1 Samuel - Chapter 6

1 Samuel 6.1 And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 1 Samuel 6.2 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. 1 Samuel 6.3 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. 1 Samuel 6.4 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. 1 Samuel 6.5 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 Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. 1 Samuel 6.6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? 1 Samuel 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: 1 Samuel 6.8 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. 1 Samuel 6.9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us. 1 Samuel 6.10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 1 Samuel 6.11 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. 1 Samuel 6.12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, 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 Bethshemesh. 1 Samuel 6.13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 1 Samuel 6.14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, 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. 1 Samuel 6.15 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 Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. 1 Samuel 6.16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 1 Samuel 6.17 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; 1 Samuel 6.18 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 Bethshemite. 1 Samuel 6.19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, 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. 1 Samuel 6.20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? 1 Samuel 6.21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

1 Samuel : Chapter 6

Return of the Ark to Israel

Chapter 6 of the book of 1 Samuel recounts the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Israel, a momentous event that highlights the undeniable power of the God of Israel. The Philistines, after enduring terrible trials, realize the greatness of this God and decide to return the Ark. This fascinating text addresses crucial themes such as divine recognition by pagan nations, the respect due to God, and the consequences of treating holy things lightly.

The Sovereignty of God

In 1 Samuel 6, we discover how God exercises His sovereign control over events. The Philistines, faced with plagues, seek to appease God's wrath by sending the Ark back. This story invites us to meditate on our own respect for sacred things.

Meditation on Scripture

To further our reflection on the themes of this chapter, we offer five related biblical passages:

Exodus 25:14-15

"Put the poles in the side rings of the ark to carry it. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed." This passage establishes the rules for transporting the Ark, which are unfortunately violated in 1 Samuel 6 when the Philistines place it on a chariot.

Numbers 4:15

"After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sacred objects and all their utensils, when the camp is moved, the Kohathites shall come and carry them, but they may not touch any sacred object; if they do, they shall die." This law, concerning the handling of sacred objects, explains why touching the Ark in 1 Samuel 6 was so serious.

2 Samuel 6:6-7

"When they came to the threshing floor of Nahm, Uzzah stretched out his arm and held the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah because of his irreverent act, and God struck him, and he died there, beside the ark of God." This subsequent event underscores the danger of mishandling the Ark, as shown in 1 Samuel 6.

Psalms 132:8

"Arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your power." This psalm reflects the importance of the Ark as a symbol of God's presence, a central theme of 1 Samuel 6.

1 Chronicles 13:9-10

"When they came to the threshing floor of Kidom, Uzzah stretched out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen were stumbling. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and the Lord struck him because he had touched the ark." This parallel passage reinforces the sacredness of the Ark and the consequences of improper handling, as shown in 1 Samuel 6.

Conclusion

As we meditate on these passages, we are called to recognize God's power and respect the holy things around us. May our faith grow through this reflection and may we honor God's presence in our lives.