Ark of God
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knew not that angels of God accompanied the ark, and guided the cows
in their course where it belonged. 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 of themselves. The Levites took down the ark of
the Lord, and the offering of the Philistines, and they offered the cart
and the cows which had borne the sacred ark, and the offering of the
Philistines, unto God as a burnt-sacrifice. The lords of the Philistines
returned to Ekron and the plague was stayed.
The men of Beth-shemesh were curious to know what great power
could be in that ark, which caused it to accomplish such marvelous
things. They looked upon the ark alone as being so powerful, and were
not accrediting the power to God. None but men sacredly appointed for
the purpose could look upon the ark, divested of its coverings, without
being slain, for it was as though looking upon God himself. And as
the people gratified their curiosity, and opened the ark to gaze into its
sacred recesses, which the heathen idolaters had not dared to do, the
angels attending the ark slew above fifty thousand of the people.
And the people of Beth-shemesh were afraid of the ark, and they
said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom
shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants
of Kirjath-jearim, saying, ‘The Philistines have brought again the ark
of the Lord. Come ye down, and fetch it up to you.’” The people of
Kirjath-jearim brought the ark of the Lord to the house of Abinadab,
and sanctified his son to keep it. For twenty years the Hebrews were
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in the power of the Philistines, and they were greatly humbled, and
repented of their sins, and Samuel interceded for them, and God was
again merciful to them. And the Philistines made war with them, and
the Lord again wrought in a miraculous manner for Israel, and they
overcame their enemies.
The ark remained in the house of Abinadab until David was made
king. He gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand,
and went to bring up the ark of God. They set the ark upon a new cart,
and brought it out of the house of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio, sons
of Abinadab, drave the cart. David and all the house of Israel played
before the Lord on all manner of musical instruments. “And when they
came to Nachon’s threshing-floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark