1 Samuel 6-7; Psalm 68:19-27; 2 Corinthians 9

1 Samuel 6
1-18 Ark Returned to Israel

• Philistines keep ark for 7 months, then ask their priests and diviners what procedure they should use to send the ark back to Israel.
• Reply: Send it back with a guilt offering: five gold tumors for five Philistine lords (Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, Ekron) and five gold mice for their five cities, to represent the things that afflicted you.
• Put the ark and the images on a new cart led by two milk cows whose calves are kept at home. If the cows take the cart to Beth-shemesh, then we know it is the God of Israel who has sent these plagues.
• The cows head straight for Beth-shemesh and stop where people are harvesting wheat. The Levites take down the ark of the LORD, and they offer up the cows as burnt offering at a large stone in the field, using wood from the cart.

6:19 - 7:2 The Ark at Kiriath-jearim

• Because descendants of Jeconiah do not rejoice at the return of the ark, God kills 70 of their men.
• They offer the ark to Kiriath-jearim, who come and take it to the house of Abinadab, whose son Eleazar is to have charge of it. It stays there for 20 years.
• "And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD." I'm not sure why they lamented, other than that the losing of the ark was so devastating it sobered their thinking. Losing the ark -- which represented the very presence of the LORD -- indicated a possible abandonment by the LORD himself. They may not have always wanted to worship him as they should, but he had always been there when they decided to call on him.
  

1 Samuel 7
3-17 Samuel as Judge

• Samuel convinces Israel to put away their Baals and Astartes and to serve God only. A result of the sorrowful repentance indicated in verse 2.
  
• He calls them together to pray for them, so they gather at Mizpah, fasting and confessing their sin.
• The Philistines gather to attack Israel; the people cry to Samuel for help, and he offers a sacrifice for them.
• As he's offering the sacrifice, the Philistines attack, but God drives them back and confuses them with a "mighty voice," and the men of Israel pursue them and "strike them down."
• Samuel sets up a stone he names "Ebenezer," for "Thus far the LORD has helped us." (Hence the words in O Thou Fount of Every Blessing, "Here I raise my Ebenezer....")
  
• In Samuel's time, the Philistines leave Israel alone, and the towns they have taken are restored to Israel.
• Samuel is a "circuit judge," going around to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah then returning to his home in Ramah. And this is what we picture a judge doing. Not the kind of judging we see in Samson or Jephthah. The difference, I suppose, between a nation at war and one at peace.
  

Psalm 68:19-27
19-20 Blessing God, recognizing him as a God of salvation
21-23 Gory warning for enemies, using phrases like "shatter the heads," "bathe your feet in blood," and "tongues of dogs having their share from the foe."
24-27 Description of a celebratory procession of God's people with Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead and including the princes of Judah, Zebulun and Naphtali

2 Corinthians 9
1-15 Collection for Christians at Jerusalem

• Paul has boasted to the Macedonians about the Achaians' eagerness to help and encourages them to be ready to save both him and them humiliation when he comes with the Macedonians to collect the funds. These are same Macedonians Paul lifted up as an example of giving beyond their means.
  
• Therefore, he is sending a couple of brothers ahead to help arrange for the gift
• Physical principle: He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. A generous attitude will result in life that experiences generosity.
• It is not to be done with reluctance and because someone is forcing you to do it. This is an individual decision.
  
• God is able to provide. This is an matter of faith -- do we believe God will bless us, or are we depending on ourselves to provide our needs and more?
• Results of generosity?
• Your own enrichment
• Thanksgiving to God
• Needs of the saints supplied
• Overflowing of thanksgiving to God
• God glorified by your obedience and your generosity
• The prayers and affection of those to whom you give
• Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! The ability to give is a gift in itself -- not only having enough to give, but the willingness to give, because such an attitude increases our joy. When Jesus taught that it was more blessed to give than to receive, he wasn't stating so much a command, as a principle of giving, of human nature. We're naturally happier when, because we want to and can, we give to others. It is much more satisfying than receiving from others when we are in need.