An Unapproachable Topic

Background to passage: Israel had a battle with the Philistines in chapter four where they had used the ark like a rabbit’s foot to secure the win, but lost. When they lost, Eli the high priest fell backwards and broke his neck and died, both his sons were killed, his pregnant daughter-in-law went into labor and died, and named the child Ichabod, for the glory of the Lord had left Israel. Philistines didn’t handle the ark so well, and we pick up today in their plan to send it back IF is what God who had brought about their troubles.

1 Samuel 6 ESV

1 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” 4 And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. 6 Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? 7 Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8 And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9 and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” 10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16 And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron. 17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. 19 And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

1 Samuel 7:1–2 ESV

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Opening illustration: Martin Luther and his first mass, “Neither the writer nor the reader of these words is qualified to appreciate the holiness of God. Quite literally a new channel must be cut through the desert of our minds to allow the sweet waters of truth that will heal our great sickness to flow in. We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of.

God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God’s power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine.” -Tozer

Main thought: This morning we will think for a while on the holiness of God and its implications upon our lives.

1) The Holiness of God (v. 20)

1 Samuel 6:20 ESV

20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?”

1) The Holiness of God (v. 20)

Explanation: The holiness of God is the foundation of his “Godness”. It is the sum total of his beauty, perfections, excellencies, attributes, supremacy, and his person. It is infinite moral purity and separation. It is his wholly otherness. It is the concept that defines him and brings about worship in heaven and earth by all created beings. Holy things are devoted to something, but there is no other higher entity, idea, person, or being for God to be devoted to; so He is devoted to himself. He even swears by himself (Amos 4:2).

What then is his holiness? His holiness is his utterly unique divine, transcendent, pure essence, which in his uniqueness has infinite value. It determines all that he is and does and is determined by no one. His holiness is what he is as God, which no one else is or ever will be. Call it his majesty, his divinity, his supreme greatness, his value as the pearl of great price.

In the end, language runs out. In the word “holy” we have sailed to the world’s end in the utter silence of reverence and wonder and awe. “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20)

Argumentation: Moses - burning bush, Mt. Sinai, cleft of the rock, Job 42:1–6 “1 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.””, David - Psalm 96:9 “9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” , Isaiah 6:1-4, Habakkuk 1:12–13 “12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” , John, Peter - John 6:69 “69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”” Acts 3:14 “14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,”

Isaiah 6:1–4 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Illustration: The insufficiency of man to explain it. Language cannot capture it. Art cannot paint it. “No concept in the theology of Isaiah is more central than that of Yahweh’s holiness (Isa. 6:3) as the revelation of his essential being.”

As a young man, Jonathan Edwards believed in God, studied theology, and was deeply religious. But he later admitted something surprising: He didn’t like the idea of God’s holiness. To him, God’s absolute purity and sovereignty felt threatening—even unsettling. He believed it, but he didn’t love it.

Then one day, while meditating on Scripture (particularly passages about God’s glory and holiness), Edwards had what he described as a new sense of God. He said it was as if the holiness of God—something he once resisted—suddenly appeared beautiful.

Not just true… Not just necessary… But beautiful.

Edwards wrote: “I seemed to see them in a new light… I thought with myself, how excellent a Being that was… and how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God.”

After that encounter:

The holiness of God was no longer something he feared—it became something he loved

Duty turned into delight

Theology became worship

His preaching took on a new depth and urgency

This is the same man who would later preach Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God—not as a cold warning, but as someone who had seen both the terror and the beauty of God’s holiness.

Edwards didn’t just have his mind changed—he had his taste changed.

Before, he acknowledged God’s holiness. After, he treasured it.

It’s one thing to say, ‘God is holy.’ It’s another thing to say, ‘God’s holiness is beautiful to me.’

Because when you truly encounter the holiness of God, you don’t just bow before Him… you begin to love what you once resisted.

