"Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were.
By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go.”
1 Samuel 6:6
When the Ark of the Covenant was stolen during battle, it stayed in Philistine territory for seven months, and every place the Ark was moved, plagues and death followed. Realizing that the Lord’s heavy hand was against them, the people were paralyzed with fear, and asked the Philistine leaders to send the Ark back to Israel, or it will kill us all!
The diviners gave advice how to move the Ark and what gifts to send so that the God of Israel would stop afflicting their land. Then they strongly warned, “Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were!” These people knew about God’s mighty hand in Egypt. In fact, the day the Israelites brought the Ark into battle, the Philistines had cried out in panic, “This is a disaster! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? These are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues?” (4:8)
The Egyptian disaster had taken place over 300 years before, and yet the Philistines were still terrified of Israel’s God! For generations, stories had been told of His power. So, I wrote in my journal…“Centuries later, even ungodly leaders wisely advised about honoring the true, Almighty God! So, we better pay attention and learn from the stories of our ancestors!”
Don’t be Stubborn!
