RPG Adults
THE ARK RETURNED TO ISRAEL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17
1 Samuel 6
Acts 17:20-27
“That they should seek the Lord,
if haply they might feel after him,
and find him…”
THE ARK RETURNED TO ISRAEL
It could be said that the Ark of the Covenant fought its own war and compelled the Philistines to return it to Israel. It was however the Lord Himself who punished the Philistines. They knew that the attacks they faced were because of the Ark of the Covenant. The painful vengeance made the Philistines acknowledge the superiority of the God of Israel. It also made them offer a token to seek forgiveness.
The Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant. They sent it with two cows that pulled the cart. The men of Israel welcomed the return of the Ark with joy. Israel also had to be careful in handling that sacred object. It was not an idol. It was an important object in the sacrificial form of worship. Its spiritual use was valid because it was God who ordered it.
When the Philistines returned the Ark, it had been in their land for seven months. Throughout that period, the Philistines did not have any peace. They knew that the Ark was the cause. They resolved among themselves to return it to Israel. Though the Philistines did not know or worship the God of Israel, they were religious and had priests and diviners. They consulted them on how they should return it to Israel.
The religious leaders advised them not to return the Ark empty. 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.” They advised them to send five golden emerods and five golden mice in order to be healed. They knew that they had transgressed the sanctity of the God of Israel and the right use of the Ark. Their trespass offering was a means of seeking forgiveness. Though they had mixed perception about God, at least their priests knew that something had to be done to appease the true Divine.
THOUGHT: The Law of God is written in the heart of man.
PRAYER: Father, may the nations uphold Thy truth revealed in Thy Word.