“Now take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk-cows that have never been under a yoke. Harness the cows to the cart, but put their calves back in the shed. Then take the ark of Adonai and lay it on the cart. In a box next to it, put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering.”-1 Samuel 6:7-8
So in their preparations to return the Ark to Israel, the Philistines came up with their gift of reparation…
Which were the 5 lumps of gold they molded into the shape of rodents.
However, they now needed to decide HOW to transport the Ark back into Hebrew territory.
They were advised by their religious leaders to build a wagon that had never been used before…
Then they were instructed to use two milk cows that have never been yoked to tow the cart back into Israelite territory.
Why 2 milk cows that had never been yoked?
Well, similar instructions are actually in Torah.
Take a look at this verse:
“This is the regulation from the Torah which Adonai has commanded. Tell the people of Israel to bring you a young red female cow without fault or defect and which has never borne a yoke.”-Numbers 19:2
And this one:
“After it has been determined which town is the closest, the leaders of that town are to take a young female cow that has never been put to work or yoked for use as a draft animal.”-Deuteronomy 21:3
The verses from the book of Numbers are about the Red Heifer that’s to be used for ritual purification.
And the verses from Deuteronomy are all about using an unyoked beast as a sacrifice to atone for an unsolved murder.
The reason the beasts of burden had to be unyoked were all about approaching Adonai in an undefiled manner.
That’s also why a new wagon had to be built…
“But wait a minute, how in the heck were these pagan diviners familiar with God’s divine Torah protocols?”
Good question.
And it leads us to our takeaway for today.
Here’s the thing.
Every human being possesses an innate knowledge of the things of God.
It’s woven into our very nature.
Of course, I’m not saying we’ll naturally know how to obey specific Torah commands without studying Scripture…
But the principles behind those commands will resonate with our souls…
Because that’s how God originally created us…
The Philistines knew in their hearts they had offended a holy God…
That’s why they also knew in their hearts that they had to approach him in a CLEAN and UNDEFILED manner.
It’s my personal belief that every unbeliever in the world today carries a sort of guilt deep down inside their souls.
They can somehow sense their sin has separated them from their Creator.
They feel incomplete.
That’s why no person can have true peace until he has peace with his Creator.
Ya feel me?
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“For the invisible things of him
since the creation of the world
are clearly seen,
being perceived through the
things that are made,
even his everlasting power
and divinity; that they may
be without excuse:”
-Romans 1:20
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