1 Samuel 6:13-15 Rejoiced to See It!

 ”Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the Lord.“ I Samuel‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Rejoiced to see it: They felt something like the disciples felt on the day they saw the resurrected Jesus, because they felt they received God back to them from the dead. On this day as they were reaping their wheat harvest (between May and June), they knew the God of Israel was alive.

i. Of course, God was never dead and had never left them. But the Israelites felt as though God was dead, and they were as desperate, discouraged, and hopeless as if He really were dead. According to their feelings, it was as if the LORD God of Israel had risen from the dead.

b. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there: After being guided for some ten miles from the Philistine city, without stopping or going to one side or the other, the ark then stopped in Israelite land, at the exact field of one chosen man.

c. They split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering: They knew this was the right thing to do in honor to God, yet it really cost them something. Cows and carts were expensive property.

i. In a strict sense their offering was against the Mosaic Law. First, they offered female animals to the LORD, which was forbidden (Leviticus 1:3; 22:19). Second, they made a burnt offering to the LORD away from the tabernacle, which violated the command in Deuteronomy 12:5-6. Yet God knew both their hearts and the remarkable circumstances, and He was no doubt honored.

d. The Levites took down the ark of the LORD: The Israelites were careful to let the Levites handle the ark, as was commanded by the law (Numbers 4:1-6, 15). Beth Shemesh was a priestly city (Joshua 21:16), so priests were on hand. (Guzik)

Rejoiced to see it!

When we come to Christ, accept His grace and are born again our soul rejoiced to see it because our God created us for Him. Look at what Jesus said happens in heaven when a sinner repents!

”I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.“ Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Heaven rejoiced to see it and recorded it in the Book of Life! 

I remember where I was when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior but I didn’t record the date! So it’s a good thing that it was recorded in heaven!

Do you remember the date you rejoiced to see it, the day of your salvation?

Blessings