How have the gods changed their People from Then to Now?

I will share with you one of my top ten stories from the Bible. From this story we can make a stark contrast from the times of old to nowadays. As time has gone by times have changed and with the change of time so have the gods of those times changed. So, first take a few minutes and read the story located in the Bible at 1 Samuel chapters 5 and 6. What I want you to focus on and realize is that even those that did not worship the LORD still knew Him and revered Him. They may have had their own gods that they worshipped, but they did not forget that the LORD was a God even in their own eyes. They knew the stories told about Him and those stories were passed down through their generations. They even feared the LORD even if they did not worship him. They knew of the time when the Israelites were freed from Egypt by the hand of their God. It is sad when you compare the heathens of then to people of today. One big difference is that back than even the heathen knew of the LORD more than those of today. Another difference is more and more people do not even believe in the existence of any gods let alone the LORD. They feel better believing in aliens that will come and enlighten mankind than the coming Kingdom of God. People have made technology and themselves their gods. It is disheartening to see how far gone this world has gotten and how much they have turned their backs on the LORD. You will find more of this false praise and worship along with a total disrespect for the LORD in our own country than any other. I say this because it ours that professes a divine connection to the formation of this country and yet you look at how the laws are changing this land into an ungodly land worse than that of the Philistines of old. The Philistines seem to have more belief in the LORD than most of those in our land.

What I found funny in this story and why I have always liked it is seeing the Philistines passing the Ark of the Covenant from one area to another to get it away from themselves. Each Philistine lord would remove the Ark from his land and give it to another, but as time went by the other lords dreaded seeing the Ark coming their way. They even accused the others of trying to destroy them with it. When the time came to return the Ark they did so with a trespass (sin) offering, they understood that they could not return the Ark without paying some kind of offering to the LORD, even if He was not one of the gods that they worshipped. It is amazing to read about how those back in the day had respect for the LORD while so many that profess to worship Him and accept His son as the messiah show less respect and reverence towards the LORD God Almighty than the heathens of old. There is still a little time left, and I do mean little, that we have as a nation to slow things down before we reap what the people of this nation has sown.

1 Samuel 5:1-12 “And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.[2] When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.[3] 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. 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.[6] But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.[7] And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.[8] They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.[9] And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.[10] Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.[11] So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.[12] And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”

1 Samuel 6:1-21 “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.[2] And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.[3] And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.[4] Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.[5] Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.[6] Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharoah hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?[7] Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:[8] And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.[9] And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.[10] And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:[11] And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.[12] And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.[13] And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.[14] And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.[15] And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.[16] And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.[17] And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;[18] And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.[19] And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.[20] And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?[21] And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.”