and you are merciful, otherwise I could never come before your throne of grace. Jesus has opened the door to the throne through his death and given his righteousness to us so that we can stand in confidence. But while I have boldness, I know I am completely dependent on mercy. I should not be here except for God's mercy.

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