1 Samuel 6: 1 – 21
You Dirty Rats
1 Now the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.” 3 So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.” 4 Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart? 7 Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves’ home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the LORD and set it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go. 9 And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.” 10 Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. 12 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So 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 chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD. 16 So when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; 18 and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of the LORD, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. 19 Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up with you.”
Here is a couple of questions for you to answer;
What is the national animal of the US?– The US does not have a national animal. It is recognize by a national bird the Bald Eagle
Most states have recognized certain living things that are germane to their area. They are;
• state amphibians
• state birds
• state crustaceans
• state fish
• state insects
• state mammals
• state reptiles
One thing I couldn’t find was state rodents. How come? The answer is that they are everywhere especially in the cities.
Have you ever heard of the ‘Black Plague?’ It has been calculated that the Black Death killed 50 million people in the 14th century, or 60 per cent of Europe’s entire population.
The disastrous mortal disease known as the Black Death spread across Europe in the years 1346-53. The frightening name, however, only came several centuries after its visitation (and was probably a mistranslation of the Latin word ‘atra’ meaning both ‘terrible’ and ‘black)’
The Black Death was an epidemic of bubonic plague, a disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that circulates among wild rodents where they live in great numbers and density. Such an area is called a ‘plague focus’ or a ‘plague reservoir’. Plague among humans arises when rodents in human habitation, normally black rats, become infected. The black rat, also called the ‘house rat’ and the ‘ship rat’, likes to live close to people, the very quality that makes it dangerous (in contrast, the brown or grey rat prefers to keep its distance in sewers and cellars). Normally, it takes ten to fourteen days before plague has killed off most of a contaminated rat colony, making it difficult for great numbers of fleas gathered on the remaining, but soon- dying, rats to find new hosts. After three days of fasting, hungry rat fleas turn on humans. From the bite site, the contagion drains to a lymph node that consequently swells to form a painful bubo, most often in the groin, on the thigh, in an armpit or on the neck. Hence the name bubonic plagues. The infection takes three–five days to incubate in people before they fall ill, and another three–five days before, in 80 per cent of the cases, the victims die. Thus, from the introduction of plague contagion among rats in a human community it takes, on average, twenty-three days before the first person dies.
In order to become an epidemic the disease must be spread to other rat colonies in the locality and transmitted to inhabitants in the same way. It took some time for people to recognize that a terrible epidemic was breaking out among them and for chroniclers to note this. The timescale varies: in the countryside it took about forty days for realization to dawn; in most towns with a few thousand inhabitants, six to seven weeks; in the cities with over 10,000 inhabitants, about seven weeks, and in the few metropolises with over 100,000 inhabitants, as much as eight weeks.
Plague bacteria can break out of the buboes and be carried by the blood stream to the lungs and cause a variant of plague that is spread by contaminated droplets from the cough of patients (pneumonic plague). However, contrary to what is sometimes believed, this form is not contracted easily, spreads normally only episodically or incidentally and constitutes therefore normally only a small fraction of plague cases. It now appears clear that human fleas and lice did not contribute to the spread, at least not significantly. The bloodstream of humans is not invaded by plague bacteria from the buboes, or people die with so few bacteria in the blood that bloodsucking human parasites become insufficiently infected to become infective and spread the disease: the blood of plague-infected rats contains 500-1,000 times more bacteria per unit of measurement than the blood of plague-infected humans.
Importantly, plague was spread considerable distances by rat fleas on ships. Infected ship rats would die, but their fleas would often survive and find new rat hosts wherever they landed. Unlike human fleas, rat fleas are adapted to riding with their hosts; they readily also infest clothing of people entering affected houses and ride with them to other houses or localities. This gives plague epidemics a peculiar rhythm and pace of development and a characteristic pattern of dissemination. The fact that plague is transmitted by rat fleas means that this is a disease of the warmer seasons, disappearing during the winter, or at least lose most of their powers of spread.’ The peculiar seasonal pattern of plague has been observed everywhere and is a systematic feature also of the spread of the Black Death. Plague is very different from airborne contagious diseases, which are spread directly between people by droplets: these thrive in cold weather.
I cannot say for certain that this was had happened to the Philistines? But it is very interesting that the Philistines were seafaring people who settled in the coast line areas of Israel where the climate is conducive to warm conditions. The sudden intense numbers of dead along as we will see their acknowledgement of ‘golden rats’ gives us some things to consider.
So, if I have grossed out most of you sorry, because we are not talking here about Mickey Mouse but his large cousin Mickey Rat.
In our last study we learned that the Philistines had a problem. They determined to return the Ark to Israel. How were they going to appease the God of Israel for what they had done in bringing His Ark to Philistia? They wanted to ensure that they did not antagonize Him further. So they consulted their own priests and diviners.
