The
Book of First Samuel
Chapter 6
[1] And 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, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell
us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
[3] And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not
empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed,
and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
[4] Then said they, What shall be the trespass
offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five
golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to
the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and
on your lords.
[5] Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods,
and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God
of
[6] Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharoah hardened their hearts? when
he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they
departed?
1)
Needed Relief Vs 1-6
Philistines
had captured the ark as a victory trophy in battle
The Philistines thought because they had the
ark they controlled God
But God is always in control
But God glorified His name
1. In
the
2.
In tumors among men
7 months under severe & dire
circumstances (Sentence of death)
PRIDE caused them to wait and suffer. Now
they Want RELIEF
Knew they had offended God
“Sent it not away empty” express sorrow,
guiltiness and desire for relief
5 golden emerods
& 5 golden mice
** Why 5 ? (5 Philistine cities and lords therof and 5 is the number of grace)
** Why gold ?
(Presenting to God)
** Why emerods ? (tumors) to show humiliation,
shame & misery
** Why mice ? Tumors
result of rats maybe “bubonic plague”
Give glory to God (V 5)
No hardness of heart (V 6)
[7] Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch
kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
[8] And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels
of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side
thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
[9] And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own
coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this
great evil: but if not, then we shall know that is not his hand that smote us;
it was a chance that happened to us.
[10] And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves
at home:
[11] And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the
mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
[12] And the kine took the straight way to the way of
Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as
they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords
of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.
2)
Necessary Return Vs 7-12
The Philistines wanted to test and see if
this was really God or mere coincidence
2 milk cows- unbroken (Natural reaction- Resist the yoke would
be their)
Calves
taken away- (Natural reaction- Maternal instinct is
to go back home)
Carry the
God’s law said the ark was not to be touched
(Uzzah died II Sam 6)
God permitted this here as the Philistines
were ignorant of God’s law
Chest w/ trespass offering of 5 emerods & 5 mice set beside the ark (V 8)
See if the cattle take it to Beth-shemesh (House of the sun)
Testing to see if this happened by chance
Nothing happens by chance- God is in
Control Sovereignly
The cows travel 10 miles, God overpowered
their nature and they went straight
[13] And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their
wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark,
and rejoiced to see it.
[14] And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite,
and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the
cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the
LORD.
[15] And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was
with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and
the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and
sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
[16] And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
[17] And these are the golden emerods which the
Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon
one, for Gath one, for Ekron
one;
[18] And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the
Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country
villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of
the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the
field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.
3)
Notable Reception Vs 13-18
The men are reaping the wheat harvest (bread)
Lifted up their eyes and rejoiced to see it
They thought the ark was forever gone
(discouraged & hopeless)
(Think of the disciples w/ Jesus death,
burial and then Jesus’ resurrection)
They split the ark for wood and sacrifice the
cattle for thanks offering
The Philistines are
watching and realize God has directed this event
[19] And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because
they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty
thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD
had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
[20] And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
[21] And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim,
saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of
the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
Intro:
4)
Neglected Respect Vs 19-21
The men of Bethshemesh
open up the ark - even the Philistines did not do this
50,070 are smitten of God
The people want rid of the Holiness of God (Lk 5:8 too hard to serve God)
Send the ark to Kirjathjearim------
But the blessings of God will go as well