1 Sam. 5:1-6; 6:11-16 - EW Commentary
I. The Ark of the Covenant among the Philistines
A. The ark in Philistine city of Ashdod.
1. (1 Sam. 5:1-5) God humiliates the idol Dagon.
1 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. 4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
a. According to other passages, after the Philistines defeated the Israeli army, they went on to destroy the city of Shiloh itself (Psalm 78:60-64, Jeremiah 7:12 and 26:9).
b. They brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon: No doubt, the Philistines were jubilant, and confident in the superiority of their god over the God of Israel. They had faced the God of Israel in battle, and believed their god Dagon had delivered them and defeated Israel. Now, the Ark of the Covenant of Israel's God stood as a trophy in the temple of their god Dagon. The victory was complete!
i. The Philistine god Dagon was represented with a half man, half fish figure, and was said to be the father of Baal.
ii. "This deity was a personification of the generative and vivifying principle of nature, for which the fish with its innumerable multiplication was especially adapted, to set forth the idea of the giver of all earthly good." (Keil and Delitszch)
c. There was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD: Had the glory of God departed? Not at all! God was more than able to glorify Himself among the Philistines and their pagan gods. God made this nothing statue bow down in worship before Him!
i. God will glorify Himself. Sometimes, when men disgrace the glory of God, we fear God will go without glory. We think the glory has departed. But when men and women will not glorify God, God will glorify Himself. You can count on it!
ii. God is glorifying Himself, but man is resisting God's glory. See the Philistine priests, and the excuses they make? "Must have been an accident. Must have been an earthquake. Yes, some strange accident." All the while they refuse to give glory to God!
d. Imagine the horror of the Philistine priests when they entered the temple of Dagon the next morning. They not only saw their god bowing down before the LORD, they also saw the head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left of it. An accident two days in a row? And now, the head and hands of Dagon broken? How strange!
i. After seeing the superiority of the God of Israel, these Philistine priests had a choice. They could turn from their weak, inferior god Dagon, and begin serving the mighty, superior LORD of Israel. Or they could make a religious tradition instead! They chose the religious tradition: Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
ii. These Philistine priests, like men confronted with the truth today, rejected God despite the evidence, not because of the evidence. They wanted to believe it was an accident.
iii. How could they believe something so ridiculous? Because worshipping the LORD instead of Dagon meant a huge change in thinking and living. The Philistine priests were unwilling to make those changes. It was easier when they took Dagon and set it in its place again. Setting Dagon up and gluing him together was easier than changing your life and your thinking.
e. "The head" represents the seat of wisdom; the hands, the instruments of action: both are cut off, to show that he had neither wisdom nor strength to defend himself nor his worshippers. Thus the priests, by concealing Dagon's shame before, make it more evident and infamous." (Poole)
2. (1 Sam. 5:6-8) The LORD afflicts the city of Ashdod with tumors.
6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. [vv.7-8: And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god." Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath." So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. }
a. The hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod: They would not listen when God struck down their statue of Dagon; they just set it up again. When we close our ears to God, He often finds another way to speak to us, and we may not like the second way.
b. He ravaged them and struck them with tumors: What were these tumors? Older commentators often describe them as hemorrhoids, and newer commentators often describe them as signs of the bubonic plague. Either way, they were bad.
i. "Of the numerous suggested identifications of the specific malady that struck the Philistines, bubonic plague remains the most likely: 'It is a disease characterized by an epidemic occurrence, by the appearance of tumours, by the production of panic amongst the affected population, by a high mortality rate, and by an association with mice or rats.'" (Wilkinson cited in Youngblood)
3. (1 Sam. 6:10-12) Against all expectation, the cows go the land of Israel.
