Don’t Jump Into Conclusions!

1 Samuel 6:9 – but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, then the LORD has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”

6:9 – But keep your eyes on it. If it heads straight back home to where it came from, toward Beth Shemesh, it is clear that this catastrophe is a divine judgment, but if not, we’ll know that God had nothing to do with it—it was just an accident.” (Message Bible)

Philistines in an aggression act of war took the Ark of the covenant from Israel. The Ark of the Covenant was the box that carried the tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. Much more important was that it signified the presence of God. Taking this Ark from Israel to Philistine territory was the most offensive act of war against Israel and their God!

Taking the Ark of the covenant was like robbing Israel of their secret power. Taking the Ark of the covenant was the capture of the final bastion of defence for Israel. This is the worst thing that had happened to Israel.

Taking the Ark of the covenant was akin to capturing the God of Israel. God was the protector of Israel, and taking His presence was like capturing God at war. It seemed like the gods of the Philistines were stronger than the God of Israel. The situation was interpreted as the gods of Philistines had overpowered the God of Israel. Now God was a prisoner of the gods in the land of the gods.

When the Ark of the covenant reached Philistine territory, miracles started happening. All idols representing gods of the Philistines fell and broke in bowing manner before the Ark of the covenant. This shocked the Philistines and they started noticing that it seems the God of Israel had power even beyond Israel. Philistines after some days realised the God of Israel was the God of gods and no God couldn’t remain in erect position in His presence.

The Ark of the covenant stayed in Philistine territory for seven months. It was seven months of disaster and panic. Everywhere the Ark was taken disaster befell the people. At some point, no Philistine territory wanted to host the Ark of the covenant. Arrival of the Ark of the covenant in any Philistine territory was like a death sentence for its people and an invitation of disaster. Every Philistine territory that received the Ark was struck by an outbreak of tumors.

Further more all the rulers and elders of Philistines contracted a terrible sickness. The rulers got tutors afflicting them. A solution was needed urgently and it was decided that the Ark of the covenant must be returned to Israel. A plan was hatched and a cow drawn cart was prepared so that it could take the Ark of the covenant back to Israel.

No one wanted to escort the Ark of the covenant out of fear. The leaders of the Philistines concluded that the cow cart should be set on the way to Israel. If the cows kept going by themselves all the way to Israel then it would confirm that their sickness and disaster came from the God of Israel. If the cows got stranded waiting to be shown the way and guided, it would mean the disasters and sickness were not from the God of Israel but just accidents or natural occurrences. They did not want to jump into conclusions!

Superstition is a widely held but irrational belief on the supernatural. Superstition is jumping into conclusions that something is supernatural when it is not. Some times we jump into conclusions to lazily explain away what we refuse to understand. Sometimes we jump into conclusions to absolve ourselves of wrong doing. Sometimes we jump into conclusions in order to sustain a certain narrative. We learn a good lesson from the Philistine leaders that we shouldn’t jump into conclusion.

Leaders of the Philistines refused to jump into conclusion that it was God punishing them with sickness. Leaders of Philistines refused to jump into conclusion that what was happening was a direct divine intervention. They sought to verify and that is why they the spoke as they did in our key text today. They refused to jump into conclusion and that is why they got a chance to affirm their faith that God of Israel was superior to their gods. Don’t jump into conclusions!

Don’t jump into conclusion that the problems at work are satan related, it could be your laziness and you need to address that. Don’t jump into conclusion that your marriage is under evil attack, yet you are not handling it appropriately as a believer by loving your wife and submitting to your husband. Don’t jump into conclusions that your money and its sources are bewitched yet you do not return tithes and offerings. Don’t jump into conclusions that sickness and death comes from witchcraft yet you live a careless life contrary to safety and health principles. Don’t jump into conclusions!

Don’t jump into conclusions because some things are natural occurrences. Don’t jump into conclusions yet you are dealing with natural effects of ageing. Don’t jump into conclusions yet you are dealing with a child’s performance that is consistent with abilities of family members. Don’t jump into conclusions yet the sickness is an outbreak affecting everywhere. Don’t jump into conclusions when you are not the only one with that misfortunes. Philistine leaders wanted to differentiate between what God of Israel had done and what could be a natural outbreak of sickness. They did not want to jump into conclusion!

Jumping into conclusion gives you a false perspective of life. Jumping into conclusion may cause you to attribute to God things He hasn’t done. Jumping into conclusion may cause you to blame and hate people who are not guilty. Jumping into conclusion may be consistent with local narratives and it causes you to be recruited into fearing people and hating them, yet they are not guilty. Jumping into conclusion make the truth a casualty. Don’t jump into conclusions!

Family feuds and vendettas are driven by members who jump into conclusion over everything. Office politics pitting one group against the other are driven by participants jumping into conclusion while interpreting each event that happens. Strained relationships with endless accusations have some truths but core issues are based on jumping into conclusion. Jumping into conclusion causes harm only. Don’t jump into conclusions!

Take time to establish what the truth is. Refuse to believe local gossip. Seek verification. Pray for a sign of clarification. Don’t jump into conclusions! May God help us not to jump into conclusions, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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