I Samuel – 7
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Danger of Familiarity
(I Samuel 6:13-21)
The Jews of Bethshemesh greatly rejoiced at the return of the Ark of the Covenant. The very seat of God, and—in their thinking—His divine presence had finally returned to Israel. The occasion called for celebration, but first sacrifices of thanksgiving were in order.
The Bible tells us that the people used the wood of the cart to kindle a fire, and appropriate sacrifices were carried out—all in thanksgiving for God’s renewed presence. The rejoicing, however, was short lived.
Apparently, the people had become too enthusiastic about the ark’s return. Though details are not given, it appears that religious zeal crossed the bounds of propriety and some, perhaps just to satisfy curiosity, opened the ark and took a peek inside. To our way of thinking such an action, though a bit “over the top,” doesn’t ultimately seem like a “big deal.” To the Lord, the irreverence of the people, especially in the presence of the Levites who knew better, constituted a grave sin (Num. 4:20).
Their rejoicing was quickly replaced by mourning, as the Lord slew 50,070 of the men of the city. The ark which had plagued the Philistines brought even greater trouble to the people of God.
Why such a severe punishment? By looking into the ark (an action clearly forbidden), Israel had committed a sin of presumption. They treated a holy object with unholy familiarity, presuming that God would overlook their trespass because they had sacrificed to Him.
Lesson to learn: Our service and sacrifice for the Lord never excuses presumptive sins. In fact, the more we know of God, the more we’re held accountable to His standards. Exacting obedience is the only safe ground!