10 Then the men did so, and took two milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 They put the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the likenesses of their tumors. 12 And the cows took the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
a. Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh: They should not have done this. The cows should have been resisting the yoke, because they had never been harnessed before. They should have headed back for their Philistine homes out of concern for their young calves. But they headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh. God wasn't leaving this up to chance!
i. Not only were they headed straight for the road, they did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. They didn't meander around the way; they went straight where they were supposed to go!
ii. What a miracle! Two cows who had never pulled a cart before, either alone or together. No driver leads them, yet they leave home, and march the ten miles or so to a city they had never been to. They leave their own calves behind, and go straight on a certain road, with never a wrong turn, never a stop, never turning aside into the fields to feed themselves, never turning back to feed their own calves.
iii. As the cows are on the road back to Israel, can you see the Israelites mourning over the loss of the ark? Perhaps at that very moment they were crying out to God, grieving because they thought the glory had departed. God's glory had left anywhere! The Israelites and the Philistines were both resisting Him, so the LORD found a few cows to show His glory through! Israel had no reason to mourn, even though they thought all was lost and there was no hope, because they thought the glory had departed.
b. Lowing as they went: This means the cows were not especially happy. They were longing for their calves at home, yet they still did the will of God.
i. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament on the ancient Hebrew word ga-ah, translated lowing: "This root indicates an intense aversion which is expressed often in punitive or adverse action."
ii. God was able to overpower the instinctive nature of the cows. He can overpower our instinctive nature also. Who we are in Jesus has more power than who we are in Adam.
c. In Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg quotes the rabbis, saying the cows sang a song as they went:
Arise, thou, O Acacia! Soar aloft in the glory of thy splendor,
Thou who are adorned with gold embroidery.
Thou who are reverenced within the Holiest of the palace,
Thou who are covered by the two Cherubim!
d. This all shows us the incredible power of God. He leaves nothing to chance. This is our Father's world, and even the cows fulfill His plan!
i. But if everything is fulfilling God's plan, then how come my life is so tough? Why did I have, or someone else have, such a great tragedy?
ii. When we think like this, it shows we don't understand God's goal for our life, which is to make us godly, not to just make us comfortable. It also shows we are looking too short, and not trusting God to work things out in eternity. It also shows we are looking too narrow and don't consider all God is doing outside of what we can see. Finally, it shows we are looking to ourselves and acting as if God owes us an explanation on everything. We have to accept there are going to be some things we just can't figure out, and leave it up to God to figure those things out.
iii. When people don't believe there is a loving God who sits enthroned in the heavens and has a good plan for our lives, you can't blame them for being afraid, for being proud, for being miserable. But for those who believe in the God of the Bible, there is no excuse for fear, pride, or misery. God is still on His throne! "As we go forth into the world, let us believe that the movement of all things is towards the accomplishment of God's purpose." (Meyer)
B. The Ark at Beth Shemesh.
1. (1 Sam. 6:13-15) The ark is received with honor and joy at Beth Shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the LORD.
a. Rejoiced to see it: What joy! They would have felt something like the disciples felt on the day they saw the resurrected Jesus, because they would have felt they had received God back to them from the dead. On this day as they were reaping their wheat harvest (between May and June), they knew the God of Israel was alive.
i. Of course, God had never been dead, and God never left them. But the Israelites felt as though God was dead, and they were as desperate, discouraged, and hopeless as if He really were dead. According to their feelings, it was as if the LORD God of Israel had risen from the dead.
b. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there: After being guided for some ten miles from the Philistine city, without stopping or go to one side or the other, now the ark stops in Israelite land, at the exact field of one chosen man.
c. They split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering: They knew this was the right thing to do in honor to God, yet it really cost them something. Cows and carts were expensive property.
i. In a strict sense, their offering was against the Mosaic law. First, they offered female animals to the LORD, which was forbidden (Leviticus 1:3; 22:19). Second, they made a burnt offering to the LORD away from the tabernacle, which violated the command in Deuteronomy 12:5-6 (though, since the Ark of the Covenant was there, it might be said that the holy place was "there"). Yet, God knew both their hearts and the remarkable circumstances and was no doubt honored.
d. The Levites took down the ark of the LORD: The Israelites were careful to let the Levites handle the ark, as was commanded by the law (Numbers 4:1-6, 15). Beth Shemesh was a priestly city (Joshua 21:16), so there were priests on hand.
2. (1 Sam. 6:16) Description of the trespass offering from the Philistines included with return of the ark.
16 When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day. (vv. 17-18: These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages. The large [f]stone on which they set the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.)
a. When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it: They had wondered if all what had happened to them while they had the ark was an accident. So, they set up an elaborate and difficult test for God to fulfill, and the personally observed, to see if God would indeed meet the test. Their reaction isn't recorded, but they must have been persuaded! The LORD God of Israel had glorified Himself before the Philistines!
