Returning Back to God
Read 1 Samuel 6:1 – 21
“And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 6:15)
1. God’s Sovereignty Is Absolute
In 1 Samuel 5, we see a vivid illustration of God’s unmatched power as He confronts the Philistine god, Dagon. The Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God’s presence, is captured by the Philistines and placed in Dagon’s temple. Yet, the supposed victory of the Philistines is short-lived. Dagon is found fallen before the Ark, his head and hands broken off, symbolizing total defeat. This dramatic display reveals that no false god can stand in the presence of the true and living God. Additionally, the Philistines suffer greatly as God’s hand brings affliction upon the people of Ashdod and its surrounding territories with tumours and devastation. This sets the stage for the events of 1 Samuel 6. The fall of Dagon and the afflictions on the Philistines demonstrate that God cannot be defeated by human power or false gods. He is sovereign over all nations and rulers, and His purposes cannot be thwarted.
2. Admitting Defeat Brings Wisdom
The Philistines, in their desperation, attempt a political solution. They move the Ark from one city to another, but the afflictions follow wherever it goes. Eventually, they are forced to admit that their suffering is no coincidence. The acknowledgment of their defeat is a crucial turning point. Consulting their priests and diviners, the Philistines seek wisdom on how to end their suffering. Surprisingly, even these spiritual leaders recognize the God of Israel as the source of the calamities. They recall the story of how God struck Egypt with plagues, warning the Philistine rulers not to harden their hearts as Pharaoh had done. Instead, they are advised to offer a guilt offering—five golden tumours and five golden mice—representing the plagues that afflicted them and their rulers. They are instructed to return the Ark to Israel as an act of submission.
3. God’s Actions are not Random
The priests and diviners devise an intriguing test to determine if the afflictions are indeed from God or mere chance. They place the Ark on a new cart, drawn by two milk cows, whose calves are shut away at home. By nature, these cows should resist leaving their calves and wander aimlessly. Yet, in an unmistakable display of divine direction, the cows travel straight to Beth-shemesh, an Israelite city, without wavering.
The test with the cows underscores that God’s involvement in the events was deliberate and unmistakable. When we face circumstances that seem overwhelming, we can trust that God’s hand is at work, directing outcomes for His purposes.
4. God Fights for His People
The journey of the Ark back to Israel serves as a reminder that God defends His people and His honour. Even in their disobedience or failure, God remains faithful to His covenant.
Reflection:
Submit to God’s Sovereignty: Recognize that God’s power is unmatched, and submit to His will in all areas of life. Avoid the mistake of hardening your heart as the Philistines initially did.
Seek Restoration through Repentance: Just as the Philistines offered a guilt offering, we too must approach God with humility and repentance, trusting in His mercy.
Trust God in Uncertainty: When faced with challenges that seem insurmountable, remember that God is in control. His actions are purposeful, and He fights for those who trust in Him.
Proclaim God’s Victory: Like the cows’ unwavering path to Beth-shemesh, let our lives bear testimony to God’s guidance and power. Share with others how God has worked in your life to bring about His victory.
The account of 1 Samuel 6 reminds us that God cannot be defeated. His power is supreme, His will is sovereign, and His love for His people is unchanging. May this truth inspire us to live in faithful obedience, trusting that God is always at work, even in the face of opposition.
1 Samuel 6: 1 - 21
6 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. 6 Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”
10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16 And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.
17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them,[a] and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”