The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is found
in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12. As the ark was being
transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a Levite named Uzzah took
hold of the ark. God's anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he
died. Uzzah's punishment does appear to be extreme for what we might consider
to be a good deed. However, there are the reasons why God took such severe
action.
First, God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the Tent of
Meeting and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "After Aaron and his
sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and
when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying.
But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to
carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting" (Numbers 4:15). No matter how innocently it was
done, touching the ark was in direct violation of God's law and was to result
in death. This was a means of preserving the sense of God's holiness and the
fear of drawing near to Him without appropriate preparation.
Notice how David took men with him to collect the ark, rather than allowing
Abinadab and his sons to bring it to him. That was a great mistake, since it
ought never to have been put upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon
men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath
(Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9), using the poles prescribed. Failing
to follow God's precise instructions would be seen as (a) not revering God's
words when He spoke them through those such as Moses, whom He had appointed;
(b) having an independent attitude that might border on rebellion, i.e., seeing
and acting on things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual, perspective; or
(c) disobedience.
Second, the ark had stayed for a period of time at Abinadab's house (2 Samuel 6:3), where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio,
may well have become accustomed to its presence. There's an old saying,
"familiarity breeds contempt," that could apply in this case. Uzzah,
having been around the ark in his own home, could very likely forget the
holiness that it represented. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize
the holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him with an irreverent
attitude.
Third, the account tells us the oxen stumbled. The cart didn't fall and neither
did the Ark, just as the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples rocked fiercely
in the storm, though it wasn't necessarily in danger of sinking (Matthew 8:24-27). And yet, just as with the
disciples who failed to put their faith in their Master, Uzzah, for a moment,
felt it was his responsibility to save the integrity of God, and that our
almighty God somehow needed Uzzah's assistance. He presumed that, without his
intervention, God's presence would be dealt a blow. As Job asks, "Can you
fathom the mysteries of God?" (Job 11:7). "His greatness no-one can
fathom" (Psalm 145:3). "His understanding no-one can
fathom" (Isaiah 40:28). Moses lost his right to enter the
promised land because he felt his intervention was needed when he struck the
rock, instead of speaking to it as God had commanded (Numbers 20:7-12). We need to listen carefully to
what God has to say to us, and in obedience strive to do all He commands. Yes,
God is loving and merciful, but He is also holy and He defends His holiness
with His power, and affronts to His holiness sometimes bring about His holy
wrath. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God" (Hebrews 10:31).
Something of God's presence in the Ark of the Covenant seems to be lost in the
church today. In the time of Moses, the people knew the awesomeness of God's
absolute holiness. They had witnessed great miracles when the ark was with
them. They respected that God's ways and thoughts are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). In truth, the more we try to
bring God down to our worldly way of thinking or reasoning, the further away He
will seem to us. Those who would draw near to God and have Him draw near to
them are those who approach Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot that
lesson, and the consequences were tragic. –S. Michael Houdmann
As S. Michael Houdmann has already said, God had given particular instructions through Moses how the tabernacle was to be erected, dismantled, and moved (Numbers 4), and the main pieces of furniture were to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites who were descended from Kohath (Num 4:9-20). However, when Uzza, David, and company used a new cart drawn by oxen, they were following the pattern of the pagan Philistines (1 Sam 6), not the pattern given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” Hudson Taylor
Doing God’s work God’s way brings God’s blessing. God’s work must be done in God’s way or there will be consequences. God had warned about taking hold of the ark to steady it (or at least about touching it) in the law of Moses, and every Israelite knew it (Num 1:51; 4:15, 20). -- Rev. Jack C. Gutknecht
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