1 Samuel 6
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 6
Guzik explains it this way - The test was simple, and stacked against God. By nature, two milk cows which have never been yoked should not pull a cart at all, instead they should have resisted their yokes. Additionally, they decided to take their calves home, away from them. The “maternal instinct” of the cows would draw them not towards the land of Israel, but back home to their own calves. The Philistines devised a test that “forced” the God of Israel to do something miraculous to demonstrate He really was the cause of the plagues. Bergen - the priests and diviners directed the Philistines to transport the ark on a cart, a means of transportation for the ark expressly forbidden in the Torah (Nu 7:7–9; cf. 2 Sam 6:3–13). Their recommendations were framed in a historical lesson from the Torah suggesting the need for immediate action: “Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?” (v. 6). (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) 1 Samuel 6:8 "Take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go. 1Sa 6:4,5 Related Passages: Numbers 4:15+ “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things (Nu 4:11) in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. Exodus 25:12-15+ “You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. 13 “You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 “You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15 “The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. Poles for Carrying Ark on Shoulders PREPARATION OF THE ARK FOR TRANSPORT Take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart - Bad move! God had instructed that the Ark was to be carried by poles (that were to remain inserted in the rings on the Ark) on men's shoulders (see depiction above), not on a cart. Using the poles prevented anyone from touching the Ark and dying like Uzzah (2Sa 6:6-8+). But the Philistines would have been ignorant of this revelation. Did they still have the poles? The text does not tell us, but in keeping with Exodus 25:15 we can assume the poles were still present. Matthew
1 Samuel 6
Guzik on chance - Some say the world was created by chance. People who are otherwise intelligent often fall into this delusion. Jacques Monod, a biochemist, wrote: “Chance alone is at the source of every innovation, of all creation in the biosphere. Pure chance, absolutely free but blind, at the very root of the stupendous edifice of evolution.” Assigning such power to “chance” is crazy because chance has no power. For example, when a coin is flipped, the chance that it will land “heads” is 50%. However, “chance” does not make it land heads. Whether or not it lands heads or tails is due to the strength of the flip, the force of air currents and air pressure as it flies through the air, where it is caught, and if it is flipped over once caught. Chance doesn’t “do” anything other than describe a probability. We live in a cause and effect world, and chance is not a cause, but God is the great cause. When Carl Sagan petitioned the federal government for a grant to search for intelligent life in outer space, he hoped to find it by using a super sensitive instrument to pick up radio signals from distant space. When he received those radio signals, he looked for order and pattern—which would demonstrate that the signals were transmitted by intelligent life. In the same way, the order and pattern of the whole universe demonstrates that it was fashioned by intelligent life, not by “chance.” Scientists detect “chance” in the radio signals constantly (in the form of unpatterned static), but it tells them nothing. Realizing that nothing happens by chance should not make us think every event is full of important meaning from God. Some things just happen and have no great eternal purpose that we can discern. Christians can get off track by trying to see a message from God in everything. But nothing happens by chance. We live in a cause and effect world. “But wicked men will sooner believe the most uncertain and ridiculous things, than own the visible demonstrations of God’s power and providence.” (Poole) QUESTION - How did the Philistines learn that things do not happen by chance (1 Samuel 6:9)? ANSWER - The Philistines made themselves enemies of Israel, and they engaged in many battles against God’s people. In one instance, they thought they had won a great victory over Israel, but the Philistines would learn the hard way that things do not happen by chance (1 Samuel 6). Near the end of the time of the judges, the Philistines and the Israelites were fighting again. After a defeat at the hands of the Philistines, the leaders of Israel decided to sway the next battle by bringing the ark of the covenant into the camp (1 Samuel 4:3–6). The leaders treated it as some kind of good luck charm. Initially, the ark provided a psychological advantage for the Israelites, but the Philistines won the battle and took the ark (1 Samuel 4:10–11). In celebration of their victory, the Philistines put the ark of the covenant in the house of their god Dagon, but the idol kept falling on its face before the ark (1 Samuel 5:3–5). They moved the ark from Dagon’s house to various cities, and in each city where the ark went, the people were afflicted with illness and tumors (1 Samuel 5:6–12). After seven months the leaders of the Philistines realized something had to be done, so they inquired of the priests and diviners (1 Samuel 6:2). They recommended to put inside the ark some trespass offerings and give glory to God (1 Samuel 6:3–8). The Philistines were beginning to learn that things do not happen by chance. The