The Pain Of Idolatry

This morning we’re going to look at a passage of Scripture that I have struggled with for many years; one that I have read time and again, and I couldn’t figure out how to apply it spiritually. It’s probably one that many of you have read before and came away feeling perplexed. But lately the Lord has impressed me to preach more on the topic of idolatry. I’ve been convicted that idolatry is a major distraction that Satan uses to lure us off the path to God. The devil will use any means possible to hinder our relationship with the Lord, and to keep us from spending time with Him. Now that God has impressed me to preach on idolatry, He has given me understanding of the passage that we’re about to examine. Are you ready for a really odd biblical account with a tremendous message?

Our Idols Must Fall Before God (vv. 1-3a)

1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3a And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD.

Back in 1 Samuel chapter 4 we read the full account of how the Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant. So, why did they want it so badly? Why was it so important? To the Philistines, the Ark was an idol. It was a golden box with great power. It was one more thing to worship, and that’s why they set it up next to their chief idol called Dagon. Once the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the house of Dagon, the Philistines possessed two idols to worship; or so they thought. God wasn’t going to allow them to worship a box. The Ark represented God, but it wasn’t God!

The Philistines were immersed in idolatry. Let me share with you my favorite definition of idolatry, one that you may hear again. In the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster defines idolatry as, “Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing.”(1) The two key words here are “any” and “thing,” and this definition explains that “anything” can become an idol in our life. It doesn’t have to be a wood, stone, or metal image. It is something to which we devote the majority of our time, adoration or resources.

We read here how the Philistines sat the Ark of the Covenant down next to Dagon, and that “when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD” (v. 3a). What we must recognize first as we begin studying this passage is this: In the presence of Almighty God, idols must fall; including the idols in our own life.

Working to Maintain Our Idols (vv. 3b-5)

3b And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

Notice how the Philistines had to set Dagon back in place again. I wonder how hard this would have been? I couldn’t find any information on the actual size of Dagon; however, numerous drawings depict this idol as being really tall and made of stone. If these renderings are correct, then this statue would have been extremely heavy. It took a lot of time and effort in setting it back in place. In fact, the Philistines refused to set it back up for a second time. This was mainly because of their fear of the Lord; but you have to wonder if the effort involved played a part in deterring them from ever trying it again.

In pursuing our own idols, we have to put into them a lot of time and effort, as when the Philistines put forth time and effort into lifting up Dagon. This example of working to set the idol back in place can represent us being obsessed with maintaining our own idols. So, what are some ways in which we go about maintaining and serving idols?

Think about cars. A vehicle is simply a means of transportation; and if we viewed it as transportation, then we would settle for an ugly old beater. But in our society, a car is more than transportation. It’s a status symbol. If we drive a nice car we earn respect and feel like we fit in. But shouldn’t we be more concerned with God’s favor and how He views us? Also, when we buy a nice car we obsess over keeping it clean, pouring time and energy into washing and waxing. But if we had an ugly old beater, we wouldn’t put that kind of time and effort into it. So, our fancy car becomes an idol. We depend on it for self-worth and we give it more time than we give God.