TITLE: I’VE FALLEN AND I CAN’T GET UP
SCRIPTURE: I SAMUEL 5:1-7
I’ve Fallen and I Can’t get Up this was a catchphrase of the late 1980s and early 1990s popular culture based upon a line from an infamous television commercial. This line was spoken in a television commercial for a medical alarm and protection company called Lifecall, starting in 1989, up to 1990, when they went out of business. The motivation behind the systems is that subscribers, mostly senior citizens, would receive a pendant which, when activated, would allow the user to call out (verbally with their voice) to an audio receiving device and talk directly with a dispatch service, without the need to reach a telephone. The service was designed to appeal particularly to seniors who lived alone and who might experience a medical emergency, such as a fall, which would leave them alert but immobile and unable to reach a phone.
When I was lead to this exciting text for examination my mind could not help but to recall that commercial from some twenty (20) years ago. The Bible is such an honest book. That is why I enjoy spending time in the Word of God, it does not try to hide anything from us. Isn’t it good to know?:
• Sometimes God’s people behave badly
• It’s not just you and me
• Isn’t it good to know that God does not give up on us, even when we behave badly
In an effort to understand the history and background of this text, it is important that we understand the ark of the Lord or covenant.
• The ark was a wooden chest overlaid with gold about four feet long, two feet wide and two feet high
• Its cover was made of pure gold with two cherubim hammered out of gold on top
• The ark contained the gold jar of manna
• Aaron’s staff that had budded
• The stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments
• But the ark was more than just a chest
• The ark was the visible symbol of God’s presence among the Israelites
The Ark of the Covenant resided in the Holy of the Holies, the innermost room of the Tabernacle. Access was only permitted once per year, on the Day of Atonement. Access was restricted to one person only, the high priest. He had to come into the Holy of Holies with the blood of a goat, on behalf of his own and the people of Israel’s sins. Most people associate the Ark of the Covenant with judgment and wrath, rightly so. The day is soon coming when God will judge the secrets of people's hearts and cast judgment upon mankind. The day is coming my brothers and sisters, where every THOUGHT – WORD – DEED – will be called into judgment by our God.
In the previous chapter of that which has been read in our hearing - we find that the Philistines are in battle with Israel. We would think in the book of I SAMUEL that the Israelites would quickly defeat their enemy because God was on their side. There are some behind the scene dynamics that have taken place that have caused a great separation between God and His people.
• Recall with me that Samuel was still young in the Lord
• He would later become Prophet – Judge – Priest
• But for now Old Man Eli the Prophet was still in Charge
• He was now an Old man with failing Eye sight
• His two sons were in charge as their Father’s health began to fail
• Hopni and Phinehas were wicked in the sight of God
• These sons of the Prophet Eli did wicked in God’s sight
• They were Corrupt – Wicked - Unrepentant
• The real tragedy is the fact that the Prophet Eli knew it and did nothing about it
• Have to be careful when we can correct everyone else children and can’t correct our own
• Identify what’s lacking in your home – while own home is falling apart
In this Fourth Chapter we find that the Philistines begin to defeat Israel in a small-scale battle. During the initial stages of the battle 4,000 Israelites are recorded to have been killed. This is a warning sent by God to his people. This is a bad scene, but it can be turned around quickly at the hand of God. God always sends a warning before destruction. Most of the time, we don’t care to listen when God tries to warn us. We continue to say things really are not that bad until we wake up one morning and find that we have finally hit rock bottom. We fail to heed the warnings of God until we have nothing left. Then some of us try to blame and fault God after we have ignored all of his Warnings directed in our life.
With 4,000 now lost in battle, Israel reacts to this warning by God in the same way many of us still react today. Israel reacts to this, not by calling on God to deliver them as they are losing this battle at the hands of their enemies. What do they decide to do? They bring the ark of the covenant out of the Tabernacle to the battle lines.
• This is not bad within itself
• The Ark symbolizes the Presence of God
• They recognized God as king and the ark as his Footstool
• They recognize the two angels on top of the Ark
Wrongly, however; Israel thought that by bringing the ark to the battle-line either the very presence of the ark, somehow, magically, would give them military superiority. Or bringing the ark to the battle, they would somehow constrain God to fight for them. Like a large good luck charm, they believe the presence of the Ark will make the difference in this battle. The irony is that all they had to do was ask. We have so many issues in our lives because we simply fail to ask God to intervene.
