The Philistines took the ark of God into their own country, that holy ark that none but God's priests might touch; which was always kept in the most holy place in the tabernacle—God's dwelling place—was now put—where? Into the house of Dag-on, their god.
God allowed the Philistines to take the ark, because He meant to punish Israel for their wickedness, and for the wickedness of Eli's sons, as He told Samuel He would.
The Philistines were very proud of having the ark in the house of their god, but when they went in the next morning, the idol was thrown down before the ark of the Lord.
They set it up again, and the next day when they came in, they found their idol fallen down, and its head and its hands
were cut off for God could not allow a false god to be set up in the presence of His throne, and He sent a dreadful sickness upon the Philistines.
The Philistines then said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They sent it to another place,—Ekron,— and the people there cried out that they had brought the ark to them to destroy them, and God heard their cry. He could not allow His ark to be in the hands of wicked, idol worshipers.