12. The cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along the way; they went mooing and they turned neither to the right nor to the left. Meanwhile, the chiefs of the Philistine cities followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.
1 Samuel 6 describes the return of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines, after suffering several calamities in their cities. The passage talks about how the Philistines planned to return the ark to Israel and how it was received by the people. The verses selected below address topics such as the repentance of the Philistines, the divine presence and the holiness of the ark.
1 Samuel 6:9: "And observe, If climbing the way from its territory to Bete-Semes, it was he who made us this great evil; but if not, we will know that his hand did not touch us; It happened to us. " The Philistines ask for guidance to their priests on how to return the ark and how to know if the pest they had suffered was a divine punishment or a coincidence. This verse shows how they believed in divine intervention in their lives.
1 Samuel 6:13: "Now, those of Bete-Semes were driving the wheat in the valley; they raised their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it." This verse portrays the joy of the inhabitants of Bete-Semes as they see the ark of the covenant returning to Israel. The ark represented the presence of God, and his return was a sign that God had not abandoned the people of Israel.
1 Samuel 6:19: "But the Lord wounded some men of Bethi-semes, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; he injured fifty thousand men of the people, and the people mourned, because the Lord had made a great death among the people. " This verse highlights the holiness of the ark of the covenant and the consequences of the desecration of a sacred object. The men of Bete-Semes were punished for looking inside the ark, something that was prohibited by law.
1 Samuel 6:20: "Then the men of Bete-Semes said, Who can subsist before the Lord, this Holy God? To whom will He rise to move away from us?" This verse reflects the perception of the inhabitants of Bete-Semes about God's holiness and the need to remain away from anything that could profane it. The return of the ark was a lesson on the respect and reverence they should have for the divine presence.
1 Samuel 6:21: "They therefore sent messengers to the inhabitants of Quiriate-Jearim, saying, The Philistines returned the ark of the Lord; come, and take it to you." This verse highlights the importance of the ark of the covenant as a symbol of God's presence in Israel. Even after all the problems that had occurred, the inhabitants of Quiriate-Jearim wanted to receive the ark in their city, in order to honor God and keep alive the religious tradition of Israel.
“Quanto maiores forem os dons, maior deve ser sua humildade, lembrando de que tudo lhe foi dado como empréstimo.” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina