Symbols and Reality (1 Sam. 6–7) The ark of God was His chosen symbol of His presence with Israel. It was not God. He did not inhabit it. But in a real way it stood for Him. As such, the symbol was to be treated with respect. When the victorious Philistines carried the ark into the temple of their god, they saw it as a trophy. Placed there, the ark would symbolize the superiority of their deity to Israel’s God. Instead the prostrate, broken idol of Dagon proved that the Lord alone is truly God. When