1 Samuel 6:12

1 Samuel 6:12 says, And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.  The two cows pulling the Ark of the Covenant took a straight path to Bethshemesh.  This was the next city in the land of Israel, and a priests city.  They did not turn aside on their way there.  The Philistines had taken the Ark as a trophy, and had possibly thought to ransom it, but they were as glad to get rid of it as they had been to take it.  We should never attempt to profit from things that belong to God.  Verse thirteen adds, And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.  The people of Bethshemesh were at work, reaping their wheat.  They were not expecting this blessing from the lord, and it was a blessing.  We never know as we go about our everyday life as followers of Christ when we will receive an unexpected blessing, but then again shouldn't all blessings be unexpected?  We should not live sitting around waiting for God to bless us, but should be at work for Him every day.  Verse fourteen continues, Like the people of Israel then, we should rejoice in the lord when these unexpected blessings come out way.  Verse fourteen continues, And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.  The cows came to a halt in the field of Joshua, a resident of Bethshemesh, and the placed the Ark on a great stone and used the wood of the cart to make a burnt offering of the cows to God.  Matthew Henry points out that after bearing the Ark of the Covenant, the cart could have never been used for anything else, and the two cows, once they were used to pull the cart had already been given to God.  We should never attempt to profit materially from the things already given to God.  Verse fifteen states, And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.  The Levites had already taken possession of the Ark and the coffer containing the jewels and gold and had placed the Ark on the great stone, as the people offered burnt offerings and sacrifices the same day.  We should never put off rejoicing at that blessings that God bestows on us.  Verse sixteen adds, And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.  When the five lords of the Philistines saw what had happened, they returned to Ekron.  They had received no ransom for the Ark, but had actually paid to get rid of it.  We cannot ransom God's word today, and if we attempt to, we will pay the price for doing so.  The lords of the Philistines had seen evidence of the reality and power of God by the cows returning straight to God's people with the Ark, but they simply returned home.  Not everyone who sees evidence of the reality and power of God put their faith in Him.  Verse seventeen continues, And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;  The lords of the Philistines had offered golden statues for each of their five cities.  Verse eighteen says, And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.  They had also included five golden mice in the offering, and the stone the Ark sat on was there for a memorial to God thereafter.  We need to teach our children about the blessings that God has given us, so that they might know of His power and hopefully come to put their faith in Him.  Verse nineteen adds, And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.  Instead of being able to continue worshipping God, He struck down over fifty thousand of the people of Bethshemesh because they had shown disrespect for the sanctity if the Ark of the Covenant by looking inside it.  We should never disrespect the things set aside for God.  Verse twenty continues, And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?  The remaining people of Bethshemesh asked who could stand before the Holy Gad and who could go up to God for them.  The answer to their questions is that no one of their own merit can stand before God, but He graciously sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to go up before Him for us, if we will put our faith in Him.  Verse twenty-one continues, And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.  The people of Bethshemesh then sent messengers to Kirjathjearim, asking them to come take the Ark.  They now would not even touch the Ark of the Covenant themselves, though they had rejoiced at its return earlier, and had then become guilty of profaning it.  If God blesses us today, we should be careful that we do not begin to profane Him by misusing the things He blesses us with.