Application: We take God too lightly. We speak of him too flippantly. However, God has never been “caught plowing a field, or cutting the grass, or shining his shoes, or filling out reports or loading a truck.” The exaltation of God is always the way scripture presents him. The holiness of God causes you to be humble before Him, broken before Him, acknowledging that God is great. Some may wonder, our world may wonder, if our God is as awesome, as powerful, as holy as we say, why are we not more changed, more different, more...holy.

Revelation 4:8–11 ESV

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 5:9–14 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

No one can stand in God’s presence without becoming profoundly aware of their own wretchedness. Brokenness and humility over sin in the presence of a holy God must recover a place in our worship, because if humility and brokenness do not have a place in our worship, then God does not have a place in our worship.

I normally argue that we cannot have an experience with the God of all creation, the Holy One, and leave unchanged. However, I think in this instance, scripturally you can. Both the Philistines and Israelites at Beth Shemesh wanted the ark of God, his very presence gone from their city, gone from their midst. If fact, according to v. 7:2, 20 years passed before Israel was broken over the lack of the presence of God.

The things that could indicate a lack of understanding, experience, or appreciation of the holiness of God could be things like:

the trivialization of scripture. What it teaches doesn’t matter. It has no authority in our lives it is minimalized in belief and practice.

a lack of reverence in worship; half-hearted routines; divided devotion; man-centered preaching; songs weak in content; the mindset of the reality of the engagement with God Almighty. It doesn’t matter whether the lights and sound work or don’t, whether someone sings well or doesn’t, regardless of the atmosphere, the Holy One is present, honored, worshiped, valued. Of course, when that happens, there will be a sense of unworthiness, and for the redeemed a deepened and heightened sense of gratefulness and praise.

a tolerance of sin in a person or a congregation without discipline indicates that holiness is not taken seriously.

a lack of humility because we are not blown away by the shear presence of God and the knowledge of who he is, especially as it relates to holiness.

no long-term transformation in the lives of believers or churches; stagnation in relational communion with God; lack of boldness because of such communion with God.

the wholly otherness of God should also be a comfort to believers transforming fear in assurance, despair into hope, guilt into freedom, sin to forgiveness, death to life, judgment to salvation, and giving the foundation upon which to stand through any storm, tragedy, or pain; it should bring joy because of the absolute satisfaction that comes from being in a relationship with this God, divine reliability and faithfulness, in fact all the attributes of God flow from His holiness. Believers have comfort in the fact that they are viewed with their identity in Christ. Believers know that all sin, all wrong, all unrighteousness will be made right, because God’s holiness is the standard, God is the standard by which everything will be made right.

Closing illustration: Pascal was a mathematical genius who mastered Greek and Latin by age twelve, yet after his father’s death in 1651, he became worldly but found no satisfaction. His life appeared successful by every external measure, but something fundamental was missing.

The transformation came suddenly. On November 23, 1654, while reading John 17, God revealed himself to Pascal in fire between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. This wasn’t a gradual spiritual development—it was an overwhelming encounter with divine reality that shattered his previous existence.

Pascal’s response reveals the profound impact of encountering God’s holiness. He wrote on parchment (later sewn into the lining of his coat, right over his heart. For the rest of his life, whenever that coat wore out, he transferred it into the next one.): “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars... God of Jesus Christ... Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy”. The encounter produced not intellectual satisfaction but emotional and spiritual transformation—he experienced “forgetfulness of the world and of everything, except God”.

Most significantly, this “Second Conversion” reoriented his entire existence; thereafter he lived for God, not self, and became a Jansenist solitary. He died in 1662 at age thirty-nine, having spent his remaining years in radical devotion rather than worldly pursuits.

Some of us have had moments where the holiness of God stirred our hearts—but we moved on too quickly. Pascal refused to move on. He built his life around that encounter.

The question is in part whether you’ve had a moment where you have encountered the divine in an extraordinary way?

But the necessary follow-up question is: Has anything in your life been permanently rearranged because of it?