1 Samuel 6

What is salvation? Is it merely the removal of the negative?

The Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant and placed it in the temple of their god with the expectation that the ark of the God of Israel would bring good to their people. Instead the ark brought trouble everywhere that it was carried. Eventually all they wanted to do was to get rid of their trouble by getting rid of the ark.

They were not sure that their troubles had come from the god of Israel. Maybe it was just a coincidence. They decided to test their theory by sending it off under the direction of two milk cows. They wanted to see where the cows might lead the cart carrying the ark.

The Lords of the Philistines were ignorant of the Word of God. They did not know what the God of Israel required. They came up with their own offerings that made sense to them, offerings that were a golden testimony to the troubles that had afflicted their cities. They hoped that those cows would carry away their troubles with the ark.

They did not want Israel's God or all of the positive blessings of His salvation that He had promised to His people. They just wanted their lives back. They wanted the Lord to leave them alone.

God has so much more for us than that. The salvation that we have through His Son is not only the removal of the curse; it is the fullest provision of the blessing. More than anything, He gives us Himself. To have Him as our God, to know Him, to have communion with Him, this is the best gift that He could ever give. It is far more than carrying away our cares.

When we want God for who He is, we are eager to hear His Word.

The people of Beth-Shemesh rejoiced to see the ark of the Lord. They made a burnt offering to the Lord using the wood of the cart and the cows that the Lord guided back to His people. The Levites took down the ark. Yet even some of the men of Beth-Shemesh did not attend to the Word of the Lord and seventy of them died.

Who is able to stand before the Lord?

All the people groups of the world need to hear about the greatness of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had clean hands and a pure heart. He knew what was necessary in order bring the full salvation of God to those who were far away from Him. When He displayed emblems of His divinity, there were those who were so frightened by His power that all they could think of asking Him to do was to go away from them.

People everywhere need to hear the Word of the Lord, and to see the greatness of Jesus Christ. They need to see the love of the cross. They need to feel the power of the resurrection. They need to ask Him to stay with them. They need to call upon the Name of the Lord, not merely to take away their miseries, but to secure the blessings of salvation in His eternal friendship and in His rule over them in the kingdom of heaven.

How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him of whom they have never heard? How will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent by God and His church?

Salvation in all of its blessed fullness could never have come to us except through the right Man living for us and dying for our sins. His perfect righteousness is now available to us through faith in His Name. Do not ask Him to leave your town. Invite Him to stay. Hear His Voice, and follow Him by His grace forever.