The Philistines, having captured the Ark of the Covenant, watch as God demonstrates His superiority over their false god and afflicts them with tumors. After seven months of judgment, they send the Ark back to the land of Israel on a cart, to Beth Shemesh. “Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord… And the men of Beth Shemesh said, ‘Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? …’” (1 Samuel 6:19-20 NKJV). The Ark is then moved to Kirjath Jearim where it remains for 20 years, and Samuel calls the people to repentance. “And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah” (1 Samuel 7:6 NKJV).
Drawing from passages in Jeremiah and Matthew, Pastor Kevin shows how Shiloh’s history foreshadowed other events in Israel’s history where God removed His presence and judged the people for their sin. In the Philistines’ attempts to appease the God of Israel, we see parallels in today’s peoples’ attempts to get to God on their own merits instead of God’s way. And although the people of Beth Shemesh joyfully received the Ark back into their Israel, their disregard for the laws governing how the Ark was to be handled reflected their failure to understand the holiness of God.
Pastor Kevin exhorts us to remember that God has warned us too of His future judgment upon the sinful people of our age, in the Tribulation Period. Only those who acknowledge their sin before a holy God and receive salvation His way, will be spared the judgment to come.
Maranatha!
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