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<p>We are here told,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. How the Philistines dismissed the ark, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.10,1Sam.6.11" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.10,1Sam.6.11"><span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.10">1 Sam. 6:10</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.11">11</span></a>. They were made as glad to part with it as ever they had been to take it. As God had fetched Israel out of the house of bondage, so now he fetched the ark out of its captivity, in such a manner as that <i>Egypt was glad when they departed</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.105.38" href="/passage/?search=Ps.105.38">Ps. 105:38</a>. 1. They received no money or price for the ransom of it, as they hoped to do, even beyond a king’s ransom. Thus it is prophesied of Cyrus (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.45.13" href="/passage/?search=Isa.45.13">Isa. 45:13</a>), <i>He shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward</i>. Nay, 2. They gave jewels of gold, as the Egyptians did to the Israelites, to be rid of it. Thus the ark that was carried into the land of the Philistines, a trophy of their victory, carried back with it trophies of its own, and lasting monuments of the disgrace of the Philistines. Note, God will be no loser in his glory, at last, by the successes of the church’s enemies against his ark, but will get himself honour from those that seek to do dishonour to him.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. How the kine brought it to the land of Israel, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.12" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.12">1 Sam. 6:12</a>. They <i>took the straight way to Beth-shemesh</i>, the next city of the land of Israel, and a priests’ city, <i>and turned not aside</i>. This was a wonderful instance of the power of God over the brute-creatures, and, all things considered, no less than a miracle, that cattle unaccustomed to the yoke should draw so even, so orderly, and still go forward,—that, without any driver, they should go from home, to which all tame creatures have a natural inclination, and from their own calves, to which they had a natural affection,—that, without any director, they should go the straight road to Beth-shemesh, a city eight or ten miles off, never miss the way, never turn aside into the fields to feed themselves, nor turn back home to feed their calves. They went on lowing for their young ones, by which it appeared that they had not forgotten them, but that nature was sensible of the grievance of going from them; the power of the God of nature therefore appeared so much the greater, in overruling one of the strongest instincts of nature. These two kine, says Dr. Lightfoot, knew their owner, their great owner (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.1.3" href="/passage/?search=Isa.1.3">Isa. 1:3</a>), whom Hophni and Phinehas knew not, to which I may add they brought home the ark to shame the stupidity of Israel, that made no attempt to fetch it home. God’s providence is conversant about the motions even of brute-creatures, and serves its own purposes by them. The lords of the Philistines, with a suitable retinue no doubt, went after them, wondering at the power of the God of Israel; and thus those who thought to triumph over the ark were made to go like menial servants after it.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">III. How it was welcomed to the land of Israel: <i>The men of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.13" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.13">1 Sam. 6:13</a>. They were going on with their worldly business, and were in no care about the ark, made no enquiries what had become of it; if they had, it is likely they might have had private intelligence beforehand of its coming, and might have gone to meet it, and conduct it into their own border. But they were as careless as the people that <i>ceiled their own houses</i> and <i>let God’s house lie waste</i>. Note, God will in his own time effect the deliverance of his church, not only though it be fought against by its enemies, but though it be neglected by its friends. Some observe that the returning ark found the men of Beth-shemesh, not idling or sporting in the streets of the city, but busy, reaping their corn in their fields, and well employed. Thus the tidings of the birth of Christ were brought to the shepherds when they were <i>keeping their flock by night</i>. The devil visits idle men with his temptations. God visits industrious men with his favours. The same invisible hand that directed the kine to the land of Israel brought them into the field of Joshua, and in that field they stood, some think for the owner’s sake, on whom, being a very good man, they suppose God designed to put this honour. I rather think it was for the sake of the great stone in that field, which was convenient to put the ark upon, and which is spoken of, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.14,1Sam.6.15,1Sam.6.18" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.14,1Sam.6.15,1Sam.6.18"><span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.14">1 Sam. 6:14</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.15">15</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.18">18</span></a>. Now, 1. When the reapers <i>saw the ark, they rejoiced</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.13" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.13">1 Sam. 6:13</a>); their joy for that was greater than the joy of harvest, and therefore they left their work to bid it welcome. When the Lord turned again the captivity of his ark they were <i>like men that dream; then was their mouth filled with laughter</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.126.1,Ps.126.2" href="/passage/?search=Ps.126.1,Ps.126.2"><span class="bibleref" title="Ps.126.1">Ps. 126:1</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ps.126.2">2</span></a>. Though they had not zeal and courage enough to attempt the rescue or ransom of it, yet, when it did come, they bade it heartily welcome. Note, The return of the ark, and the revival of holy ordinances, after days of restraint and trouble, cannot but be matter of great joy to every faithful Israelite. 3. They offered up the kine for a burnt-offering, to the honour of God, and made use of the wood of the cart for fuel, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.14" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.14">1 Sam. 6:14</a>. Probably the Philistines intended these, when they sent them, to be a part of their trespass-offering, to make atonement, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.3,1Sam.6.7" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.6.3,1Sam.6.7"><span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.3">1 Sam. 6:3</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.6.7">7</span></a>. However, the men of Beth-shemesh looked upon it as proper to make this use of them, because it was by no means fit that ever they should be put to any other use; never shall that cart carry any common thing that has once carried that sacred symbol of the divine presence: and the kine had been under such an immediate guidance of heaven that God had, as it were, already laid claim to them; they were servants to him, and therefore must be sacrifices to him, and no doubt were accepted, though females, whereas, in strictness, every burnt-offering was to be a male. 3. They deposited the ark, with a chest of jewels that the Philistines presented, upon the great stone in the open field, a cold lodging for the ark of the Lord and a very mean one; yet better so than in Dagon’s temple, or in the hands of the Philis
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