(21) And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
Kirjath-jearim means the city of woods: and it belonged to Judah. It was one of the cities of the Gibeonites originally, see Joshua 9:17. Alas! for the men of Bethshemesh, had they known the preciousness of the presence of him whom the ark represented, how reluctantly would they have parted with the ark. We meet with a yet more striking instance of ignorance and blindness in the Gergesenes in the days of our Lord, who having given such a decided demonstration of his power and Godhead in the dispossessing of devils, the whole city besought him to depart out of their coasts. Matthew 8:34. Precious Jesus! how sweet the thought! that neither my ingratitude for all thy mercies, nor all my neglect of thee, which seemed to wish thy departure from me, hath provoked thee to leave me. No, dear Lord! thou wilt never leave me nor forsake me.
REFLECTIONS
THINK my soul, how awful the state of Israel was during the seven months God was pleased to punish them for their transgressions, in depriving them of the ark. Truly awful indeed, is the condition of all men who live without God, and without Christ in the world. But chiefly ye people of God, whose backslidings make barren your ordinances and leave them but as the mere shell and carcase of religion. Let such determine what it is to visit ordinances, and find not the God of ordinances. To have the form, but not the power of godliness. Oh! for the unceasing presence of God in Christ, in the assemblies of his people.
But behold my soul in what is here represented of the bringing back the ark, how the Lord works when as he saith himself, I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies. It is all of divine grace. Not our merit, not our exertions, not our prayers, not our labours; but thy right hand and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, O Lord, are the sole cause for which thou savest and redeemest thy people, for thy name's sake.
Precious Jesus! thou everlasting ark of thy church and people, thou art eternally fixed in Zion. And oh! how divinely reared for the security of my soul. Never, like the men of Beth-shemesh, would I presumptuously look into the secret things which belong unto the Lord our God. But with an eye unto thee and all thy suitableness, and all-sufficiency for the sinner's security, would I come unto thee in the way appointed. Surely, blessed Jesus, thou art thyself the very throne of grace, the very ark and mercy-seat, from whence all tokens of salvation come, and in whom Jehovah is accessible to all the humble requests of my soul. In thy blood and righteousness I find the removal of guilt, and the confidence of justification. In thy dear person I have all I need, both for security and comfort. Thou art my dwelling place whereunto I may always resort. Lord Jesus! cause me never to lose sight of thee in all my approaches. In thy name would I rejoice all the day, and in thy righteousness make my boast; for thou art both the ark and the glory of our strength, and in thy favor our horn shall be exalted.