1 Sam. 5:1-6; 6:11-16 Constable Exposition
1 Sam. 5:1-6
Having captured the ark, the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their main city, Ashdod, which stood about 30 miles to the southwest and three miles from the Mediterranean coast. Archaeologists have excavated Ashdod more extensively than any of the five major Philistine cities.
Dagon was the principle deity of the Philistines. The popular teaching that the Philistines pictured him as being part man and part fish finds support in 1 Samuel 5:4. Dag in Hebrew means fishy part. Dagon (cf. Heb. dagan, grain) was a grain god whom the Philistines worshipped as the source of bountiful harvests (fertility). Worship of him began about 2500 B.C. in Mesopotamia, especially in the Middle-Euphrates region. [Note: The New Bible Dictionary, 1962 ed., s.v. "Dagon," by Kenneth A. Kitchen.]
The writer clarified that the Philistines regarded the fact that the image representing Dagon had fallen on its face before the ark as indicating Yahweh's superiority. Falling on one's face was a posture associated with worship. The fact that the Philistines had to reposition the idol is another allusion to Dagon's inferiority. He could not act on his own (cf. Isaiah 46:7). Later Goliath, the Philistine champion, would also fall on his face before David, Yahweh's champion (1 Samuel 17:49).
The following night the symbol of Dagon toppled again before the ark, the symbol of Yahweh. This time Dagon's head, suggestive of his sovereign control, and his palms, suggesting his power, broke off (1 Samuel 5:4). In the ancient Near East, warring armies cut off and collected the heads and hands of their enemies to count accurately the number of their slain (cf. 1 Samuel 29:4; Judges 8:6). [Note: Antony F. Campbell, The Ark Narrative, p. 86, n. 1.] Earlier Samson's defeat had involved the cutting of the hair of his head and the weakening of his hands (Judges 16:18-21). Later David would cut off Goliath's head (1 Samuel 17:51), and the Philistines would cut off King Saul's head (1 Chronicles 10:10).
The breaking of Dagon's head and hands on the threshold of his temple rendered the threshold especially sacred. From then on the pagan priests superstitiously regarded the threshold as holy (cf. Zeph 1:9). The ancients commonly treated sanctuary thresholds with respect because they marked the boundary that divided the sacred from the profane. This incident involving Dagon made the threshold to his sanctuary even more sacred. This is another ironical testimony to the utter folly of idolatry and to Yahweh's sovereignty (Ex 20:3).
Evidently the men of Ashdod believed that it was particularly with their city that Yahweh felt displeasure. So they moved the ark to Gath (lit. winepress), which lay about 12 miles southeast of Ashdod. Dagon could not prevent the tumors (lit. buboes) and death with which Yahweh afflicted the Philistines (1 Samuel 5:6; 1 Samuel 5:9-12). The people of Ashdod should have turned from worshipping Dagon and put their trust in Yahweh. Death followed because they chose to continue in unbelief in spite of their confession of Yahweh's superiority (1 Samuel 5:7).
The Hebrew word translated "broke out" occurs only here in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 5:9). The Septuagint translators interpreted it accurately as "groin." These tumors were apparently most prominent in the groin area, hence the English translation "hemorrhoids." Tumors in the groin are a symptom of bubonic plague. Since the Philistines associated mice with this plague (1 Samuel 6:4-5), and mice carry bubonic plague, it seems clear that the hand of Yahweh sent this particular affliction on them.
1 Sam. 6:11-16
The return of the ark to Bethshemesh 6:10-18
Bethshemesh was the closest Israelite town to Ekron. It stood about 12 miles east-southeast of Ekron. To get there the cows walked east up the Sorek Valley, Samson's home area. Evidently the Israelites, who were reaping their wheat harvest (in June) when the ark appeared, remembered that only Levites were to handle the ark (Num 4:15-20; 1 Samuel 6:15). Bethshemesh was a Levitical town (Joshua 21:13-16; 1 Chronicles 6:57-59), so Levites were perhaps nearby. Even though the ark had been absent from Israel for seven months God had not removed His blessing of fertile crops from His chosen people during that time. This indicates His grace.
1 Samuel 5:1-6; 6:11-16 - Extra Commentary
1 Samuel 5:1 "And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod."
"Ashdod" was one of the five principal Philistine cities (compare the note at Joshua 13:2-3). The other cities included: Gath (verse 8), Ekron (verse 10), Ashkelon (6:17), and Gaza (6:17), all of which were located in southwestern Canaan near the Mediterranean seacoast.
