“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 how we should send it to its place.” (vv.1-2)
When the Philistines first captured the ark of the covenant, they thought it was a great victory but, as time went on the Philistines began to regard the ark as a burden, not as a trophy. So, why did they keep it for seven months? Because they were reluctant to give up such a wonderful “trophy” of what they at first felt was a great victory over the God of Israel.
It can take a long time before we realize the futility of resisting God. The Philistine priests had enough sense to know they had offended the LORD God. Therefore, they knew they should do something to express their sorrow and repentance before the LORD.
Chapter 6 paints an interesting picture concerning recognizing sin. The first part of our text shows how we as sinners are sometimes willing to hang on to our sin. Oh we can see its effects all around us, but are willing to prolong the miseries by refusing to part with the sin. We somehow justify the act though the very punishment it inflicts. Crazy!
The second part of our text speaks to the realization we all eventually come to, “something has to change.” We consult our friends and trusted advisors on what to do with our sin and, may even say to ourselves, “this is punishment from God.” However, unless we call on the name of Jehovah God, ask for His forgiveness, and seek His strength to live for Him, chances are, we will end up back in the same place of suffering.
Therefore, if you have had your fill of the plaque of sin and you want to rid it from your life forever, recognize the name of Jehovah and receive the grace of Jesus through His forgiveness of sin. Then, old things shall pass away and all things shall become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Truth: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
You can do that right now by praying the prayer to the right on this page "Connect with God."
