The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people of the city chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Levites removed the ark of the Lord, along with the box containing the gold objects and placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 1 Samuel 6:14 HCSB
There is something about the male ego that does not want to ask for directions or find it necessary to read instructions. A man wants to do it on his own without any help from others. Several times when I have tried to put something together without reading the instructions and assumed I could figure it out by myself, only to find that I needed guidance if I was going to put it together correctly. Without reading the instructions I have usually missed a vital step that needed to be included.
This passage references female cows, so when the people sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering, they were not following the law of God which says, “to bring an unblemished male” (Leviticus 1:3) as a burnt offering. This is an example of doing something with the right motive but still not following God’s instructions. The next verse tells us that the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices. The Levites should have offered the burnt offerings for the people, so again the people were not following the instructions of God.
Challenge: God gives us instructions for our own good and benefit. They guide and help us do things in a way that brings honor and glory to Him. When we fail to follow God’s instructions and do things our way, we often find ourselves in a mess that is hard to untangle. Pray that God will help you know and follow His instructions.