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Ark of God and the Fortunes of Israel
147
Returned to Israel
Some were not in favor of this. It was too humiliating to carry
back the ark, and they urged that no one of the Philistines would
dare venture his life to carry the ark of the God of Israel, which
had brought such death upon them. Their counselors entreated the
people not to harden their hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh had
done, and cause still greater afflictions and plagues to come upon
them. And as they were all afraid to take the ark of God, they advised
them, saying, “Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch
kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart,
and bring their calves home from them: and take the ark of the Lord,
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and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return
Him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send
it away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of His own
coast to Beth-shemesh, then He hath done us this great evil: but if
not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that smote us: it was a
chance that happened to us. And the men did so; and took two milch
kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home....
And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and
went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside
to the right hand or to the left.”
The Philistines knew that the cows would not be induced to leave
their young calves at home unless they should be urged by some
unseen power. The cows went direct to Beth-shemesh, lowing for
their calves, yet going directly away from them. The lords of the
Philistines followed after the ark unto the border of Beth-shemesh.
They dared not trust that sacred chest wholly to the cows. They
feared that if any evil happened to it, greater calamities would come
upon them. They knew not that angels of God accompanied the ark
and guided the cows in their course to the place where it belonged.
Presumption Punished
The people of Beth-shemesh were reaping in the field, and when
they saw the ark of God upon the cart, drawn by the cows, they
were greatly rejoiced. They knew that it was the work of God. The
cows drew the cart containing the ark to a large stone, and stood still