I Samuel Chapter 6
Please read: I Samuel 6 –
The Philistines had their fill of having the Ark of the Covenant in their possession. They wanted to be rid of it but did not know how to properly do so. To say that they were afraid of it is putting it mildly. God had judged them with a heavy hand but rather than turn their hearts toward Him, they sought to get rid of Him. They met with their Philistine priests and diviners for advice. The advice they were given was to send it back with a token or a gift to the God of Israel to show a bit of remorse. They knew better than the Egyptians who they had heard hardened their heart against this God. They would let the ark go and be rid of their plagues.
But just to be sure this was the hand of the God of Israel and not just chance, they devised a plan that involved cows pulling a cart to see which way the cows would go. These cows had never been hooked to a yoke to pull a cart, and they had baby calves that were taken away from them. And there was no person riding on the cart to steer the direction of the cows. They really were looking for an excuse to declare that God was not in control. What happened next proved that God is in control. Their experiment had failed.
Let's Reflect
1. Wanting to get rid of the Ark of the Covenant, the Philistines consulted their priests and diviners. What question did they want them to answer?
2. According to verse 5 they were told to offer a guilt offering and to give glory to the God of Israel. Do you think that the Philistines actually gave glory to God?
3. The plan of the Philistines included a cart to transport the ark on. Of course, the Philistines did not know the law of God and that it was not the way God wanted it to be carried. According to Exodus how was the ark to be transported?
Exodus 25:12-15 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
4. The test of the Philistines was to see if the cows would go towards Israelite territory or to head up into the hills. No man rode on the cart to direct the cows, but they did walk behind to “spy” on the cows. The cows definitely did not like being separated from their calves. They were lowing as they went. And notice that they did not wander off the road to go and eat. We all know that cows will head straight to grass when given the chance. What did the cows do?
5. The people of Bethshemesh were rejoicing when they saw that the Ark of the Covenant had been returned to them. The Levites took the ark off the cart, and they sacrificed the cows to God. But imagine their surprise and confusion regarding the box that contained the Philistines’ idea of tokens of remorse offered to the God of Israel. These tokens were believed to be replicas of the plague that had been brought upon them. Possibly something like the bubonic plague. What tokens were in the box sent along with the Ark of the Covenant?
6. The hand of God was heavy upon the Israelites too who now had possession of the ark. The ark was never meant to be a thing of worship like an idol as other nations had created idols. It was meant to be revered as the place that God would dwell and receive the sacrifices of the people once a year within the confines of the Tabernacle’s Holy of Holies. They now possessed the power of God in their own town. They most likely thought it would bring special blessings upon their town. What happened to the 70 Israelite men who took it upon themselves to look at the ark?
7. What conclusion did the people of Bethshemesh arrive at regarding the Ark of the Covenant and about God?