The solution was that they would return the Ark with a trespass (or ‘guilt’) offering, admitting that they had trespassed and wanted to make compensation. If the plague ceased and healing then took place in the land it would indicate that it was YHWH Who had done it.
Their solution is interesting. The golden tumors and the golden rodents were an indication that they recognized that the tumors and the rodents in their land had been sent by YHWH, and acted as a plea that they be removed from the land in the same way as these golden replicas were being. We can compare how when the earlier Israelites had been judged by having poisonous snakes sent among them, their remedy was to make a replica of the snakes in gold and offer it to YHWH in recognition of the fact that their judgment had come from Him. Then whoever looked to it as something that was now the possession of YHWH lived. That replica was still in the Tabernacle to that day.
The next thing was to take a new, unused cart and attach to it two cows which had never been under the yoke, and use them to bear the Ark. This would then make them the possession of YHWH, as the Israelites recognized when they used them for sacrificial purposes.
The final test would then be whether two cows who had never borne the yoke, and whose calves had been taken from them, would willingly pull the cart and head straight for an Israelite town. If they did this it would be a sign that YHWH wanted His Ark to return home. On the other hand if they returned to where they expected their calves to be, or refused to draw the cart, it would indicate that no god was involved at all.
6.1 ‘And the ark of YHWH was in the country of the Philistines seven months.’
It is possible that this should be seen as the ending of chapter 5. The point is to emphasize the drawn out sufferings of the Philistines, and it bring out why the plague had time to spread.
6.2 ‘And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of YHWH? Show us by what method we shall send it to its place.” ’
The plagues had made the Philistines recognize that they had offended YHWH. And having decided to send the Ark back they wanted to ensure that they did not offend Him even more. So they called together their priests and their diviners in order to obtain their advice on precisely how to do it so as to pacify YHWH. The fear of YHWH had taken hold of them.
6.3 ‘And they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but whatever you do return him a trespass-offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”
The Philistine wise men’s advice was that YHWH should be given a trespass offering, in order to atone for their trespass against Him. Thus they must not send the Ark away, but must include a trespass offering with it. Then their land would be healed. And as a result they would know why YHWH was continuing to plague them at this point in time.
6. 4 ‘Then said they, “What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him?” And they said, “Five golden tumors/boils, and five golden rodents, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.” ’
The next question was as to what would be a suitable offering. The reply was that they must atone for the behavior of all five Philistine Magistrates, together with their cities, by sending to YHWH five golden tumors or plague boils, and five golden rodents. Nothing has previously been said about rodents. It was apparently the cause of the plague.
The golden tumors and the golden rodents were an indication that they recognized that the tumors and the rodents in their land had been sent by YHWH, and acted as a plea that they be removed from the land in the same way as these golden replicas were being.
6.5 ‘For this reason you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your rodents that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.”
So these were to be made and offered to the God of Israel indicating that they recognized that it was He Who had punished them, and by this means they would give glory to the God of Israel. The hope was that He would then leave them, and their gods, and their land alone. Note how their words exalt our Great God YHWH over the Philistine gods, as the writer intends us to recognize.
6. 6 “Why then do you 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 here is something that should convict some people. It is pretty bad when non-believers have better bible knowledge than believers. In this case we see that the priests and diviners revealed their knowledge of Israel’s history for they suggested to the Philistine leaders that they should get a move on and not harden their hearts as the Egyptian Pharaoh had done. The only result for Egypt had been that the plagues had got worse. And in the end they had had to let the Israelites go anyway. So delay could only be seen as foolish.
6. 7-8 “Now therefore take and prepare for you a new cart, and two cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them, and take the ark of YHWH, and lay it on the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass-offering, in a container by its side, and send it away, that it may go.”
The trespass offering to YHWH was to be sent under suitable conditions. It should be sent on a new cart that had never been used, drawn by two cows that had never known the yoke. Nothing that had been defiled by daily activities must bear the Ark of YHWH
But you have to see some wisdom in the advice that was given for there was to be a test. This test would really prove that the God of Israel was real. The calves of the two cows should be returned to their homes. The natural thing for the cows to do would therefore be to return home to their calves. If they did so, it would demonstrate that YHWH had not been responsible for all that had happened.
6. 9 “And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he has done us this great evil, but if not, then we will know that it is not his hand that smote us. It was a chance that happened to us.” 6.10 ‘And the men did so, and took two cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home, and they put the ark of YHWH on the cart, and the container with the rodents of gold and the images of their tumors/boils.
