Skeptics Annotated Bible A Response

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11/14/2004

#6 How long was the ark of the covenant at Abinadab's house?

Response by Wendell Leahy

They skeptics claim:
1 Sam.7:1-2 says that the ark of the covenant was brought to Abinadab's house and that it stayed there for 20 years. This was before Saul was made king (1 Sam.10:24).

But according to 2 Sam.6:2-3, David removed the ark from Abinadab's house.
Acts 13:21 says that Saul (David's predecessor) was king for 40 years. So the ark must have been at Abinadab's house for more than 40 years.

Explanation:
This is one of those, non questions! I don't see the purpose this was even mentioned. How long was the ark of the covenant at Abinadab's house? 20 years, as written.

Saul's reign is not mentioned in the Old Testament and Josephus coincides [Antiquities, 6.14.9]. This is mentioned because Paul (Saul) was of this tribe, the tribe of Benjamin. The 40 years is mentioned from Paul and verified by Jospehus.

A non question... in my opinion... The reason I called this a non-question was the fact that indeed, the critic misinterpret's Acts 13:21.

In fact, what is notable here, yet not mentioned, has nothing really to do with 20 years, or 40 years.. but that: They set the ark of God upon a new cart or a covered wagon. This was in violation of an express statute (Numbers 7:9, 18:3).
John Wesley writes....
1 Sam.7-2 Kirjath - jearim - Where it continued, and was not carried to Shiloh its former place, either because that place was destroyed by the Philistines when the ark was taken, or because God would hereby punish the wickedness of the people of Israel, by keeping it in a private place near the Philistines, whether the generality of the people durst not come. Twenty years - He saith not, that this twenty years was all the time of the ark's abode there, for it continued there from Eli's time 'till David's reign, 6:2, which was forty years: but that itwas so long there before the Israelites were sensible of their sin and misery. Lamented - That is, they followed after God with lamentations for his departure, and prayers for his return.

Jamieson, Fausset, Brown writes....
the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim . . . twenty years--It appears, in the subsequent history, that a much longer period elapsed before its final removal from Kirjath-jearim (2 Samuel 6:1-19, 1 Chronicles 13:1-14). But that length of time had passed when the Israelites began to revive from their sad state of religious decline. The capture of the ark had produced a general indifference either as to its loss or its recovery.

all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord--They were then brought, doubtless by the influence of Samuel's exhortations, to renounce idolatry, and to return to the national worship of the true God.

Response by Dave Marr

The skeptic references these verses:

Twenty years.
"And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD." 1 Sam.7:1-2
"And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him [Saul] whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king." 1 Sam.10:24

More than forty years.
"And David arose ... to bring up from thence the ark of God.... And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah...." 2 Sam.6:2-3
"And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years." Acts.13:21

The skeptics argument:
1 Sam.7:1-2 says that the ark of the covenant was brought to Abinadab's house and that it stayed there for 20 years. This was before Saul was made king (1 Sam.10:24).
But according to 2 Sam.6:2-3, David removed the ark from Abinadab's house. And Acts 13:21 says that Saul (David's predecessor) was king for 40 years. So the ark must have been at Abinadab's house for more than 40 years.

Explanation:
My claim: the Ark was at Abinadab’s house somewhere between 25-30 years.

The key problem is that the skeptics misinterpret Acts 13:21. To see this more clearly, we need to back up a verse:
“And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.” Acts 13:20-21
Here is the situation:
there were judges in Israel 450 years until Samuel the prophet; that is, there were a series of judges in Israel until he became a prophet in the eyes of Israel. Paul’s account in Acts is referencing from the end of the “judges” period(which ended with Samuel becoming a prophet) to the end of Saul’s reign(because the next verse heralds David’s kingdom). Samuel was prophet in Israel foe more than twenty years before Saul’s monarchy. Samuel first became recognized in this role in 1 Samuel 3:20:

“And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.”

The Ark was stolen by the Philistines in 1 Sam. 4:11. Then it was returned, and placed in the house of Abinadab in 1 Sam. 7:1

20 years later, we arrive at 1 Samuel 7:2:

“And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.”

This means that the Ark was already at Abinadab’s house for 20 years when the Israelites started to grieve for it. Shortly thereafter, Saul is made king. In the remaining 5-10 years before the the Ark is recovered, Saul reigns as king, then dies, then David battles the House of Saul, then David becomes king, and then he brings the Ark back a little while after in 2 Samuel 6:2-3.

re: by Wendell Leahy
My claim: the Ark was at Abinadab’s house somewhere between 25-30 years. The key problem is that the skeptics misinterpret Acts 13:21.

25-30 sounds quite reasonable... The reason I called this a non-question was the fact that indeed, they did misinterpret Acts 13:21. Great explaination Dave..