Telling the Cows Where to Go! 1SAMUEL 6:1-21;7:1-17The Philistine wise men came up with a plan that would test the God of Israel. If Jehovah, represented by the Ark, was indeed the true and living God, let Him take the Ark back to where it belonged! The lords set up a plan. They would take two cows that had calves and separate them from the calves. They would hitch the cows to a new cart, put the Ark on the cart, and turn the cows loose. If the cows didn’t move at all, or if they went to their calves, it would be “proof” that the God of Israel wasn’t in control and the Philistines had nothing to fear.If the cows meandered all over without any sense of direction, the lords could draw the same conclusion.The cows would probably head for their calves, because that was the natural thing to do.The cows needed to get rid of their milk and the calves needed the nourishment.If the cows went over the border into Israel, the Lord would be appeased and wouldn’t send Philistia any more plagues.This plan enabled the Lord to receive glory without the lords of the Philistines being embarrassed.The cows were nursing their calves and lowing for them, and that the cows had never drawn a cart before, the odds were that they wouldn’t go down the road that led from Ekron to Beth-Shemesh. In the first two battles, the people were not yielded to the Lord.They were not praying for His direction.They were depending on a piece of furniture to give them victory instead of God.Now they are relying upon the Lord and they are victorious. God graciously allowed the Ark to be taken about ten miles to Kiriath Jearim to remain for the next 20 years.