Caring For What There Is Of God In Our lives

From: August 23 – 29, 2011 TOPIC: “Caring For What There Is Of God In Our lives” 1 Samuel 6: 1 - 9

After the Ark of the Lord had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months, they consulted their priests and fortune tellers on how to return it back to its place. Having the ark in captivity in their territory was a curse to them (I Samuel 5: 1, 6). It was very clear to the Philistines why all that disaster had come upon their bodies, because they were ill, they were under great curses and losses. But, the evil was also in Israel due to the absence of the ark. Israel was punished by their enemies for having neglected the ark; this now meant that God was not with them. When God is not present we live at the mercy of the devil. God cannot be abandoned for anything or anyone. Therefore, we must care for what there is of God in our lives! When we neglect ourselves God and cast out the things of God, then we have already perished. Despite everything that has happened to Israel, that is the nation of the promises. It is the nation separated by God from among all the nations of the world. So, because of all the sufferings, the Philistines decided to return the ark. They went to consult their priests and fortune-tellers to find out how to return it to Israel. For the Philistines their fortune-tellers were the best informed about this, they would know how to do it because they thought they had wisdom. So the priests and fortunetellers advised them with all the details. But we know that the advice was based on their criteria and not according to the knowledge that comes only from God. They feared God greatly according to Chapter 5:11-12. They had placed the Ark of the Covenant in the temple next to the idol representing their god, Dagon (I Samuel 5: 2). That idol fell prostrated before the ark of the God of Israel (I Samuel 5:3). They had taken the ark as spoils of war and dedicated it to Dagon, but the image of Dagon fell prostrated, and even though they lifted it and placed it back, it fell again and broke in half prostrated before the Ark of God (vs. 4) The priests and fortune-tellers of Dagon made the Philistines see that it was absolutely necessary to return the ark. They were convinced of the danger they were in for having the Ark of God in an unclean place. They remembered what had happened to Egypt and to Pharaoh. They surely knew what would come to them. They could understand that God was a jealous God and that they would have to send the ark with a guilt offering. In this way, at least they recognized before God the punishment suffered and deserved. They would not be healed by any other means but by paying a price for their wrong doing, but we must understand that their minds were very limited spiritually. So, when they began to try to settle the satisfaction to pay God, they became miserably vain in their foolish imagination. They made images of tumors and mice because of the shameful plague, and they thought that this would pay for their iniquity (I Samuel 6: 4). Just as Egypt did not want to let God’s people go and were destroyed, they also feared they were going to be destroyed. It was better to make a new cart and send back God’s ark. The cows that were used to haul the cart which carried the ark were not used to having a yoke; it was done this way so that they would not be guided or influenced by anyone on their way. (1 Samuel 6: 7). They understood that by means of an invisible power the cows would be guided against their natural instincts (1 Samuel 6: 9). So, some cows without understanding drove the cart with the Ark to a place called Beth Shemesh. The small town of Beth Shemesh was at a distance of 15 kilometers from the Philistines. With these events we can see the danger of intervening in a wrong way with what is sacred. Men should first acquire the knowledge and then carefully and with reverent fear approach the sacred. The cows went their way and arrived at Israel; they were not confused, it was the men who were confused. All those who see God as someone simple will be confused and mistaken. The invisible hand that led the cows to Israel took them directly to Joshua’s field where there was a large stone, a large stone very convenient to put the ark on top. (1 Samuel 6: 14, 15). In all this the Philistines had been seeing the glory of God before them, but still they did not stop to worship their false god. And while the reapers of Israel rejoiced with the arrival of the ark, still they did not give the ark the correct value. The wooden cart was used as fire and the cattle’s for the sacrifice, this seemed appropriate to them (1 Samuel 6: 14). Here would be tested either true devotion or rebellion and ignorance. The sacrifice of cows and the fire with the wooden carriage was not what would mostly please God, what was more important was the attention and care for the ark, because God would descend and speak from there. Because they saw the wood and the cows they

raised an altar to God, they put this before the ark. It is a great danger when we cannot see what we really must see. Beth Shemesh was one of the cities assigned to Aaron’s sons according to the inheritance of Judah (Joshua 21:16). Therefore, it was convenient to have men there devoted to God for the function of the ark. But, the people of Beth Shemesh were clumsy and indifferent to the law of God and looked inside the ark of the Lord (1 Samuel 6: 19). A man’s ruin will come because of his ambition to know what is forbidden. They could not look inside the ark; that was absolutely forbidden. From their part it was an expression of despising what was holy. In this way God is offended when we take lightly God’s ordinances. If they would have discerned the great significance of the ark and not judge it merely for its outward appearance, they would have realized that the ark had never shined with such majesty now that it was so necessary. God put many men of Israel to death for such serious audacity, for not knowing where God was. Blessed be His name, when we can stand before Him to worship Him! But to stand before God to contend with Him, that is not allowed. Those who do will receive many misfortunes as it happened with the Philistines and the rebellious Israelites. We must look out for what there is of God in our lives and not be careless or clumsy with what is sacred; we must be wise and fearful. In this way we will always enjoy the presence of the Almighty God. Amen.