The Weight of Glory
1 Samuel 5 | 1 samuel 6 | exodus 10:1-2 | Leviticus 5:14-17
"Then the hand of the Lord was heavy..."
—1 Samuel 5:6
We don’t talk much about the weight of God.
We love His nearness, His kindness, His mercy. But glory? It carries weight. And in 1 Samuel 5 and 6, we see it fall with full force.
After Israel lost the ark in battle, the Philistines carried it off like a trophy. But what they didn’t understand was that they hadn’t just stolen a religious symbol: they had taken the very representation of God’s presence among His people.
The ark was brought into the temple of Dagon, their god, but by morning Dagon had fallen facedown. The next day, he had fallen again—this time broken. And then the plagues began. Tumors, panic, death. The Philistines passed the ark from city to city like a hot coal—until finally, they cried out to send it back.
The hand of the Lord was heavy.
It’s not a phrase we use often in our modern theology, but it’s profoundly biblical. In Hebrew, the word kabod (glory) literally means weight or heaviness. When God shows up, things shake. Idols fall. People tremble.
But here’s what’s equally powerful: God’s heaviness is not reckless.
In Leviticus 5, God made a way for His people to bring restitution offerings when they had sinned unintentionally. Even in the face of failure, His desire was restoration.
And in Exodus 10, as plagues fell on Egypt, God told Moses why He was doing it:
"So that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians... and that you may know that I am the Lord.” (v.2)
Even judgment was meant to teach them who He is. It wasn’t just about punishment; it was about revealing His glory.
When the weight of God’s hand falls, it always teaches. It always reveals. It always turns our eyes back to Him.
Sometimes that weight comes in the form of conviction.
Sometimes in correction.
But the purpose is always restoration.
And where the glory of God had once departed in Israel, here in 1 Samuel, He was moving again.
His hand was not light, but it was not absent.
Reflection Questions
Are there any "idols" in your life that fall when God's presence draws near?
When have you felt the heaviness of His conviction? Did it lead you to deeper reverence—or fear?
How can you respond with humility when the Lord reveals His holiness?
Lord, let me never take Your glory lightly.
When You convict me, let me run toward You, not away.
When idols crumble, teach me to worship You alone.
You are holy, and Your presence carries weight.
Help me receive it not with dread, but with awe.
Let Your glory shape my life into something that honors You.
Amen.
