1. Dagon falls on his face (1-5)

When the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant of God they were jubilant. They carried it to the temple of Dagon their god. They thought they had conquered God, and could make him serve them. They treated the ark like an idol. They thought the God of Israel would bring them good luck. But God showed them that he does not compromise with idol worship. Dagon fell on his face and broke.

2. God's hand was heavy on the Philistines(6-12)

When God comes among sinful, unrepentant people he brings curse, not blessing. He afflicted the people of Ashdod with large tumors, some malignant, on their necks and backs and noses. So they decided to send the ark to Gath. When the Gathites suffered in the same way, they sent it to Ekron. The men of Ekron panicked and said, 'Let's send it home to Israel.' God cannot be used like a good luck piece.

Application: Lord, purge my heart of superstition and compromise.
One Word: The living God hates idols