1 Samuel 6

The cows successfully made the journey. God guided the cows; He didn’t allow them to turn either to the right or to the left (verse 12).

13–18 The Israelites of Beth Shemesh were overjoyed to see the ark. The Levites of the town placed the ark on a large rock located in the field of a man named Joshua²⁹ (verse 14). Then, using the cart for firewood, the Israelites sacrificed the two cows as a burnt offering to God (Leviticus 1:1–17).

In verse 18, the writer adds the comment that the rock was still present in his day—a witness to this day—a witness to future generations that the ark had indeed stood on that spot.

19–21 The joyful scene at Beth Shemesh, however, was marred by the death of seventy Israelites who looked into the ark (verse 19). These seventy people treated the ark—and therefore the Lord—irreverently; they had regarded the ark as an object of curiosity rather than as a symbol of the holy God of Israel (see Numbers 4:20; 2 Samuel 6:6–7). As a result of this severe punishment, the townspeople were afraid to keep the ark and asked that it be moved to another town, Kiriath Jearim (verse 21).

Why was the punishment of those seventy Israelites so severe? After all, the ark was only a symbol of God’s presence, not God Himself. The answer is this: to disrespect a symbol of God is to disrespect God. A symbol is meant to remind us of God, to inspire us to revere and worship God. Although we do not worship symbols as pagans do, we must treat them with respect—just as we must treat God’s name with respect (Exodus 20:7). A symbol cannot inspire us to worship God if we disregard it or take it lightly. In the experience of many Christians, symbols are an important aid to worship—as long as they are treated with respect and reverence.