Saul's Armour

[1 Chron. 10:10] And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
From the triumph of the Philistines over the body of Saul we may learn:
1. That the greater dignity men are advanced to the greater disgrace they are in danger of falling into. Saul’s dead body, because he was king, was abused more than any other of the slain. Advancement makes men a mark for malice.
2. That, if we give not to G-d the glory of our successes, even the Philistines will rise up in judgment against us and condemn us; for, when they had obtained a victory over Saul, they sent tidings to their idols —poor idols, that knew not what was done a few miles off till the tidings were brought to them, nor then either! They also put Saul’s armour in the house of their idols,
Their idols was common among the heathen to vow to a national or favorite deity, that, in the event of a victory, the armor of the enemy's king, or of some eminent leader, should be dedicated to him as an offering of gratitude. Such trophies were usually suspended on the pillars of the temple while the trunk or headless corpse was affixed to the wall of Beth-shan (1 Samuel 31:10).
Temple of Dagon was popular among the Babylonian and Assyrian cults was the concept of idols of reproduction such as Dagon, who in the Canaanite culture became the father of Baal, and brother of the virgin idol of fertility, Anath. It is thought that Dagon was worshipped as the
Babylonian/Mesopotamian grain-idol as early as 2,500 B.E.
Dagon was the national idol of Philippi and the name is derived from the Hebrew word dag meaning fish. Actually the name means little fish describing more the affection for a dear little fish. The idol was shaped to represent a man with a tail of a fish similar to a mermaid. Ancient Babylonians believed that a being part man and part fish emerged from the Eritrean Sea and appeared in Babylon to teach the people various arts necessary for survival and prosperity.
Dagon was supposed to represent the reproductive powers of nature because the fish had many eggs suggesting its enormous powered of multiplication. A single fish supposedly can lay 30 million eggs annually. Early figurines and representations of Dagon have been found at many locations including ancient Nineveh. It was from these early sources that Philistines received this deity.
For a brief period the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines and deposited in the temple of Dagon in Ashdod (1 Sam. 5) where the presence of Yahweh’s ark in the same temple with Dagon gave rise to several judgments including the Dagon statue falling and breaking off the head and hands, leaving only a stump. Another judgment involved the Philistine people being stuck with hemorrhoids, after which the people gave the ark back to the Israelites.
The popularity of Dagon in Palestine can be seen in both the personal and place names such as Dagon-takala mentioned in the Amarna Tablets, and Beth-Dagon, of which there were at least three in different locations. Dagon was known as King of the land and the ziqqurat at Mari was dedicated to him. He was worshipped as early as 3,000 B.E.
There is a respect due to the remains of the deceased, especially of deceased princes. We are not to enquire concerning the eternal state; that must be left to G-d: but we must treat the dead body as those who remember it has been united to an immortal soul and must be so again.
Familiar spirit - Which also was contrary to a manifest command, Leviticus 19:31.
From the triumphs of divine Justice in the ruin of Saul we may learn:
That the sin of sinners will certainly find them out, sooner or later: Saul died for his transgression.
2. That no man’s greatness can exempt him from the judgments of G-d.
3. Disobedience is a killing thing. Saul died for not keeping the word of the L-d, by which he was ordered to destroy the Amalekites.
4. Consulting with witches is a sin that fills the measure of iniquity as soon as any thing. Saul enquired of one that had a familiar spirit, and enquired not of the L-d, therefore he slew him, v. 13, 14.
5. He did in some sort, but not in a right manner, not humbly and remorsefully, not diligently and persistently, and not patiently, nor 'till he was brought to the last extremity. And then it was too late. He had done so in form (1 Samuel 28:6), but not in the spirit of a humble penitent, nor with the believing confidence of a sincere worshipper. His enquiry was, in fact, a mere ridicule, and his total want of all right religious impressions was manifested by his rushing from G-d to a wretched impostor in the service of the devil (1 Samuel 28:7).