13th.: The Men of Bethshemesh
The Philistines had gotten the Jewish Ark of the Covenant as
part of the spoils of battle.
But keeping the Ark of the Covenant only caused problems for the Philistines.
After several months, and many deaths, the Philistines put the Ark of the Covenant onto a cart and sent it away.
The Ark of the Covenant went straight to the Jewish town of Bethshemesh.
The Levites in the town took the Ark of the Covenant out of the cart.
The town then offered sacrifices (1st Sam. 6:16).
Unfortunately, some men, out of curiosity, opened the Ark of the Covenant.
(They wanted to see what was inside.)
Their presumptuousness angered God (the Levites should have known better).
God punished them by killing 50,000+ men (1st Sam. 6:19).
Their immediate response was,
“Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?
And to whom shall he go up from us?” (1st Sam. 6:20).
They did not like the Lord’s chastisement.
They felt His punishment was too severe.
They then asked another town, Kirjathjearim, if they would be willing to host the Ark of the Covenant (1st Sam. 6:21).
The people of Bethshemesh had rejected the Lord’s correction.
If we reject the Lord’s correction, we reject His love as well. Nevertheless, if bad times hit, it is good to ask Him if the difficulties are for some sin on our part, or perhaps the devil is causing problems, or perhaps, it is for a different reason.
“For whom the Lord loves, he chastens. Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb. 12:6a, 11)