Scripture

The Lord killed 70 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.

Observation

The Ark of the Lord has become a problem for the Philistines because of a plague that has broken out. Their priests suggest that they send the Ark back to Israel with a guilt offering in the form of 5 gold tumours and 5 gold rats. They are to put the Ark and the offerings on a cart and hitch it to two cows. If the cows take the cart to Israel, they will know it was the Lord who sent the plague.

They do all this, and the cows head straight to Beth-Shemesh. The people of Beth-Shemesh are overjoyed to see the Ark. Some of the men try to open it to look inside, but the Lord strikes them down.

Application

God is a holy God, and we violate His ways at our peril.

The law of Moses laid down strict rules about how the Ark of the Covenant was to be handled. It was not an item of curiosity. It was the throne for the presence of the Lord, the sign of His might and power. To even touch the Ark could lead to death.

In the New Testament, Paul warned the Corinthians that if they take Communion in an unworthy manner, then they also might die.

We should always enter worship and even our personal devotions with a strong sense that we are standing on holy ground and engaging in serious business with the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, please forgive me for the times I have come to you in pride or rebellion. Please open my eyes to see the reality of your presence. Amen.