The ark had made its way to Beth-Shemesh, or rather, the Lord had brought it there. New location; same result. When 70 men looked in the ark (or this phrase may mean they looked at the ark), God struck them down. In some way, these men had treated that which was holy, the ark, as if it was profane. They failed to treat the ark of the Lord with reverence. Just as it was a mistake to view the ark as a talisman, viewing it as a normal everyday item was just as much of a mistake. And 70 men paid for their irreverence with their lives. Then, the rest of the town, just like the Philistines before, hurried to rid themselves of the ark and send it on its way.

God is holy, and His holiness is not diminished in the slightest for His children – those who have trusted in Christ. Yes, our sins are forgiven. Yes, we have been given Christ’s righteousness. And yes, we are welcomed to approach God as our loving Father. But even still, we should never forget that we always come before a holy God. Let us be careful never to treat He who is holy as if He is profane.

How might you tend to make a mistake in approaching God: too casually forgetting He is holy or too cautiously forgetting He is your Father?