1 Samuel 6:1-21 & 7:1-2
Q.1. What does the advice of the Philistine priests tell us about the heathen’s understanding of sin? What did they understand about substitution? How much truth did they know? – (1 Sam.6:1-9)
The presence of the Ark of the Covenant of Israel in the midst of the Philistines had caused them nothing but trouble. As so often happens, when calamity comes, this brought deeper heart-searching and wider inquiry. They called for advice from their priests and diviners for an answer (1 Sam.6:1-2). They were well acquainted with Israel’s past deliverance from Egypt, and of how the Egyptians had been smitten (1 Sam.6:6). The priests understood that some kind of atonement had to be made by way of a guilt offering – They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering” … (1 Sam.6:3). The golden offering was to bring glory to the God of Israel. It was made in the likeness of the tumours and plague of mice (1 Sam.6:5 c.f. 2 Cor.5:21 – He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf …). They placed the Ark with the offering on a brand-new cart, yoked to young unbroken cows. They advised to – Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance (1 Sam.6:9 c.f. 1 Sam.6:7-8). People take all kinds of steps to deal with their guilt. David himself made the mistake of following the example of the heathen Philistines, rather than obeying the Scriptures, with dire consequences (2 Sam.6:3 c.f. Ex.25:13-15; Josh.3:14-15; 4:18; 1 Chron.15:14-15).
Q.2. What did the Philistines do? Where did the cows take the Ark? How did the people of Beth-shemesh respond? Why did the Levites get involved? How did they respond? – (1 Sam.6:10-16)
The Philistines were sufficiently oppressed that they followed the advice of the priests (1 Sam.6:10-11). The cows did exactly what the Lord desired and – did not turn aside to the right or to the left (1 Sam.6:12). Consequently, the lords of the Philistines discovered that the plagues had come from the Lord (1 Sam.6:16). The people of Beth-shemesh were in the middle of their harvest and were overjoyed to see the Ark (1 Sam.6:13). The Levites, whom God commissioned to carry the Ark of the Covenant, were called upon. They made an offering to the Lord with the cows and the cart, after removing the Ark and retrieving the gold offerings of tumours and mice (1 Sam.6:14-15 c.f. Dt.31:9; Josh.3:3-4).
Q.3. How generous was the Philistine offering? What disaster befell the Beth-shemites? What lesson did they learn? Where did the Ark go? Who looked after it? Why was Israel sad? – (1 Sam.6:17-7:2)
The five lords of the cities of the Philistines where they had been afflicted made a substantial guilt offering to the Lord (1 Sam.6:17-18). The Levites also wanted to atone for Israel’s sin, upon the return of the ark (1 Sam.6:14-15). This is the right way to approach a holy God. Yet here we read a record of the massive loss of Fifty thousand and seventy men who failed to treat God as holy – He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down of all the people, fifty thousand and seventy men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter (1 Sam.6:19). The survivors learnt a lesson we must never forget – … “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?” (1 Sam.6:20). They were so scared that they sent the Ark away to Kiriath-jearim – …”The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to you.” (1 Sam.6:21).