I Samuel 6:19-20
“The Message – God struck some of the men of Beth Shemesh who, out of curiosity, irreverently peeked into the Chest of GOD. Seventy died. The whole town was in mourning, reeling under the hard blow from GOD, and questioning, ‘Who can stand before GOD, this holy God? And who can we get to take this Chest off our hands?’”
“But the Lord killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord. And the People mourned greatly because of what the Lord had done. ‘Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?’ They cried out. ‘Where can we send the Ark from here?’”
The key to understanding scripture written during the Iron Age is to focus on what God is doing, instead of passing judgement on his actions. One’s initial reaction to these verses is, “What’s the harm in looking into the Ark?” Death seems a harsh, vengeful punishment and we are not interested. How might God be reaching out to his people in this situation?
Pagan gods were human like. Their actions, like ours, were motivated by emotion. The natural world was explained as the result of their outbursts and desires. Life’s achievements were ensured by procuring their favor with devotion and offerings. Israel’s God was nothing like this. Getting Israel’s attention, telling them about himself, their relationship to him, and how the world works required stern and stark messages then and now.
In these verses God gives a lesson in his holiness. He is set apart from his creation, perfect in his goodness and righteousness. No one is like him. He is whole and complete in himself, as God intends us to be. All tremble before him. The Ark of God was the visual representation of his residence with his people and was therefore holy as he. Entering his presence by opening the Ark guaranteed death because human sin so offends him and all of us have sin. But God loves us anyway and provided a way we may draw near to him that leads to our own wholeness and cleansing from sin.
Lord, I cannot thank your enough for Jesus, my way into your presence. Thank you for loving me so much, for the privilege of abiding with you. I am welcomed into warmth and wholeness when I deserve outer darkness. I love you.