When the Philistines faced Israel again, they fought fiercely and captured the Ark of the Covenant.

For Israel, this was more than a military defeat, it was a spiritual crisis. In 1 Samuel chapter 4, verse 22, Eli’s daughter-in-law names her son Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel.

Capturing the heartbreak and despair of the people who believed God’s presence had left.

The Philistines saw this as victory and placed the Ark of the Covenant in the temple of Dagon, believing their God had triumphed over Israel’s God.

But in 1 Samuel chapter 5, Dagon’s statue was found face down before the ark, and by the next morning, its head and hands had broken off.

God was making something crystal clear. He does not share his glory and no God and no God, no matter how praised or worship, can stand in his way.

So when I say cities had patron deities, I’m literally talking about entire civilizations built around false gods, socially, politically, and spiritually.

That’s what made Israel’s faith so uncommon, set apart and chosen for blessing in a world filled with many gods, declaring there is only one true God challenge the entire structure of society.

My goal is not to insult others, but to honor the truth and to point people to the same God written in our Holy Bible.

Because today we face spiritual challenges that the Israelites faced more than 3100 years ago. We need God just as much as we need food and water.

Medical research suggests that a person may survive several weeks without food if water is available, though survival varies greatly.

Eventually the body begins to shut down, muscles waste away, organs begin to fail, death follows.

And yet many of us go weeks, months, and even years without feeding our souls through God’s word or speaking to Him through prayer.