1 Samuel 6:7-21: a reflection

7“Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk cows on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them; 8and take the LORD’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go. 9Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.” 10The men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11They put the LORD’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the LORD. 15The Levites took down the LORD’s ark and the box that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD. 16When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; 18and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the LORD’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. 19He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the LORD’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?” 21They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the LORD’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”

When the ark of God is returned to Israel and the people of Beth Shemesh rejoice to see it, their joy turns to a sobering awakening. Some among them treat the ark irreverently, looking into it, forgetting the holiness of what they handled; and struck by the consequences, the people are brought to a solemn realization: Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? Their casual handling of the holy gave way to an awakening to God's holiness, a recognition that the God whose ark they had treated so lightly was holy, not to be approached casually. The awakening came hard, but it was true: God is holy, and not to be treated with careless familiarity.

Notice the awakening to God's holiness. The people had at first treated the holy ark with a careless familiarity, forgetting the holiness of the God whose presence it represented; but they were awakened to the truth that God is holy, and cried out, Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? The casualness gave way to reverence, the careless familiarity to a solemn recognition of God's holiness. God is holy; his presence is not to be handled lightly or approached with careless familiarity. The people came to see what they had forgotten: that the God they served was holy, and that his holiness called for reverence, not casual handling.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can grow casually familiar with God, forgetting his holiness, and need to be awakened to it. We can approach God with a careless familiarity, handling holy things lightly, forgetting that the God we come before is holy; but the people of Beth Shemesh were awakened to God's holiness, crying out at the recognition of it. God is holy, and his holiness calls for reverence, not careless familiarity. Do not grow so casually familiar with God that you forget his holiness, handling holy things lightly; let a right recognition of his holiness awaken your reverence. Let a true recognition of God's holiness awaken your reverence, not treating him or holy things with careless familiarity, as the people of Beth Shemesh cried, who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God; for God is holy, and though we come to him boldly through Christ, his holiness calls for reverence rather than the careless familiarity that forgets who he is.

Lord, when the ark of God is returned to Israel and the people of Beth Shemesh rejoice to see it, their joy turns to a sobering awakening. Some among them treat the ark irreverently, forgetting the holiness of what they handled; and struck by the consequences, the people are brought to a solemn realization: who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? Their casual handling of the holy gave way to an awakening to your holiness, a recognition that you, whose ark they had treated so lightly, are holy, not to be approached casually. Show me the awakening to your holiness. The people had at first treated the holy ark with a careless familiarity, forgetting the holiness of you whose presence it represented; but they were awakened to the truth that you are holy, and cried out, who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? The casualness gave way to reverence. You are holy; your presence is not to be handled lightly or approached with careless familiarity. The people came to see what they had forgotten: that you are holy, and that your holiness calls for reverence. Take that to my heart, for I too can grow casually familiar with you, forgetting your holiness, and need to be awakened to it. I can approach you with a careless familiarity, handling holy things lightly, forgetting that you are holy; but the people of Beth Shemesh were awakened to your holiness. Keep me from growing so casually familiar with you that I forget your holiness; let a right recognition of it awaken my reverence, Lord, as the people cried, who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God, even as I come to you boldly through Christ.