Now you have to consider what would be going on. A large group of Philistine royalty and local citizens hitched the cart with the Ark on it to these cows whose calves were taken away back to their stalls. The whole grouped watched what happened. The natural thing would be for the cows to make it back to their calves. However, if the cart with the cows drawing it made for Bethshemesh it would prove that YHWH was responsible for their misfortunes. On the other hand if it did not then it would demonstrate that He was powerless and had not smitten them. It would demonstrate that everything that had happened was only by unfortunate chance.
6.12 ‘And the cows took the direct way by the way to Beth-shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth-shemesh.’
To their astonishment the cows on being released made straight for Beth-shemesh. They went directly along the highway as though they were being driven by an invisible rein. They lowed as they went. They wanted their calves but an invisible hand was directly leading them for Beth-shemesh. Also please notice that they did not turn aside to either the right hand or the left.
Please observe that all who watched the cows do the opposite of their natural desires followed after the cart.
Beth-shemesh means ‘house of the sun’. No doubt its previous inhabitants had been sun-worshippers. But that was in the past. It was now a priestly city (Joshua 21.16). It would later be captured by the Philistines in the time of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28.18).
6.13 ‘And they who were 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.’
The priests and their families in Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest. Men and women would both be spread widely in the fields singing and laughing as they reaped the harvest. When they saw the cart containing the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH coming towards them they would hardly have been able to believe their eyes. It would have seemed like a miracle (which of course it was). And once they had got over the shock they came together and broke out in rejoicing and praising YHWH.
6.14 ‘And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth–shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt-offering to YHWH.’
The cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood by the great stone. The watching Philistines must have been impressed. The great stone was suitable for use as an altar, and the cows had gone straight up to it. And as they watched, the Israelite priests took the cart and cut it up and used the wood to light a sacrificial fire. Then they took the cows and offered them up as a burnt-offering. (This was quite legitimate because it was ‘before the Ark of YHWH’ which symbolized the legitimate Sanctuary).
6.15 ‘And the Levites had taken down the ark of YHWH, and the container that was with it, in which 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 to YHWH.’
Prior to this the Levites (that is, the priests, who were of the tribe of Levi) had previously taken down the Ark of YHWH together with the container containing the trespass offering, and placed them on the great stone. And they now proceeded to offer up further burnt-offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices. The burnt offerings were an indication of their total dedication to YHWH. The sacrifices would be freewill and thanksgiving sacrifices, the meat from which would enable them to celebrate in a feast of rejoicing.
6.16 ‘And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.’ 6.17-18 ‘And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering to YHWH: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one, and the golden rodents, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great Abel, on which they set down the ark of YHWH, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.’
Meanwhile the five Leaders of the main cities, having satisfied themselves that it really was the God of Israel Who was responsible for their problems, returned with the rest of the Philistines to Ekron.
19 Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter.
The rejoicing of Israel turned to lamentation as a result of the irreverent behavior of the priests who had grown careless in respect of holy things, due no doubt to the influence of the two sons of Eli. The trophies sent by the Philistines and the Ark of YHWH were set down on the great stone, but it became a ‘stone of lamentation’ (Abel) when instead of fulfilling their duty and covering the Ark, which they knew should not have been exposed to public gaze (Numbers 4.5), they stood and stared at it in its uncovered state. Then their curiosity got the best of them and they took the lid off the Ark and looked inside. The result was that seventy men died, of whom fifty were chief men and fifty thousand of the area’s inhabitantsThe result was that all the people ‘lamented (abel). Their rejoicing had become lamentation.
Before I move on let us take one last look at the Ark. What was in the Ark?. Into the Ark was placed the 10 Commandments, The rod of Aaron that budded, and a pot with Manna in it. We later read that only the 10 Commandments were in it. So the question would be what happened to the other two? Is it possible that the Manna and the rod were taken out here? The 10 Commandments were written in stone so they would be preserved longer. However the rod and Manna once exposed to the elements would possibly then disintegrate.
6.20 ‘And the men of Beth–shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before YHWH, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?” ’
So they talked together and decided to call on the principle town of the area to send men to fetch the Ark of YHWH, and it was taken to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and there it was put under the care of Eleazar his son who was sanctified for the task, where it remained for over twenty years, while the voice of YHWH was silent. And the whole nation lamented after YHWH. They were slowly being brought to see how deeply they had failed Him.
6. 21 ‘And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-yearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of YHWH, you come down, and fetch it up to you.” ’
Their considerations brought them to one conclusion. There was only one man in the area fitted to look after the Ark, and that was Abinadab who lived ‘on the hill’ in Kiriath-yearim. So they sent to the inhabitants of Kiriath-yearim and informed them that the Philistines had returned the Ark and that they should come and fetch it and take it to Kiriath-yearim. Kiriath-yearim was one of the frontier cities of Judah (Joshua 15.9).
