“Have you tried the new toothpaste with radium in it?”

Believe it or not, radioactive everyday consumer items were produced in the early 1900s. The discovery and even the name of these elements as radioactive are attributed to Marie Curie. She wrote in her notes that she and her husband enjoyed visiting their laboratory at night to watch the glow of radioactive materials in their containers. Mrs. Curie would carry radium in her pocket to show people their amazing discoveries. It is reported that her notes are so highly radioactive that they are stored in lead boxes. You can only peer into the box if you sign a waiver and wear the proper protective gear.

The proverb, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” is proven false in 1 Samuel 6. Many theologians believe that the timeline of Israel’s history puts the time of Samuel at the time of Samson. The ignorance concerning the things of the Lord was normal. The people of Beth-shemesh peering into the ark of God would be equivalent to Mrs. Curie carrying radium in her pocket. What they knew was fascinating, but what they didn’t know became fatal. Thousands died in this village.

The saddest comparison in 1 Samuel 6 is that the children of Israel are nearly as ignorant about the Lord as the Philistines were. Neither of them knew how to revere the power of the Almighty. The Philistines were ready to get rid of this divine menace and the people of Beth-shemesh respond the same way.

It is expected to see the world spurn the Lord because he appears to be a divine menace to them. They don’t want to hear about judgment or try to process the harsh realities of what it means that if the world was created by the Lord then they are beholden to him. It is sad to see people, who supposedly believe in the Lord, respond to Him the same way when they have difficult experiences. They are ready to “send him packing” because the Lord didn’t operate according to their expectations.

You can treat God as a spectacle much like the Curies watching the glow of radium in the laboratory. You can try to contain God in your pocket to show your friends so they will be impressed. However, God is pictured as a lion in scripture. He is not to be tamed by anyone or any religious practice. He is not to be manipulated or trivialized. He is the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent Lord God Almighty. When you grow in your knowledge of Him, your natural response is fear, but it becomes a healthy fear that feeds your worship.

What you don’t know CAN hurt you, so be sure to daily “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).