Those Poor Cows: 1 Samuel 6:13-18

There is no higher goal than the accomplishment of God’s will.  Before agreeing to readily to this platitude, consider the goals humans typically pursue: wealth, possessions, family, love, belonging.  How many of these are we unwilling to sacrifice in pursuit of God’s will?

The cows returned to Beth-shemesh.  They did what the Philistine priests thought impossible.  They ignored their calves.  They ignored the cart.  They ignored the increasing pain in their utters.  Why could they do this?  These cows were guided by the hand of the Lord.  The cows, following God, did what Dagon could not do.

The Philistine leaders followed the cart to see what would happen.  They were sure they would be able to retain the ark and lay claim to the golden tumors and mice.  They went away sad, knowing they would be unable to use this story to claim the greatness of Dagon.  This would not be a story they could use to increase the peoples’ dependence upon their god as they hoped.  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob intervened.

I can’t help but feel bad for the cows.  This leads me to wonder if there is something wrong within.  The Hebrew people see the ark return and rejoice.  They call the Levites, who immediately come, claim the materials, and slaughter these obedient cows.  I feel for the cows because all they did was perfectly execute obedience to the Lord.  Their obedience to the hand of God led them into their slaughter.

While feeling sorrow for the cows may sound easily justified, I don’t spiritually think it is.  These cows were a voluntary joyful sacrifice to the Lord.  I’m not saying the cows wanted to die, but on the other hand if God came to me and asked me to sacrifice my life for His will I would like to believe I would obey.  God asked His Son to give up His life for me, if I claim to follow Jesus, why would I not follow His lead?  Yet I struggle to see the sacrifice of these cows through any lens but sorrow.

I rest easily knowing the struggle within illustrates my appreciation for the sanctity of life.  Life is precious and should never be spent frivolously.  It makes me wonder, though, if our modern culture has gone too far.  Cultures used to be built on stories of sacrificial heroism.  Great ballads and plays have been devoted to the willingness of people – even animals – willing to lay down their life in pursuit of something they desperately believed in.

This may seem like an over-analysis of a story involving the death of two cows in a society where slaughtering cattle in sacrifice was commonplace.  I’ll accept that critique.  But even these cows can still teach a lesson.  Life is to be treasured; but a life spent – even extinguished – in the pursuit of God’s will is a life well spent.  There is no higher goal than for God’s will to be done.