1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 6:1

Again, I do not want to be irreverent, but having the ark was like having a hot potato. Whenever the ark was put near the idol of Dagon, it fell over. All that was left was a stump, and that is not a very satisfactory object to worship; an idol is bad enough! So the people of Gath had it and they didn’t want it; so they sent it to Ekron and they, too, wanted to get rid of it.

1 Samuel 6:2

The Philistines wanted to get rid of the ark, but they were not sure how to go about it. Therefore they consulted with the priests and diviners who told them not to send the ark of the God of Israel away empty. They were to send an offering, and that offering speaks of the vileness of the Philistine worship. Many people wonder why God put the Philistines out of His land. The Promised Land was right at the crossroads of the world, and those who occupied it would influence the people of the world. God put them out because of the vileness of their worship. They had turned completely from God. Here again God is giving them an opportunity to turn to Him. The Philistine offering consisted of five golden emerods (hemorrhoids, possibly, tumors or boils) and five golden mice.

1 Samuel 6:11

Notice that when the Philistines returned the ark to Israel, they put it on a cart. Nothing is going to happen to them for putting it on a cart. Do you know why? Very candidly, they did not know any better. God is not going to hold them responsible for this act. But Israel knew better, and we will see that God judged the Israelites because of the way they handled the ark. Why the difference? They knew better, friend.

1 Samuel 6:12

The cows which were hitched to the cart were obviously going against their natural instinct by leaving their calves at home. This was convincing proof to the Philistines that their troubles had been caused by an act of God.

1 Samuel 6:13

The Israelites will not accept anything, you see, for themselves from the Philistines. They are, of course, to be commended for that.

1 Samuel 6:16

The Philistines see that the ark is received back, and they are glad to get it off their hands. Now we see that, when the ark was returned to the Israelites, they immediately had problems with it.

1 Samuel 6:19

The men of Beth-shemesh do that which God had strictly forbidden. That ark belonged in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. It was to be seen only by the high priesteven he was permitted to enter before it only once a year. When the ark was transported, as it was on the wilderness march, it was carefully and reverently covered. The Philistines did not known these things, but the Israelites did know.

1 Samuel 6:20

It is not that they looked in the ark and saw something that they should not have seen. That is not the point. The ark was a box. That is all it ever was. The point is that it was at the ark in the Holy of Holies that God met with His people. He is not meeting with them now. They have turned from Him. Their rebellion and blasphemy are revealed in their disobedience. Because of this, God brings judgment upon them.

1 Samuel 6:21

Now in a superstitious way they want to get rid of the ark. They send messengers to Kirjath-jearim saying, “You come and get it.” In other words, Israel is not ready to receive the ark. God’s people are not prepared to return to Him.