When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
Now, notice that  although they again set Dagon up, he had to go down again with a worse fall. I have no doubt it took them a long   pull and a great heave to haul the uncomely lump of marble into its place again. Many strong limbs were tired, and muscles strained, to lift up the huge god, and set him on his pedestal; but it was no trouble to the Lord to upset the ugly stone. No rope was wanted, and no straining or pulling, “Baal boweth down and Nebo stoopeth” when Jehovah uplifts Himself. Only shut the temple gates, and leave the ark and Dagon to have it out between them, and Dagon gets the worst of it. Only, mark this, Dagon has not gained much by being reinstated, for this time, when he comes down, behold he was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah, “and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold.” The idol's head was gone, and even so the reigning power of sin is utterly broken and destroyed, its beauty, its cunning, its glory are all dashed to atoms. This is the result of the grace of God, and the sure result of it, if it once comes into the soul, however long the conflict may continue, and however desperate the efforts of Satan to regain his empire. O believer, sin may trouble thee, but it shall not tyrannize over thee. “Sin shall not have dominion over you,” saith the Holy Spirit, “for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” If the power of evil is set up for awhile it shall only come down with the greater force, and its head shall be cut off.