We remember, from a previous lesson, that Ebenezer was where the Israelite camp was. Now that Israel has lost the battle and the Philistines killed the priests, the Philistines have taken the Ark. The following is probably speaking of this same thing.
Psalms 78:60-64 "So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent [which] he placed among men;" "And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand." "He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance." "The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage." "Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation."
Ashdod was one of the five most important cities of the Philistines.
Verses 2-5: "Dagon" was the father of the god Baal and was thought to supply both harvest and fertility (Judges 16:23-30). The capture of an enemy's god showed that the enemy was utterly conquered. Placing the "Ark of God," in the temple of their main god was the Philistines' way of displaying their god's supremacy. But the Lord had the final word, for He will not be mocked.
1 Samuel 5:2 "When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon."
"Dagon": Ancient literature identifies this deity as a fish god, whose image had the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a man. Dagon seems to have been the leader of the Philistine pantheon (Judges 16:23), and is noted to be the father of Baal. The placing of the Ark of God in the temple of Dagon was supposed to be a sign of Dagon's power and Yahweh's inferiority, a visual representation that the god of the Philistines was victorious over the God of the Hebrews. In addition, the textual connection of Dagon reinforces the affinity between the events written here and those in the life of Samson (Judges Chapters 13-16).
For "Dagon" (see the note on Judges 16:23).
Dagon was the Philistine false god of fertility of the earth. The statue of this false god was a man to the waist and a fish to the tail. The tail of the fish symbolized the need for water to a bountiful crop. The Ark symbolized the presence of God. To put the Ark by the side of this false god is blasphemous.
1 Samuel 5:3 "And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again."
"Fallen upon his face": Ironically, God Himself overturned the supposed supremacy of Dagon by having Dagon fallen over, as if paying homage to the Lord.
Even this false god, Dagon, had to bow to the presence of the One True God. The people should have realized why this happened, but they did not. They set this statue of the false god up again, at the side of the Ark. The false god had fallen down prostrate before the symbol of the LORD, the Ark.
1 Samuel 5:4 "And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him."
"Head ... hands were cut off": The first display of God's authority over Dagon was not perceived. God's second display of authority, the cutting off of Dagon's head and hands, was a common sign that the enemy was dead (Judges 7:25; 8:6; 1 Sam. 17:54; 31:9; 2 Sam. 4:12), and was to be understood as God's divine judgment on the false idol.
This was an interesting thing to happen. The head and the palms were not broken off, but cut off. Not only were they cut off, but placed at the entrance of the threshold, where all who entered would have to see them. This completely defames this false god. It not only destroys his existence (cut off head), but destroys any work he might do (the palms of the hands). This false god had been defamed and dismembered by the presence of the Spirit within the Ark.
1 Samuel 5:5 "Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day."
"Tread on the threshhold": Because the head and hands of Dagon fell on the threshold, superstition developed that it was cursed; therefore, the Philistines would not tread on it.
"Unto this day": This phrase supports the claim that the writer was living at a time removed from the actual event itself. This phrase and phrases equivalent to it are found throughout 1 and 2 Samuel (1 Sam. 6:18; 26:6; 30:25; 2 Sam. 4:3; 6:8: 18:18).
These evil people did not even stop worshipping this false god after this happened. They just stopped walking on the threshold of the entrance of the place they worshipped. They are so blind.
Verses 6-12: God struck the Philistines with "tumors" for stealing the Ark. The early Latin manuscripts also include statements about rats springing up all over the city (6:4), causing panic and death. Some commentators have conjectured the bubonic plague.
1 Samuel 5:6 "But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof."
"The hand of the Lord was heavy": In contrast to the hands of Dagon being cut off, symbolizing his helplessness against the power of Yahweh, the Lord was pictured to be actively involved in judging the Philistines. The imagery of God's hand is found throughout the Ark narrative (4:8; 5:6-7, 9, 11; 6:3, 5 9).
"Emerods": It has been suggested that this word refers to the sores or boils caused by an epidemic of the bubonic plague carried by rats (6:4-5). The spread of the disease and its deadly effect (5:6, 9, 12; 6:11, 17), make this a likely view.
