We read in the book of Samuel that on account of the apostasy of Israel brought about by the wickedness of the sons of Eli, they were smitten before the Philistines in battle; and that, thinking to make themselves secure against another defeat, they sent to Shiloh and brought from thence the ark of the Lord into the midst of their camp. But they were defeated again by their enemies with great slaughter, and the ark of God was taken by the Philistines.
The Philistines were very glad to get possession of the ark, for they knew there was a supernatural power that attended it, and they supposed that, having possession of that sacred chest, they would also have possession of the power. So they took the ark and set it up in the temple of Dagon, thinking that with the power of the ark of the Lord united with the power of their god Dagon, they would make themselves invincible.
But the experiment did not work to their satisfaction. Dagon fell down on his face before the ark of the Lord and was mutilated to the extent of ruin; and the judgments of the Lord came upon the men of Ashdod, causing a great destruction, so that they soon became as anxious to get rid of the ark as they had been before to get it in their possession. So they sent it to Gath. And, "the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction." (1 Samuel 5:9)
Next they sent it to Ekron, and "there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there." (1 Samuel 5:11)
Then the Philistines took measures to send the ark back again from whence it came, and they set it upon a cart drawn by two milch kine, and it came to Beth Shemesh. And the men of Beth Shemesh (who were Israelites) opened the sacred structure and looked into it, to get a view of the mysterious power that it contained. But terrible was the result; for the Lord "smote the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even He smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter." (1 Samuel 6:19)
All these judgments were not arbitrary acts on the part of God, done to punish the Philistines for taking the ark of the Lord from the Hebrews, or the men of Beth Shemesh for the sin of looking into it. They have a deeper significance than that. They teach us what is the inevitable result when the law of God is brought into contact with sinners.
The ark of the Lord contained the law of the Lord, written on the tables of stone with the finger of God. This was the potent fact which was the secret of the power that went with the ark. It was the power of the life and righteousness of God; for the law of God is nothing less than His life and righteousness. It was indeed a power very desirable to possess, but no less dangerous than it was desirable. For the sinner to reach out and attempt to take it would be like taking hold of a wire charged with the most powerful electric current. Death, quick and inevitable, would be the result.
And this is just what the Philistines, in their sinful ignorance, did. They took the ark, thinking to gain the power that went with it; but they only brought into their midst the holy and terrible law of the Lord. There could be but one result,--judgment and death upon the sinner.
The men of Beth Shemesh, curious to see more about the power that attended the ark, ventured to open it and look within; when lo, they stood face to face with the terrible law of God, as holy and righteous as himself! And the law spoke death to them; it could not be otherwise. And more than fifty thousand people perished! When the law of God meets the sinner face to face there is nothing for the latter but death.
Happily for us, God has not left sinners to meet His holy law in this way. The plan of salvation is nothing else but the means He has provided whereby sinners may meet the law and live. And that means is Jesus Christ. He stands between the law and the sinner, and in Him, the sinner can meet the law and not die.
In Christ, the sinner exchanges his sins for God's righteousness, which is the righteousness that the law demands. In Christ, also, the penalty for sin has been paid. Christ is the law freed of its terrors, and human flesh divested of its sin. We meet Him as sinners and lose our sin, and also meet the law without meeting its penalty. This idea is presented by Paul in his letter to the Hebrews. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; ... Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." (Hebrews 10:19-20,22)
Entering into the "holiest," we enter into the presence of the law of God; and well might the sinner fear to enter there and stand face to face with the law which he has transgressed. But the apostle tells us we may enter in with "boldness" through the "new and living way," "His flesh." Jesus Christ is now our High Priest, mediating for us in that temple which John saw "opened in heaven," (Revelation 11:19) and wherein also was seen "the ark of His testament." (Revelation 11:19)
In other words, our Saviour is now "a minister of the Sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." (Hebrews 8:2)
And in the great Judgment day, all who meet the law in Him will be accounted guiltless, and have life throughout the ages of eternity.
Far should it be from sinners to glory in possessing the law of God when it does not come to them in Christ. That was what the Israelites did when they sent and fetched the ark from Shiloh into their sinful camp. When the sacred structure appeared--the symbol of the power and protection of Jehovah--they raised a shout, as if they had won the victory; but when the battle was joined, they were smitten with great slaughter. With the law of God in their midst, it fared much worse with them than it did before.
But meeting the law in Christ, the law is a blessing; as it was to Obed Edom, of whom we read, "The ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed Edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed Edom, and all his household." (2 Samuel 6:11)--Present Truth, February 8, 1894--1 Samuel 4 to 6
E.J. Waggoner