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The Story of Redemption
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,
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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
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
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Ahu, sons of Abinadab, drove 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 threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth
his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook
it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God
smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”
Uzzah was angry with the oxen, because they stumbled. He showed