I Samuel – 6
Friday, January 29, 2010
God’s Way with the Heathen
(I Samuel 6:1-12)
After seven month of divinely imposed misery, the Philistines grew tired of possessing the Ark of the Covenant. Repeatedly changing the location of the ark had not relieved them of the plagues caused by its presence. Since they could not get the curse to go away, they decided to get rid of the ark. Good idea.
Upon questioning their pagan religious authorities, the Philistine leaders decided on a course of action: They would set the ark, along with appropriate peace offerings, on a cart. The cart would be drawn by cows that had recently borne calves. If the cows willingly deserted their calves (something completely against nature), the Philistines would discern that their misfortunes were, indeed, a curse from Israel’s God.
As if on cue, once harnessed, the cows immediately began to pull the cart toward the Israelite town of Bethshemesh, ignoring the lowing of their new born calves. The Philistine leaders followed the cart all the way to the border of Israel and Philistine territory, concluding rightly that their return of the ark would stay the divine plague.
God uses the “wrath of man” to praise Him (Ps. 76:10). God even works through the pagan superstitions of the heathen to manifest His glory. Sometimes we mentally limit the scope of God’s working to only His saints. Such, however, is a grave mistake. God is at work in the world, demonstrating His power—sometimes in surprising ways—to the saved and lost alike. Take, for example, the recent devastation in Haiti. Out of that tragedy, a thousand small miracles have demonstrated the glory of God to an essentially heathen people. Some have recognized the hand of God for the first time in their lives. May we, God’s people, be sensitive to God’s working not only in the church, but throughout the world.
