How does 1 Samuel 5:7 connect with the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? Setting the Scene • After Israel’s defeat, the Philistines capture the ark and place it in the temple of their god Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1–2). • Overnight, the idol collapses, its head and hands severed before the ark (1 Samuel 5:3–4). • Struck by plagues, the Philistines recognize the LORD’s supremacy. Key Verses • Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” • 1 Samuel 5:7: “When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, ‘The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe against us and our god Dagon.’ ” Direct Connections • Exclusive Supremacy – Exodus announces it; 1 Samuel demonstrates it. – The First Commandment states a non-negotiable: only the LORD is God. – Dagon’s humiliation shows no deity can stand alongside or above the LORD. • Visible Judgment on Idolatry – “His hand is severe” (1 Samuel 5:7) fulfills the warning embedded in “before Me” (Exodus 20:3). – The Philistines experience literal consequences when a rival god occupies space “before” Him. • Revelation to the Nations – Israel already knows the command; 1 Samuel 5 extends that revelation to pagans. – God’s judgment becomes a missionary act, displaying His glory to outsiders (cf. Psalm 96:4–5). • Affirmation of God’s Unshared Glory – Isaiah 42:8 echoes the theme: “I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another.” – Dagon’s broken statue visualizes this truth. Lessons for Today • God alone deserves undivided allegiance; modern “idols” of wealth, power, or pleasure fall just as surely. • Compartmentalizing faith invites discipline; the LORD reserves the whole throne of the heart. • Cultural gods crumble when confronted by God’s presence, reinforcing confidence in Scripture’s claims. Supporting Scriptures • Deuteronomy 6:4–5 – Singular devotion commanded. • 1 Kings 18:39 – “The LORD, He is God!” after Baal’s defeat. • 1 Corinthians 10:21 – Believers cannot drink the cup of the Lord and of demons. • 1 John 5:21 – “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” The First Commandment establishes the principle; 1 Samuel 5:7 supplies the dramatic proof that no other god can coexist with the living LORD. |
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