»Si quieren saber si fue el Dios de Israel quien los castigó, hagan lo siguiente: Construyan una carreta nueva. Esa carreta deben jalarla dos vacas que nunca hayan trabajado con el yugo puesto ni hayan jalado ninguna carreta. Las vacas deben estar criando terneros. »Como lo normal es que las vacas vayan hacia donde están sus terneros, encierren a los terneros en el establo. Pongan luego el cofre del pacto de Dios en la carreta, y en una caja pongan las figuras de oro que hicieron. Una vez que hayan hecho esto, suelten la carreta para que las vacas se lleven la ofrenda. »Fíjense entonces hacia dónde se dirigen las vacas. Si se van hacia Bet-semes, que es un pueblo israelita, podemos estar seguros de que fue el Dios de los israelitas quien nos causó tanto daño. Si no sucede así, entonces sabremos que no fue su Dios quien nos castigó, sino que todo esto fue un accidente.
¿Qué significa esto?
This verse instructs the Philistines to make a new cart and use two milch cows that have never been yoked before. The cows should be harnessed to the cart, and their calves should be kept at home. The speaker is not directly named but is inferred to be a divine voice or through a prophet.
Explicado para niños
Imagine you have two mommy cows who have never worked in a field. Now, let’s put them in a special little cart and leave their babies at home. This is like a big test to see if these cows will follow God’s plan on their own.
Contexto histórico
1 Samuel was written by various authors including the prophet Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. This verse is from the time when the Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant and were trying to return it to the Israelites. The cultural setting includes the practices and beliefs of ancient Near Eastern peoples regarding divine artifacts and omens.
Aplicación para hoy
In modern times, this can be seen as a reminder to follow God’s instructions even when they seem unusual. For example, if a friend asks you to do something strange to help someone in need, trusting that it will lead to a greater good.
The unyoked cows were chosen because they had not been used for labor, making them a symbol of purity and obedience to divine instructions.
What was the significance of the calves being kept at home?
Keeping the calves at home was meant to test if the cows would go willingly to the Israelites' territory without being forced, indicating divine intervention.
How does this verse relate to faith?
This verse shows that faith involves following God’s specific instructions, even when they are unusual or hard to understand.
What can we learn from this verse in our daily lives?
We can learn to trust and follow God’s guidance, no matter how unconventional it seems, and to do so with pure motives and obedience.