• ST. MATTHEW 7:7
• Ask and it Shall be Given You
• Seek and Ye Shall Find
• Knock and it will be Opened unto You
The Folly of using the Ark as a Mascot. They treated the Ark of the Covenant just like a Good Luck Charm. They were on the verge of being superstitious. This type of behavior brought no benefit from God. I remember watching a TV Comedy back in the late 60’s called I DREAM OF JEANNIE. It was starring Barbara Eden as a 2000 year old Jeannie. You would simply rub the bottle and Jennie would appear come to her Master’s rescue. This is how we treat God. When things are not going well in our life we want to rub the Bible and expect God to step in because we – WAVED THE BIBLE AROUND – KISSED THE CROSS – GAVE A TESTIMONY.
The Israelites carry the Ark of the Covenant out to the midst of the battle believing that now God would step in and deliver them from the hands of the enemy. We know the result of Israel’s decision as recorded in our text this morning. The Ark of the Lord is captured and 30,000 Israelites are now killed in the battle. From Israel’s Perspective all is lost.
• They have lost the battle
• They have lost their spiritual leadership
• They feel they have even lost their God
Have you ever been there my brothers and sisters? God has provided us with a sufficient warning before He passes judgment. We find that we have hit the bottom of life and God did not come to our rescue. We feel we have Lost it All – sometimes we feel that we have even lost the Favor of God. Oh but we can learn from this Old Testament text this morning. I don’t understand those who feel the Old Testament is in the past and we should only preach from the New Testament.
• Old Testament is the New Testament Concealed
• New Testament is the Old Testament Revealed
• So much we can learn from the Old Testament
• Without properly understanding the Old Testament we cannot understand the New
• The Great Hope of the New Testament was Conceived in the Old Testament
• Salvation of the New Testament was released in the Old Testament
• Jesus could not be who he professed to be without the Power of Old Testament
It is at this point, in the text, that we are allowed to be a fly on the wall. In their excitement of winning the battle, the Philistines hastily carry the Ark of the Covenant to the city of Ashdod. When the Philistines defeated the Israelites, they boasted as though they had beaten God himself. I can imagine the elation and jubilant celebration the Philistines momentarily enjoy over their apparent victory as they carry the Ark of God from Ebenezar to Ashdod, the northern most of their five principle cities. It is probably with great ceremony that the Philistines carry the Ark of God into the house of one of their principle gods – Dagon.
The fact of Dagon’s supremacy is, no doubt, why the ark of God was taken to Ashdod. Apparently, Dagon was given credit for their victory over the Hebrew God and now this God would be brought to serve him. They bought the ark into the temple of Dagon and set it up beside him. This gesture either symbolized the fact that Yahweh was now one of Dagon’s attendants or the fact that he was being absorbed into their Pantheon, under Dagon’s leadership.
I don’t know about you, but I immediately see a problem here. They placed the Ark of the Covenant by Dagon as if God would be imprisoned. Notice also Dagon had a house, but God has a tabernacle. I can picture God sitting high just waiting to see what the Philistines will do next. The Ark was placed within the temple of Dagon, in Ashdod, put on display as a trophy of victory. At this point the Philistines were clapping each other on the back and claiming that Dagon was more powerful than the God of Israel.
• The name Dagon means, “GRAIN” or “FISH”
• He was their agriculture-god, prominent in pagan farming and fertility rituals. While the Philistines are rejoicing, the children of Israel must have wept bitter tears, but God sees their tears.
The events found in our text take an interesting turn at this point. Let’s revisit VS. 3 “AND WHEN THE PEOPLE OF ASHDOD ROSE EARLY THE NEXT DAY, BEHOLD, DAGON HAD FALLEN FACE DOWNWARD ON THE GROUND BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD. SO THEY TOOK DAGON AND PUT HIM BACK IN HIS PLACE.” Somewhere around the Middle of the Night, God begins to work. I don’t know about you but it appears to me that God does his best work around the midnight hour.
