Standing in Awe of the Holiness of God

Standing in awe of the holiness of God calls us to remember His unmatched power and bow our hearts in reverence before His presence.

“The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god” (1 Samuel 5:7).

The Philistines felt triumphant. Israel foolishly had brought the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle, assuming it would guarantee victory. But Israel lost the battle, and the Ark was captured. Elated, the Philistines set the Ark before their god, Dagon.

In the morning, Dagon had “fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord.” So they set it up again, and the next morning “the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold” (vs. 3–4).

Then the Philistines were afflicted with tumors. They finally had enough and decided to send the Ark back to Israel. The Philistines placed it, along with gifts of gold, on a cart and set it on its way toward the town of Beth-shemesh.

Unexpectedly, some of the men in Beth-shemesh were killed “because they had looked upon the ark of the Lord” (6:19). The people reacted with fear: “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?” (6:20).

God was teaching both Israel and the Philistines important lessons. He is not like the gods of the nations. Nor is He a ritual or a philosophy. He is God Almighty! His power is awesome! He is holy. And every person, nation, and god will bow before Him.

Today, don’t take Him for granted. Humble yourself before Him. Serve Him faithfully. Commit your life to Him and seek first His Kingdom!

Reflection Question: How can you honor God’s holiness in the way you live today?