Year 1, Day 292: 1 Samuel 6

Speculation

Today we get the story of the Ark’s return.  This is a really neat story, and it gives me a moment to do some speculation.  Let’s handle that issue first.  And keep in mind that I call this speculation.  My first topic is not doctrinal truth but an exploration of the possible convergence of faith and science.

I’ve always wondered why the Philistines added mice to the golden offering.  The tumors I can understand because it was the tumors that are on the Philistines.  Since they would want to appease God, it makes sense that they would offer up a golden offering in the shape of that which they want removed.  They are connecting the offering (gold) to the thing they want God to do (remove the tumors).  But that still doesn’t explain why the mice, then?

Here’s where the speculation comes into play.  Let’s say these tumors where the physical evidence of some kind of disease.  Remember my reference to the Bubonic Plague yesterday?  Well, we know that diseases are often spread by animals that multiply quickly and have a short life span.*  So it very well could be that the Lord sent a plague of mice among the Philistines which spread the disease.  While it is highly unlike that the Philistines could have made the medical connection in understanding how the mice and tumors were related, it is certainly possible that God knew what He was doing in using mice to transmit the plague of tumors and instructed the Philistine priests to have both mice and tumors as a part of the offering back to Him.  If true, I find that neat little place where science and the Bible come together and speak meaningfully about one another.

The Lord Struck 70 Dead

Okay, let’s leave speculation behind and get to honest truth.  I want to focus in on one very narrow aspect of the passage today: 1 Samueal 6:19.  The Lord strikes down 70 persons - those who look upon the Ark.  For the record, your translation (if you read the Holman or the NIV) may say “look into the Ark.”  Those of you reading the NRSV have a horrible translation that implies that the Lord smote the 70 people because they didn’t greet the Ark with joy.  {If you want to do an interesting Bible comparison, apparently this verse seems to be a good one to read among the different translations.}

So what is really going on in this verse?  To understand this part of the story, turn in your Bibles – or your internet browser – to Numbers 4.  In this chapter we have directions for how the Ark and all the rest of the belongings of the sanctuary are to be transported.  Notice that they are to be covered with both animal skins and fabric.  The point is that they are not to be seen – or especially touched!  This is actually why I don’t quibble too much between the translations that say “looked upon the Ark” or “looked into the Ark.”  It is not even supposed to be seen by anyone except the priests or the penalty could very well be death!

Now let’s return to the passage in 1 Samuel.  Here we have the Ark returning uncovered.  Common folk are capable of seeing the Ark of the Lord.  Remember that the Ark of the Lord is sometimes called the Throne of God here on earth.  In this passage we have common people having access to see the Throne of God!  When I put it in those terms, the death of these people makes a little more sense – especially since it is before Christ and before Christ has “made all things clean.”  These people were living in a time when only a specific few people had access to the throne of God – and even those people needed to perform rites and sacrifices to make them purified.

So why is this important?  Sure, we can now understand why they died, but what does it mean?  It tells us to take seriously the things of God.  Even those of us today – having been cleansed by the righteous blood of Jesus Christ – should take care of how we treat God’s stuff.  Phinehas and Hophni, the sons of Eli, treated the Ark casually and died in battle.  The Philistines treated the Ark casually and suffered a plague from it.  The casual treatment of the Ark leads some of the common folk in Beth-shemeth to come into contact with something that they should not be seeing and they die.  The lesson to be learned here is to respect the holiness of God.**

That makes sense.  Remember, the word “holy” means “separate.”  God is separate from us.  His nature is different.  Just because we are cleansed with the blood of Christ does not mean we should treat God casually.  No, we don’t need to create superstitious practices that separate us from God, but neither do we want to make it seem like God is “just like us,” either.  God is unique.  He is different.  He is holy.  He deserves to be revered.  He deserves to be able to choose to lift us up rather than to have us bring Him down.

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*In fact, if I am remembering my medical science correctly, the disease leprosy (Hansen’s disease) is actually grown in the feet of mice and the feet of armadillos.  Since leprosy was prevalent in the ancient world and there is no record of armadillos anywhere but in America, it makes sense that anywhere leprosy is common that mice were also common.  If mice were common, then they would make a ready transmitter for God to use in giving out a supernatural disease.  Again, though, let me reiterate.  This is not Biblical truth but scientific speculation.

**Ooooh, a double asterisk day!  Perhaps as you were reading the paragraph where this asterisk is found you asked why it is that the Hebrew people die when they see the Ark uncovered while the Philistines don’t – they get tumors instead.  I don’t know the answer, and I’ll leave it open for speculation and conversation.  However, let me assert my best guess: the Philistines had no ability to know any better while the Hebrew people should’ve known better.  If this is true, then it sends a clear message to us who know God and how seriously he expects those who “know better” to live a life worthy of His ways!