1 Samuel 5 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

1 Samuel 5 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• The birth of Samuel is usually dated between 1100 B.C. and 1070 B.C.

• The events recorded in 1 Samuel 5 appear to have happened when Samuel was a young man.

CHARACTERS:

• The Philistines – The long-time enemies of Israel. They lived in the cities near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (Gaza, Ekron, Ashkelon, etc.).

WHERE:

• In 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites fought the Philistines, the Israelites camped at Ebenezer and the Philistines camped at Aphek.

• When the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, they sent it to Ashdod, then Gath, and then to Ekron.

OUTLINE:

• THE ARK OF THE COVENANT IN PHILISTINE HANDS (5:1-12):

  • In 1 Samuel 4, the Philistines defeated the Israelites in battle and captured the Ark of the Covenant.

  • They took the Ark to Ashdod and put it in a temple dedicated to their idol, Dagon.

  • The next day, when the Philistines entered the temple, they found Dagon face down in front of the Ark of the Covenant.

  • They set Dagon upright and continued their day.

  • The next day, they found the idol toppled again, but this time its head and hands broke off in the fall.

  • In addition to destroying their idol, God afflicted the people in the region of Ashdod with fear and “tumors.”

  • The men of Ashdod wanted the Ark out of their city, so the Philistine lords decided to send it to Gath.

  • When it arrived, God afflicted the people of Gath with a sense of panic, and they also developed tumors.

  • The men of Gath sent the Ark to another city, Ekron, but the inhabitants refused to keep it.

  • Another council of the Philistine lords was called, and they decided to send the Ark back to Israel.

APPLICATION:

• We must do everything we can not to make God look bad by doing things which cause other people to reject/dismiss Him.

• But there will be times when we fail, when our hypocrisy and our sins are on display for the world to see and remember.

• Know this… God’s name and glory aren’t dependent on His people.

• God can change people’s perception about Him even when His people fail to represent Him properly.

• The Philistines may have looked down on the God of Israel after they defeated His people and took His Ark captive, but it didn’t take long for God to show His strength.

• The good news for us is, if we’ve failed to represent God properly to people in the past, God has ways of fixing our mistakes in the future.