1 Samuel 6:1-19

Hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to be at 1 Samuel chapter, let's see, chapter 6. Philistines have captured the Ark. They're breaking out in tumors. They're saying that other Philistines want to make them die because of how bad things are. What are we going to do with this Ark of God, this chest that was meant to be like his royal litter or something? What are we going to do with it and how does it apply to us?
Let's have some coffee. We'll pray. We'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for giving us a day that we can worship you, that we can read your word, that we can remember the amazing things that you have done. Remember who you are as our amazing God. Lord, we pray that we would follow after you, that your Holy Spirit would teach us, that we might love you more. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
Here we go. 1 Samuel chapter 6, and we'll just read the first 19 verses.
Now the Ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priest and the diviner, saying, What shall we do with the Ark of Jehovah? Tell us how we should send it to its place. So they said, If you send away the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. but by all means return it to him with a trespass offering, then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand was not removed from you."
Then they said, what is the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords, therefore You shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from you, from your gods and from your land. Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart?
Now therefore make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home away from them. Then take the Ark of Jehovah and set it on the cart and put the article of gold which you are returning to him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away and let it go. And watch, if it goes up the road to its own country, to Beth Shemesh, then he has done this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It happened to us by chance.
Then the men did so. They took the two milk cows and hitched them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they set the ark of Jehovah on the cart and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvests in the valley and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it. Then the ark came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stood there. A large stone was there so they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Levites took down the Ark of Yehovah and the chest that was with it in which there were the articles of gold and put them on a large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to Yehovah. So when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to Jehovah. One for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron. And the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonged to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stones of Abel, on which they set the Ark of Jehovah, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
Then he struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah. He struck 50,070 men of the people. And the people lamented, because Jehovah had struck the people with a great slaughter.
Wow, interesting. there so let's talk about this passage a what's this about b what's the best verse to summarize this and c what are we called to do well the people the philistines are what are we going to do we we have this ark but we don't know what we're supposed to do with it because we think that the god of israel is mad with us so they call their priests and they say they devise a plan okay
so You think that it was the God of Israel who brought this, because you have the Ark with you. So, here's what you should do. There's five cities, and each of them have their own lords in the Philistines. And so, make five golden tumors and five rats, because that's what's destroying their country, right? So, they make five golden tumors, representing all the boils and tumors and sores that were growing on them. And they also make five rats, right? This infestation that had happened, ruining the cities.
put it next to the ark, but then you're gonna take two cows, they've never been yoked, they're still nursing, they still have calves at their udders, and they say, lock up the babies, keep the calves at home, take the cows and hitch them up to the cart, put the ark on the cart with all these gifts, this is like a trespass type offering, and send it along the way.
And what's the normal thing that should happen, right? These cows don't want to leave their nursing calves. They should want to go back to the farm. But they say, but if it goes towards Beth Shemesh, if it goes back towards the house of the Lord, then we know that this is This is from Jehovah himself. And so they do. They go through with all this plan. I'm sure this is a great deal of expense, but they go through and they do all this, put on a cart, put with the two cows, lock up the calves, send it on its way, and sure enough, it starts heading towards the land of Israel.
And it's almost like they're watching with eager anticipation. What's going to happen? Is it going to go? Is this just by chance or is it because God really was judging us? And they're assured that this was of the Lord. The people of Beth Shemesh are super excited. They even call the Levites out. They take it off the cart. They're rejoicing, right? This is the Ark of the Lord. It's back. This is wonderful.
And that's where the story turns interesting. The Israelites are excited. The Philistines are glad because they don't have these plagues happening to them anymore. And yet, what do we find? We find the Israelites still treating God like he's not holy. You should never have even seen the Ark of the Covenant. None of the Levites, unless they were of the tribe of Aaron, should have ever set their eyes on the Ark of the Covenant. It was always supposed to be covered up with these different layers of the tabernacle and yet they treat the Ark of the Covenant thus treating God himself like he's some type of totem and curiosity kills the cat, right? They're They don't have reverence for the Lord, so what do they do? They peek into the lid. Open up the ark.
It's not that the Ark itself is somehow this magical item, right? I mean, if you've ever seen Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark, right? They open up the Ark because they want to look into it because they think they're going to get everlasting life or whatever and what happens, right? The Shekinah glory comes out and people's faces melt away like wax. It's a pretty scary scene.
The Ark itself is in the points the God of the Israelites who is zealous and jealous for his own holiness. And these are God's people established by his law and they're still treating him. Common. Totem. Just like any other idol. Even though the priests had said, right, this was the God who brought them up out of Egypt. Don't you remember what happened? Just let them go. We got to relent or else we're going to end up like Pharaoh. That's hundreds of years ago.
And so that's what this passage is about. It's a very sad type of ending, right? He struck down 50,070 men and the people lamented because Jehovah had struck the people with a very great slaughter. That's what this is about. The Philistines sending the Ark back, truly was the Lord's judgment. Israelites receiving the Ark again and still failing to consider God as holy.
So what are we called to do? Best verse. Yeah, so Beth's verse, I have verse 19 underlined in my Bible, but that really doesn't have anything to do with the Philistines sending it back. So I might underline verse 6 and 7, so maybe even verse 8, 6, 7, and 8, because that's really the Philistine priest telling them what they should do. So, see calling, what are we called to do? Do we actually have reverence for the Lord?
I know we live in a very informal type culture. We don't like to get dressed up. We don't like to treat things as different or separate or holy or special. We just want to wear our pajamas all day. But can we come to the Lord? Yes, knowing that He is our Heavenly Father, willing and able to help us. The Redeemer of His elect, right? Do we know that He is that God? And yet, do we treat Him as the King of Heaven? The Most High God above all others? The One who alone is to be worshipped and treated with reverence, respect?
How do we treat the Lord in our hearts? He draws near to us. He bids to us to draw near to Him. He's done everything needed for that relationship in Christ, and yet do we treat Him as holy? And then as a result, do we live holy lives? I don't think that relationship and reverence are But that perfect love casts out a type of slavish fear but does make us lean in and God has done everything necessary to lead us with respect and integrity. And so do we respect him? Do we follow him? Do we love him? Because he is this great king and he is our Redeemer.
Let's pray. God, we pray that you would please help us to redeem you, or to revere you. Lord, we pray that we would be like the disciples in the boat who fell on their faces and worshipped you because there is none like you. Lord, we pray that you would please help us. Please teach us. Shape our hearts, Lord, to have more love and more reverence. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, may God bless you. May you walk in the joy of Jesus, and I'll see you next time. Bye.