This is the plain and obvious difference between a God that IS, and all the little "gods" that are mere idols and vain imagination. God is real, they are not. And God will not allow His children to worship false things. Even if those things were given to them by God Himself. The ark of God was never to be worshiped, it was a memorial, a place for the reminders of God's faithful care to be stored. The tablets of the commandments, a jar of manna, Aaron's rod that budded... a wooden box, covered in gold, with angels on the lid, NOT God. It was not an idol, it was not a representation of God, but a reminder of all that He had done for His people, and a symbol of His manifest presence among His people. When Israel began to think too much of the ark and not enough of the God to whom they belonged, He allowed it to be taken from them. But He still would not tolerate the false gods of the Philistines, and demonstrated His truth by destroying Dagon in his own temple... and Dagon was powerless to stop Him. It is important for us to remember that God is God. That He is the source of all our power, not any symbol of Him. This is why the second commandment exists, to prevent us from worshipping in false ways that distract us from the true God. We do not serve idols, but the true God who destroys them at His pleasure. Let us guard our hearts against the encroaching evil of idolatry, and seek to honor only the God who IS.