• EXODUS 12:29 “AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AT MIDNIGHT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE FIRSTBORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT”
• JUDGES 16:3 “AND SAMSON LAY TILL MIDNIGHT, AND AROSE AT MIDNIGHT, AND TOOK THE DOORS OF THE GATE OF THE CITY,AND THE TWO POSTS, AND WENT AWAY WITH THEM”
• PSALM 119:62 “AT MIDNIGHT I WILL RISE TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THEE BECAUSE OF THY RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS”
• ACTS 16:25 “AND AT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS PRAYED, AND SANG PRAISES UNTO GOD: AND THE PRISONERS HEARD THEM, AND THE JAIL CELL WAS OPENED”
• Every now and then around the Midnight Hour God begins to wrestle me out of my sleep
• Every now and then around the Midnight Hour God begins to deal with me
• Every now and then around the Midnight Hour God shows up and begins to talk with me
• Even the secular world understands that something happens around MIDNIGHT – WILSON PICKETT said - I’M GONNA WAIT TILL THE MIDNIGHT HOUR THAT’S WHEN MY LOVE COMES TUMBLING DOWN
What shock it must have been, early the next morning when people arrive to praise and worship their idol god Dagon, for the victory it has given over Israel. There in its own temple, their idol lies prostrate in the dirt before the Ark of God – and its posture says –I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up - Imagine now the Philistine’s surprise when they found Dagon face down before the Ark of the Covenant during the early morning hours.
• The text does not say what they thought
• We can imagine what went through their minds
• Did someone knock Dagon down?
• Was there an earthquake like that 4.5 earthquake we experienced here in OKC this past Tuesday?
• Was it a sign that Dagon was bowing down to Jehovah?
• Did this posture mean Submission or Worship or both?
• All the text tells us is that I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up
• We know this because the Philistines had to set Dagon back up again
No matter how they viewed it, it is obvious that Dagon had taken a subservient position before your God and mine. They had to lift and put their god back into place. They thought that the same house could hold both their Man-Made god and the God Who Made Man.
• Dagon did not lean over part way
• He was found face down
• He was found face first before the Feet of God
• God directed the angels to go down into the very home of Dagon, knocking him down on his own turf
• When God knocks you down all you can say is I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up
• I don’t mind the bully knocking me down – I can get up again
• I don’t even mind society knocking me down – I can get up again
• I don’t even mind other Churches knocking me down – I can get up again
• I don’t even mind the Black Chronicle knocking me down – I can get up again
• Oh but when God knocks you down, you will realize – I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up – until you Repent
One day the Philistines are prone before Dagon, now Dagon is dependent upon them to pick him up. They set him back up and go home. When they arrive for Praise and Worship the next morning, things are even worse than the previous day. Dagon has fallen before God once again, but this time its hands and head are broken off as the idol strikes the threshold. Consider VS. 4 again “BUT WHEN THEY ROSE EARLY ON THE NEXT MORNING, BEHOLD, DAGON HAD FALLEN FACE DOWNWARD ON THE GROUND BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD, AND THE HEAD OF DAGON AND BOTH HIS HANDS WERE LYING CUT OFF ON THE THRESHOLD. ONLY THE TRUNK OF DAGON WAS LEFT TO HIM.”
• Do the Philistines still think the God of Israel is in their hands?
• The hands of their god are in the dirt as well as its head
• The Ark of God may be in the Philistines hands, but the god of the Philistines is in the hands of the only true God – the God of Israel
• Does a real God have to be picked up off the ground?
• Does a real God fall apart?
• Does a real God have to be glued back together?
• Does a real God proclaim – I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up?
Dagon found himself in the hands of an angry God. I stopped by to let you know that God is not an idol.
• We can wear a Cross around our Neck
• We can Carry a Bible in our Hands
• We can Shout in the Church
• We can Wear Choir and Pulpit Robes
• All that Matters is - do we Carry God in our Hearts!
The Ark of the Covenant was like training wheels on a bike that help a young child learn to balance on two wheels. With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the training wheels came off. Tangible objects like the Ark of the Covenant are no longer helpful to God’s followers in these last days when the Holy Spirit has been poured out, but it was helpful back then.
• There are times when we wish we had something like an ark that would help us believe and increase our faith
• Tangible objects work against this goal
• We do not need an ark to help us grow in faith
• We have the Holy Spirit who works With us and In us to grow our faith
Just as God judged Dagon, he will judge all the false idols of the world. That includes the many things we can sometimes put before God in our own lives. God will judge them for what they are – false idols of the heart that we have worshiped instead of God.
• We Worship our Kids
• We Worship our Grand Kids
• We Worship our Money
• We Worship our Vehicle
• We Worship our Home
--I’m so glad that the Bible tells us that one day EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
--Dagon’s fall was just symbolic of what we will go through in the final hour
--We may have fallen time and time again, but aren’t you glad like DONNY MCCLURKEN sang – WE FALL DOWN BUT WE GET UP
--We may one day have to go down to the grave, but ONE GLAD MORNING WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER, -- WE’LL GET UP -- I’LL FLY AWAY
