The Bible: 1 Samuel Chapter 6

In this video listen to 1 Samuel Chapter 6, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.1 Samuel Chapter 6 the Philistines are distressed and want to send the ark back. It cannot go to Shiloh - but Israel in general. Shiloh had been destroyed by the Philistines and the tabernacle quite likely too. Yet the Philistines aren’t 100% convinced that God was behind their problems, so they propose a test.The ark is placed on a cart pulled by cows, with their not yet weaned calves nearby. Despite this the cows walk off with the ark, proving that God wanted his ark back. The Philistines send it back with offerings of golden tumors and rats, signs of the bubonic plague which had troubled them. The ark went to Beth Shemesh, a border town in Israel.There Apparently 70 men tried to look inside the ark. Or was is 50,070? Chad Ashby has an interesting article on this. It seems that 70 men from Beth Shemesh sparked something much bigger and more terrible by their actions that may have affected many others. https://chadashby.com/2018/07/23/text... eir-heads/ Interestingly, the Philistines have treated the ark with great respect, but the Israelites have not to the same degree.The Philistines also would not have been aware of the rules concerning the ark, but the Israelites in theory should have known. Either way, this event which the Bible calls “a great slaughter” on the back of having lost the ark for seven months, was modifying the theology of the Israelites. It is on the back of this knowledge, that Uzziah later dies when he touches the ark 20 years after this.Both him and David should have been much much more careful. What about the holiness and the glory of God? Here Israelites were treating God like a common thing.