1 Samuel, chapter 5 and 6
The Ark of God was taken from Israel to an enemy’s city and set in their heathen temple beside their idol, as though they would worship both.
Their idol, called Dagon is said to have been made with head and hands like a man, and a body like a fish, which shows its how hideous and foolish such images are (Rom. 1:21-2421Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: (Romans 1:21‑24)).
The next morning the men of the city came to their temple and found their big idol on the floor before the Ark. They set it back in place, but the next morning when they came it was again on the floor with its head and hands cut off. This frightened the heathen priests and people so that they did not dare go to the temple anymore and sent the Ark to other cities for their land.
But wherever the Ark was taken, in that land God sent sickness to the people, so they decided to return it to Israel. They made a new cart and placed the Ark on it with a box in which were some gold images to make up for their wrong in tang the Ark. Then they got two cows to draw the cart, keeping their little calves shut up at home. It is not natural for a mother animal to go away from its young, and besides these cows had never had a yoke on, so were not trained to draw a cart. So the men said if the cows would draw the Ark straight to the land of Israel by themselves, they would know that it was of God.
The two cows started at once along the road that led to the border of Israel, and did not once turn aside, but walked long, which means, crying, for their calves. They kept on till they came to a field where men of Israel were cutting grain and stopped by a big stone. The men of Israel were greatly pleased when they saw the Ark once more. They took it from the cart and offered sacrifice in thanks to God.
Men of the enemy had followed after the cows to see where they would go. They should have worshiped the true God of heaven when they saw the dumb animals go straight to Israel, hut they returned at once to their land and idols.
ML 10/02/1938