WHEN FALSE GODS BOW

1Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.4But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left.
1 Samuel 5:1–4 (NASB 2020)
 
12Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NASB 2020)

I enjoy watching the winter Olympics.  One of my favorite movies is Miracle, about the 1980s US Olympic Hockey Team. I especially like how it sets up some of the cultural depression of the late 70s with gas prices and the Iran hostage situation against the backdrop of hope.

Figure skating is always an intriguing event to me. The couples skating in particular is a great illustration of partnering together with coordination and precision to skate a challenging routine.  As we were watching some of the ice skating this year, however, something struck a nerve and bothered my spirit as they covered one of the skaters in greater detail.  His name is Ilia Malinin. He was favored to win the gold medal as he is a very talented athlete who often flawlessly performs jumps that involve four revolutions in the air known as “quads.”  What struck me, though, was how not only the announcers referred to him but also how he referred to himself.  In one of his interviews, footage showed him practicing. He was wearing a tee shirt that had his title on it – “Quad god”.

“Ooof”, I thought, “anyone setting themselves up as a god is doomed for failure.”  I thought of 1 Corinthians 10:12 – that Ilia was setting himself up for a fall.  Sure enough, he had a disastrous performance.  It was all over the news – but one article in particular caught Heather’s and my attention. It was the image that stayed with us. Head lowered. One knee on the ice. One hand bracing the fall. The posture looked almost like a bow. The headline read, “‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin finishes eighth in stunning Olympic upset.” The irony was difficult to miss. The one labeled “god” was on his face.

I immediately thought of 1 Samuel 5:1-4.  In it the Philistines placed God’s ark in a house of the false god Dagon. Dagon ended up repeatedly on his face bowing down before the Lord’s presence. False gods do that – they eventually (or sometimes immediately) find themselves prostrate and bowing down before the one true God.

Competing with God for His title never works out well.  Isaiah 48:11 says For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.  God does not share His glory. The pride that tempts us to be our own gods is as old as the Garden of Eden. We want autonomy. We don’t want to submit. We don’t want to serve. So we subtly put ourselves on a throne.

We may not be as brazen as wearing a shirt that says “god,” but we often live as though we are our own masters—free from submission to what God wants. That posture sets us up for a fall. Not because God is vindictive and eager to knock us down, but because when we compete with Him for the place only He should occupy, it destabilizes us. It throws us off balance. It feeds a false sense of control and pride.

I had mixed feelings watching Ilia fall. Part of me felt sadness for him. Part of me wondered whether this was a needed humbling. And part of me was reminded again: God is on His throne. It’s a little like the man who once said, “Not even God can sink the Titanic.”

Really?

May God help each of us submit more fully to His will—and learn to move with Him rather than against Him. May we learn, day by day, to dance in His grace.