Various conjectures have been made for the Hebrew word translated "emerods". Josephus suggested that the problem stemmed from dysentery, a suggestion also made as a marginal reading in the Hebrew text. The consonantal text reads a word meaning "swellings," "boils" or "tumors." Accordingly, most commentators since Martin Luther have held that the disease involved here was bubonic plague (see the note on 6:4-5).
This is a plague that God sent upon these evil people. "Emerods" means tumors. Some believe they were tumorous hemorrhoids. In some other places, it means eating ulcers, or the diseases of Egypt. It really does not matter what it was, it was terrible enough to kill many of them.
> 6:11-16
1 Samuel 6:11 "And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods."
Perhaps the same men that made the cart; however they were the Philistines, yet were not punished for touching it, as Uzziah was, though an Israelite (2 Sam. 6:6).
"And the coffer with the mice of gold, and the images of their emerods": Which coffer was placed in a purse or bag hung at the side of the Ark, with the golden mice and emerods in it.
This just means they took the advice of their priests and did as they suggested.
1 Samuel 6:12 "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; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh."
"Lowing as they went": With the moaning from instinctive unwillingness to leave their calves behind, the cows went straight to Beth-shemesh, not turning to the right or left, leaving the inescapable conclusion that God had judged them.
There was no one leading these milk cows. They went directly to Beth-shemesh leaving no doubt that this was indeed, the LORD who had sent this plague to them. The lords of the Philistines did not want to take someone else's word that they went there without someone leading them. They followed to see for themselves what would happen.
1 Samuel 6:13 "And [they of] Beth-shemesh [were] reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see [it]."
"Reaping their wheat harvest": Sometime in June. These harvests were accomplished with the whole city participating.
This was at the time of the wheat harvest. Everyone was in the field harvesting the wheat. They had been without the Ark for seven months and are thrilled that it is back. The Ark symbolized the presence of God to the Israelites. They felt when the Ark was there, God was residing with them.
1 Samuel 6:14 "And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD."
"Joshua, a Beth-shemite": The cows stopped in the field of Joshua, where there was a large stone which was verifiable to the writer at the time the account was written.
"Burnt offering": Because the cows and cart were used for sacred purposes, they could not be used for normal everyday purposes. Therefore, the men of Beth-shemesh sacrificed the cows using the cart for the fire.
The "they" that broke up the cart for firewood would, possibly, have been the priests; because no one was to touch the Ark but those appointed of God for that job. This great stone was a natural altar. The milk cows were the offering. This would have been an unusual offering. Usually the male was offered and it must be a young animal.
1 Samuel 6:15 "And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that [was] with it, wherein the jewels of gold [were], and put [them] on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD."
"Levites": the men of Beth-shemesh, being Levites, were qualified to move the Ark.
"Put them on the great stone": The stone mentioned was used as a pedestal for both the items of gold and the ark. At the time the account was written, it stood as a witness that God had returned to the land.
This was a Levitical city so the people, as well as the priest, should be well acquainted with the law. The offerings must also be done by the priest. Some of the things they were doing, even with the offering, were not in full keeping of the law. They were, however, overjoyed at the return of the Ark. This offering was acceptable to the LORD because of their attitude.
1 Samuel 6:16 "And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen [it], they returned to Ekron the same day."
"Five lords of the Philistines": The lords of the Philistines, upon seeing that the Ark arrived safely, returned to Ekron.
We remember these five lords of the Philistines had come to see with their own eyes that the Ark had gone to Beth-shemesh. They have stayed a little way off so as not to be captured. They went back to Ekron to tell the news.
1 Sam. 5 - APPLICATION
1. The Philistines failed to honor God because their hearts were darkened. They honored a false god, which was man made and dishonored the one true God. They did not deny the existence of the LORD, they just counted Him as "one of many gods." Just like today, many believe that Jesus is a god-exists-but not the One True God. As Paul said ,"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Rom 1:18-23.
2. Those who do not respect God's holiness push him away. (1 Samuel 6:1-12). The Philistines failed to respect God for who He is-the one true God of the universe. Those who refuse to recognize who God is and respect His holiness push him away. That's what we see happening with the Philistines here in chapter six. They now heave a healthy 'fear' of God, but they fail to recognize who He is. They are afraid of God's holiness, and they do not want Him or the ark anywhere near them.