Philistine priests and diviners explained that they should watch the ark as it was carried on a cart drawn by two cows to see which road it would take. If the ark traveled by way of its own territory through Beth Shemesh, then the Philistines would know that God was the one who had afflicted the Philistines. If, on the other hand, the ark took a different path, then they would know that God had not done this, and that all the misfortune had befallen them by chance (1 Samuel 6:9). The Philistines followed the word of their priests (1 Samuel 6:10–12) and watched as the ark traveled directly to Beth Shemesh (1 Samuel 6:13–14). The cows, who had been separated from their calves, “went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left” (1 Samuel 6:12). The rulers of the Philistines could now be certain that the destruction of the image of Dagon and the plague suffered by the Philistines were not happenstance. Those events had been orchestrated by the one true God. The Philistines learned that things do not happen by chance. When the ark was returned, all the people of Israel cried out to God (1 Samuel 7:2). They returned to the Lord (1 Samuel 7:3–4) and acknowledged their sin before God (1 Samuel 7:6). The Philistines attacked again, but this time God won the victory for Israel (1 Samuel 7:10). The Philistines may have learned that things do not happen by chance and that the one true God is in control, but they forgot that lesson quickly. Besides providing important historical data, these events can serve us as a cautionary tale. They warn us to learn well that things do not happen by chance. God is the sovereign Creator and has the authority and power over His creation. The Philistines failed to remember that and set themselves against the people whom God had chosen. The Philistines endured difficult consequences as a result. It would have been much better for them if they had remembered the lesson they learned when the ark took the path to Beth Shemesh—that things do not happen by chance.GotQuestions.org 1 Samuel 6:10 Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. THE FIVE LORDS COMPLY WITH CART INSTRUCTIONS Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. - Note how the writer repeats the fact that calves are shut up at home, and home is the direction the two milch cows normally would want to go. But this is not a normal event. 1 Samuel 6:11 They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors. they put: 2Sa 6:3 1Ch 13:7 15:13-15 THE ARK AND OFFERINGS PREPARED FOR THE TEST They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors - Thankfully they did not put the idolatrous images in God's "box" but another box to the side of the Ark. 1 Samuel 6:12 And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they 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 followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh. THE PHILISTINES' TROUBLES SHOWN NOT TO BE BY CHANCE! And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left - Why were they lowing as they went? They went straight and not once did these untrained cows turn aside to the right or to the left indicating they were supernaturally steered! Lowing indicates they were likely calling for their calves. Answer from Dairy Australia - Cows are herd animals and have complex social structures. Mooing is one way that they interact and how they express their emotions. They use different pitches of sound to express different emotions. They moo to: seek their herd mates, calf or mother; say they are hungry; call for a partner when they are wishing to mate; raise alarm to warn their herd mates of potential danger; show contentment; and express pain. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh - The five lords follow to see that the cows "passed the test" and now they are convinced that God's hand was upon their land for 7 months! In a sense this was God demonstrating His sovereignty and power to the pagans, but it is doubtful any of them became Gentile "God-fearers!" The Journey of the Ark of the Covenant 1–2 Samuel Adapted from ESV Study Bible Journey of First 8 Stop of the Ark 1 Sam. 3:3 The Lord calls to Samuel who is sleeping in the tent of meeting, “where the ark of God was” 1 Samuel 4 Philistines capture the ark (for seven months: 1 Sam. 6:1) 1 Sam. 5:1–7 Philistines bring the ark to Ashdod, setting it up next to the idol Dagon 1 Sam. 5:8–9 Philistines bring the ark to Gath 1 Sam. 5:10–12 Philistines send the ark to Ekron 1 Sam. 6:10–15 Philistines return the ark with guilt offering to Beth-shemesh 1 Sam. 6:19–21 The Lord strikes 70 men for looking upon the ark 1 Sam. 7:1–2 Men of Kiriath-jearim take the ark to the house of Abinadab (where it stays for 20 years) 1 Sam. 14:18 Saul commands Ahijah to bring the ark to the war camp 2 Sam. 6:2–5 David begins to move the ark to Jerusalem on a cart 2 Sam. 6:6–7 The Lord strikes Uzzah dead for holding on to the ark 2 Sam. 6:10–11 David takes the ark to the house of Obed-edom, where it stays for three months 2 Sam. 6:12–17 David brings the ark to Jerusalem, and places it inside the tent he pitched for it 2 Sam. 15:24–25 Zadok brings the ark to David, who commands him to carry it back to Jerusalem 2 Sam. 15:29 Zadok and Abiathar carry the ark back to Jerusalem F B
1 Samuel 6
Guzik has an interesting note on their question - In one sense, the men of Beth Shemesh showed a bad heart in asking this question. Their question made God seem too harsh instead of showing themselves to be too disobedient....Their question was not, “How can we be made right with a holy God,” but it was “Who can we give this problem to so the holiness of God is no longer a burden to us?” John