Friday, April 25: 1Samuel 6- God upholds His name.

The account of God taking care of His name/reputation/Ark continues with the miraculous return of the Ark to Israel. The Philistines recognize that God is at work. And everything God does confirms His work in the return of the Ark.

My heart was strangely warmed and attracted to verse 5&6. This is a portion of the words spoken to the Philistine leaders by their priests and diviners. Make models of the tumors and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

The bolded words were particularly striking as I read them. First the Philistine priests call the people to give glory to the God of Israel. This is not a call to change gods but it is a recognition that Israel’s God does deserve glory. I thought the Lord God will make His name known throughout the earth. Not everyone will bow to Him in humble adoration, but they will know!!! This entire story is a witness to the Philistines about who the Lord God is!!!

Then I was fascinated how widely and long living the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is. Again the Philistines knew what The Lord had done for Israel! The Exodus has so many dimensions. Yes, Israel was delivered, but the exodus was also a proclamation to the ancient world that Israel’s God, the Lord God of the Bible, was a great God, not one to be toyed with!

Then a few verses later, verse 9, I found it fascinating that the Philistine priests saw the unfolding events as a test about the Lord. [We will] but keep watching it. If it [the cart with the Ark and offering] goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”

The story unfolds in a way that one could only deduce that the Lord brought the disasters on the Philistines… so the Lord is God.

God upholds His name!

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I praise You as the one and only God. The Almighty God, King over all gods. And You will declare Your name to all. Praise be to You, Lord, God. Amen.