The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.
(1 Samuel 5:6-9 ESV)
The Philistines were beginning to see a pattern... wherever the ark went, judgment went. Even worse than the plague it brought was the panic that filled the people. Reminiscent of the plagues on Egypt, God was showing Himself strong and true wherever "He" went. He was making His presence felt. As we step back and watch this from afar, we cheer that God is giving them what they deserve, as those who had no reverential fear for the true and living God. But meanwhile, back among those who called God their own, there was fear and defeat and doubt. He was trying to send them more of a message than the Philistines. They heavy hand of God does not just fall on them. We find that David, after his series of sins, felt it heavy upon him, convicting him. God does not want us to sit back and cheer when we see God's judgment on others; He wants us to see and feel and respond when we feel it ourselves for our sin, our rejection of His leading, our ingratitude for His supply, our rebellion against His laws. His heavy hand is also the hand that will take us, lead us, provide for us, protect us.
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