Dagon

When it's actually at one stage taken by the Philistines, enemies of the Jews, plagues break out among the Philistines.

Their god is toppled, Dagon is toppled, and the Philistines give the Ark of the Covenant back to the Jewish people and say, "Look, take this thing back.

We don't want it.

It's, it's terrible.

What chapter five was about is this horrific event to the Jewish people has occurred, and the, the Pelishtim have taken the, the Aron, they've taken the box of God, and they're very happy about that.

And they, they actually extend it Kavod, or at least they think they do, by putting it in their, in their acropolis and, you know, next to Dagon.

And it turns out the box does not want to be there, [laughs] the box does not want to be had, and they all start suffering terribly.

And they suffer in two very specific and very horrific ways.

You take it." And nobody wants it, and wherever it goes, those people get slammed with these horrific diseases, and they don't know what to do.

And we said, and we said that, uh, that the, the issue seems to be the admission of what's happening.

That w- what they're really, what the box is waiting for is for them to admit you smashed Dagon, our godlet.

You smashed our people.

We are now shown five main sites in this city.

The fortress, the main palace, the acropolis, another temple of Baal, and the temple of Dagon.

Where we all know here that there is so much under our feet that would blow our minds today.

When we see that after the chance discovery by local peasants in 1929, they excavated this site.

Like, this is not just, "Oh, he's using crude language." He is invoking damnation upon David by the power of the Philistine gods.

Like, may you be damned by Dagon is the type of his language, the, the, or the Philistine gods.

You're going down.

See, this is not just a battle between two warriors and two nations.

The story also reminds me of 1 Samuel 5, actually, in this own context.

Remember when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant? This is God's presence.

And they take it and they put it with Dagon.

Dagon, who is literally covered with scales like a serpent.

Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death before their idols and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.

They placed his armor in the temple of their gods, and they fastened his head to the temple of Dagon.

Who's Dagon? What do we know about Dagon? How did this statue of Dagon fall? Oh, fun facts for you to go and look into.

Who is Dagon, and why is it important that Dagon's mentioned here? But when everyone in Jabesh Gilead heard about everything the Philistines had done to Saul, all their mighty warriors brought the bodies of Saul and his sons back to Jabesh.

Not the head, but they brought the bodies back to Jabesh.

Then they buried their bones beneath the great tree at Jabesh.

And he ground at the mill in the prison, while the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, their God, and to rejoice.

And they said, Our God has given something our enemy into our hand.

And when the people saw him, they praised their God, for they said, Our God has given our enemy into our hand and the ravager of our country who has killed many of us.

Wasn't he? Really? But he cursed him by his gods.

What was the chief god of the Philistines? The god called Dagon.

You see, David knew how the story was going to end.

He knew how the story was going to end.

Because we've read of Dagon before, haven't we? And if I'm correct, the fall of Dagon was going to be rather similar to the fall of Goliath.

Because you remember what happened in 1 Samuel chapter 5.

The Philistines woke up and there was the Ark of Yahweh and there was Dagon.

He was on the floor and what was missing? His head.