1 Samuel 5-6 ESV: The Philistines and the Ark of God
The Philistines and the Ark (1 Samuel 5)
The Philistines, who had defeated the Israelites in battle, had taken the Ark of God from the Israelites. The Ark was placed in the temple of Dagon, the Philistine god, in the city of Ashdod. The next morning, the Philistines discovered that the statue of Dagon had fallen on its face before the Ark of God. They set up the statue again, but the next day, it had fallen again, and this time, the hands and head of the statue were broken off.
The Lord's Judgment on the Philistines
The Philistines were plagued by the Lord, and tumors broke out on them. The people of Ashdod realized that the Ark of God was the cause of their affliction and sent it to the city of Gath. However, the people of Gath were also afflicted with tumors, and the Ark was sent to the city of Ekron. The people of Ekron were also afflicted, and they cried out to have the Ark removed from their city.
The Return of the Ark (1 Samuel 6)
The Philistines decided to return the Ark to the Israelites, but they were unsure how to do so. They sought the advice of their priests and diviners, who told them to return the Ark with an offering of guilt and a trespass offering. The Philistines made golden images of the tumors and rats that had afflicted them and placed them on a cart, along with the Ark.
The cart, pulled by milk cows, was sent towards the border of Israel. The Philistines followed the cart from a distance to see if the cows would return to their calves. The cows, however, went straight to the border of Israel, and the Philistines knew that it was the Lord who had caused the affliction.
The Joy of the Israelites
The people of Beth-shemesh, an Israelite city, saw the Ark approaching and rejoiced at its return. They offered sacrifices to the Lord and celebrated with music and dancing. However, some of the men of Beth-shemesh looked inside the Ark, and the Lord struck them down for their disobedience. The people of Beth-shemesh realized that the Ark was too sacred for them to handle, and they sent it to the city of Kiriath-jearim, where it remained for many years.
The story of the Philistines and the Ark of God highlights the power and holiness of God, and the importance of treating sacred things with reverence and respect.
