The Philistines Return The Ark

When they lost the Ark to the Philistines, the Israelites thought they had lost God, and the Philistines thought they had captured him.  They decided to add him to their stable of gods, temporarily placing the Ark in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod. It quickly became apparent that God was more powerful than Dagon, as we see in I Samuel 5:1-5.  “And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.  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.  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.  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.”

 

To the people of Ashdod it was clear Dagon was not in the same category as God, and they stopped worshipping him, but God wasn’t through yet, as we see in I Samuel 5:7.  “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.  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.”  It is unclear why so many have translated the Hebrew word here as Emrods or hemorrhoids.  The word actually refers to the bubos or swollen glands from which we get the name for bubonic plague.   

 

In an effort to end the plague, the leaders at Ashdod consulted with the other Philistine rulers, who suggested they move the Ark to Gath and be sure the plague was the result of God’s action rather than mere coincidence, as we see in I Samuel 5:8-9.  “They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, 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 about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.” 

 

When the plague developed in Gath, they started to move the Ark to Ekron, but the Ekronites refused to accept it.  After further discussion, they decided to sent the Ark back to Israel, as we see in I Samuel 5:10-12.  “Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”

 

After keeping the Ark for seven months, the Philistines were convinced God was more powerful than any of their gods, and that they would have to return the Ark if they were to survive.  With an epidemic already raging, they did not want further conflict with Israel and sought for a way to return it safely.  The religious leaders suggested a way of returning it while at the sametime verifying that it was in fact God who had caused the epidemic, in I Samuel 6:1-9.  “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.  And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

 

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.  Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.  Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

 

Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?  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, 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 Bethshemesh, 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.”

 

Bubonic plague is usually spread by fleas from infected rodents, and it is obvious the Philistines were aware of the connection of the plague to the mice.  They advised sending gold replicas of a mouse and the bubos or swollen glands from each Philistine city as an offering showing their recognition of God’s power.  For the untrained milk cows to follow the road without stopping to graze or trying to find their calves would be a clear indication God was overcoming their natural instincts. 

 

The Philistine rulers followed their religious leaders advice, and it was soon apparent that it was infact God behind what had happened, as I Samuel 6;10-12 makes very clear.  “And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 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.  And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, 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 Bethshemesh.”  Although they protested the whole way, the cows made no effort to find their calves.  It was one more proof to the Philistines that the plague was from God.