Chapter 6: The Ark Comes Home

After seven months, the Philistines called for their priests and wise men and asked what to do with the Ark. (1 Samuel 6:2)

PHILISTINE PRIESTS“If you send away the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand does not turn away from you.”— 1 Samuel 6:3

PHILISTINE PRIESTS“Make five golden tumors and five golden mice, one for each of our lords, as a guilt offering to the God of Israel. Now take a new cart and two milk cows that have never pulled a cart before. Separate the cows from their calves and place the Ark on the cart. If the cows walk straight toward Beth Shemesh in Israel, then it was their God who brought this great disaster upon us. But if not, then it was only chance.”— 1 Samuel 6:4-9

The Philistines did as the priests said. The cows, separated from their calves for the first time, crying out as they walked, did not turn back. They did not turn to the right or to the left. They walked straight toward Beth Shemesh, toward Israel. The lords of the Philistines followed them all the way to the border. (1 Samuel 6:12)

When the people of Beth Shemesh looked up and saw the Ark coming across the wheat field, they rejoiced. They broke up the cart for wood and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. (1 Samuel 6:13-15)

But then some of the men looked into the Ark, and the Lord struck down seventy of them. (1 Samuel 6:19)

THE PEOPLE OF BETH SHEMESH“Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up away from us?”— 1 Samuel 6:20

They sent word to Kiriath Jearim, and the men of that town came and brought the Ark to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They set apart his son Eleazar to guard it.