Ark of the Covenant in enemy hands

Samuel doesn’t get a mention in chapter 4.  It is all about the ark of the covenant and the slaughter of Israelites by the Philistines – “30,000 footmen”! That seems to be an extraordinary number. Eli’s sons die, as does Eli when he hears that the ark of the covenant has gone into enemy hands.

The Philistines knew the Jewish history (I Samuel 4:8); they thought that the ark would be like a lucky talisman for them, as it had brought triumph to the Children of Israel -

Wikipedia states: Thereafter the gold-plated acacia chest was carried by the Levites some 2,000 cubits in advance of the people when on the march or before the Israelite army, the host of fighting men.^[8] When the Ark was borne by Levites into the bed of the Jordan River, the waters parted as God had parted the waters of the Red Sea, opening a pathway for the entire host to pass through (Josh. 3:15–16; 4:7–18). The walls of the city of Jericho were shaken to the ground with no more than a shout from the army after the Ark of the Covenant was paraded round them for seven days by Levites accompanied by seven priests sounding seven trumpets of rams' horns (Josh. 6:4–20). When carried, the Ark was always hidden under a large veil made of skins and blue cloth, always carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the priests and the Levites who carried it. 

The ark of the covenant is an interesting study. Originally built to hold the tablets of the Ten Commandments, it was 2½ cubits long by 1½ broad and deep, covered inside and out with gold on the shittim (acacia) wood. A valuable item in material terms!

Chapter 5 tells us of the fun and games the ark brought to the Philistines. When it was placed beside their god Dagon (represented with the face and hands of a man, the tail of a fish), Dagon fell on his face to the earth overnight, supposedly in homage – twice. With one thing and another (the Philistines were smitten with "emerods"*) the Philistines decided that the ark was bad medicine for them.

As Chapter 6 tells us, the Philistines had had enough after seven months. They sent it back! A good joke, I reckon.

 

Joyce Voysey

 

*Ed: The Living Bible translates this as "a plague of boils"; the Message has "tumors". The New Living Testament suggests "swelling" or "hemorrhoids."