The Holiness of God
And the people of Bethshemesh said, 'Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?’ (I Samuel 6:20)
I Sam. 6:19-21; Ps. 76:7-9 and 99:9; Mal. 3:2; Rev. 1:10-17 and 15:4
What Is God Saying?
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant, brought it to Ashdod, and set it up beside their god, Dagon, for a showdown. By morning, Dagon had fallen, and a plague of tumors spread across the city. "The hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod" (I Sam. 5:6). Perhaps it would fare better in Gath. No relief. They tried Ekron next, but wherever the Ark went, trouble was sure to follow. They wanted out. More accurately, they wanted the Ark out. "The cry of the city went up to Heaven" (5:12). Did this plague come upon them because of the Ark, or was it just a happenstance? To make sure they prepared a new cart to be drawn by two milch cows. If the cows left their newborn calves behind to go in the direction of Israel, that would prove to the Philistines that their troubles were from God's hand upon them.
The cows went straight to Bethshemesh, the nearest entry point into Israel. Everybody rejoiced in what was happening. The Philistines were glad to have the trouble-making Ark out of their land and off their hands. The people of Bethshemesh greeted its return with elation and joy, but their celebration would turn to disaster. Excited and curious, some celebrants looked into the Ark and paid for it with their lives. “And the people of Bethshemesh said, ‘Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?’"
How Does This Apply To Us?
It borders on the superstitious, but the story has a strong lesson and a real warning that will never be out-of-date. God will never be treated as an object of idle curiosity. The Ark was holy. To treat the Ark of His Presence with anything but reverence was to presume upon the holiness and majesty of God. Then and now, such presumption cannot go on without strong rebuke. Humans are creatures. God rules their lives. They do not dare to regard God with easy familiarity. When God becomes a comrade, and we come to Him in a spirit of cozy intimacy, we are wide of the mark. He is awesome, transcendent, all-powerful, and perfectly holy. Although He is infinitely loving, as we have seen Him be in Jesus Christ, we must never lose the concept sensed so truly by the author of the hymn, ‘How Great Thou Art,’ not with fear as those who saw what happened at Bethshemesh, but with holy wonder as those who see what happened at Calvary. Salvati0n is free but never cheap.
Pray With Me
Your name, O God, cannot be spoken lightly. It can only come from a humble heart. Your name can only be used in prayer and praise. How much less shall anyone stand before You? Having seen Your glory in nature and Your truth in the living Word, I join those who say, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?" Yet, I thank You, Lord, that I do not need to tremble in the darkness of fear as did the people of Bethshemesh.
When I fall before You in worship and do not dare to lift my eyes to the glory of Your perfection, I am in the company of John. Beside the still form of the beloved apostle, the living Christ stood. He spoke with the voice of eternal love and invincible authority, "Fear not, I am the living one; I died, and behold I am alive forevermore." Before You, I cannot stand. Before you, I do not stand. Yet through faith in Your beloved Son, I dare to rise. Through Him, I am clothed in righteousness. Through His death, I am reconciled to You. Because He took my sins to the Cross, I am justified in Your sight.
Such love is too wonderful for me. I cannot understand it, but I accept it. In myself, I have no power and no right to stand before You. "Who shall stand before the Lord, this holy God?" I thank You that in Christ even I may stand. Accept my praise and use my life so that others may know the joy of standing forgiven and restored, cleansed and free, before the Lord, the holy and loving God.
In Christ's matchless name. Amen.
Moving On In The Life Of Prayer
We lift our prayer to a holy and loving God. We may come to Him without dread or superstitious fear, but we must come to Him with neither pride nor presumption. The strength of prayer is based on God's greatness. The freedom of prayer is based on God's love. The result of prayer is based on our faith in Jesus: "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it" (John 14:13).
