What lesson is there for me in learning of the Old Testament incident of Uzzah reaching forth his hand to touch the ark? Is there something here that we can take and incorporate in our lives? I’ve often thought on this scripture and was reading it this morning, thinking on the holiness of the Lord and His right judgments in everything. Here’s a brief sum of my meditations with Him today.
I prepare a place for the presence of the Lord. Just as David, the king of Israel, went to bring the ark of the covenant back to Israel who made a place for the ark to rest, I make a place for the Lord.
The ark represents the presence of the Lord. Holy is the Lord. The ark was so holy that no one could approach it casually. It could not be picked and carried as any other object. There was a prescribed method to bring it from place to place, that was not be violated, for the Lord is holy.
David went to bring it to Israel. As the men were carrying the ark, the oxen stumbled, upsetting the ark. Uzzah reached out to with his hand to steady the ark, and died instantly. How holy is the Lord. How unapproachable is He. We cannot approach the Lord our way, or by our works. We can only approach Him in the way He has chosen.
David realized he had not sought the Lord in this matter and when he saw how the ark was to moved, he did it. 1 Chronicles 15:12-14
Now he not only had prepared a place for it, but went about bringing it back in the way the Lord had chosen.
The old testament was written and recorded so we may learn from the examples. It is chock full of types and shadows. The character of God never changes. He is forever the same.
He desires to dwell with His people. He desires to dwell with me. If I prepare a place for Him, my heart, He will come and dwell in me. It is not by my works. I can do nothing to impress One who is so holy. But I can seek Him as to how He will come to me. What is it that draws the Lord? What is His prescribed method for entering His presence. I want to know, lest I enter His presence in the wrong way and die. How can I gain His favor?
It is through Jesus. Everything is through Jesus, and it is by faith I receive it. It is by grace we are saved, and everything in God’s kingdom is received by grace. I enter His presence by grace. I enter because the blood of Jesus has washed me clean and given me a clean conscience with no guilt of past sins. Jesus is pure and holy and God sees me as He sees Jesus. It is for this reason Jesus came, to become sin that I might become the righteousness of God. It is by faith I receive this grace and can enter the very presence of a God so holy that men drop dead in His presence.
The dwelling place God has desired is a place not made with hands. It is not a beautiful ornate structure crafted by the greatest architect, centuries in making that He desires. What God desires is the heart of man. He desires to make a home in me. And so I prepare Him a place. I accept this gift, this marvelous invitation in to His presence. I accept this gift freely given by grace through Christ Jesus. I understand the magnitude of this marvelous honor, which passes the understanding of my mind. It is the most natural thing for me to do, to come into His presence now that I am born of Him.
Singing and praises is the way I enter. As the ark was brought up, they sang and praised. It’s not just the song, and it not the music, it is a complete abandonment to anything that would distract. It is leaving behind the thoughts of what others may think. It is a worship form the heart that is without restrain, offering everything that is within me.
__________________ When one asked a leader of a Hindu nation what would cause them to move towards Christianity he responded with great clarity and directness, “First, I would suggest all you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people.”
That scripture used to bother me. Why would God strike Uzzah for David's sin?
Then it dawned on me ...
Uzzah should have step back, let the ark fall, and let David alone suffer for the disobedience of the ark being carried on the ox cart, and let David suffer the punishment for the ark hitting the ground.
Uzzah was helping to support David's disobedience.
Sometimes our first instinct is to protect the leader. Our heart leaps to help them.
But when the leader has committed an offense, we just need to step back.
Possibly that lesson is included too. That is something to chew on. We certainly don't want to follow a leader who gets into sin. Athough all would have been guilty of that. Read the text to see how many went with David to get the ark! All of them followed him in that.
I think the main point of the text is this - God is holy. The ark represented God's presence, and no one was to touch it but the Levites, and they had polls to stick through the rings. That's who and how it was to be carried. David, in his hurry, didn't inquire of the Lord to see how to get the ark. Getting it was a good thing, but he would have done better to search the scriptures and do it God's way. Hence, I get out of this that we cannot approach the holy presence of God our way. It has to be His way, through Jesus. And thank God we can!
Imagine, a God so holy that other gods fall apart in His presence. When brought before Dagon, the god of the Philistines, Dagon's head fall off. They put it back. It fell off again. Every knee will bow before Jesus. He is the God above all gods.
God is holy indeed. He is so holy man would die in His presence. That's because sin can't enter into the presence of a holy God. But praise God, the sin issue has been dealt with! We who have been washed ion the blood of Jesus can enter into His presence. And that is His desire. It's His heartbeat. He desires all to know Him. So let's bring them the good news. The wise wins souls. The whole reason Jesus came was to seek and save that which was lost and to bring them to God.
__________________ When one asked a leader of a Hindu nation what would cause them to move towards Christianity he responded with great clarity and directness, “First, I would suggest all you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people.”
2 Samuel 6:1-4 What happened to Uzzah, what did he do to cause God to strike him dead
When we read this passage there seems to nothing much wrong with this picture but if we look a little deeper we will see some underlying things…
Firstly they put the ark of God on a cart, this was not God’s prescribed way to transport the ark look at… Exodus 25:13-16 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. Then put in the ark, the Testimony, which I will give you.
The ark was to be carried by poles that were made especially for it and the poles were not to be removed. How was the ark to be carried and by whom. Let’s look at… Numbers 1:51
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put
to death.
We discover here that the God had said that the Levites were to prepare and move everything from the Tabernacle. No one else was to touch it or even go near it. This family were from Gibeah of Benjamin, it is not known if they were Levites or not.
Numbers 4:15 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.
We do not know if this family were Kohathites and if they even should have been transporting the Ark at all…
So at this point it was all presumption on their part, they assumed that it was ok to transport the ark this way even though had had said in the Law of Moses that the Ark was to be transported by Levites on poles…
Let’s look a little deeper… 2 Samuel 6:4 Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.
When the Ark was to be transported it was to be borne on the shoulders of men and the Ark was supposed to lead the people but here it was being carried by Oxen and men were leading the Ark…
Here is what God had already said in the Law of Moses:
• Only a male from the tribe of Levi was to be in charge of the Ark. Lev. 10:8. Uzzah was from the tribe of Benjamin. 1 Chron. 8:7.
• The Ark was to be carried only one way, on the shoulders of the family of the Kohathites, members of the tribe of Levi. Never on a cart or animal. Numbers 7:9.
• Even those who were chosen to carry the Ark were forbidden to touch it. Numbers 4:15.
What was in the ark and what did it represent…
The ark was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, the wood speaks of Jesus humanity, the gold speaks of his deity…
1. The unbroken tables of stone are a type of Jesus as the One who perfectly kept the Law and never broke God's Commandments.
There were two sets of commandments, the first Moses broke when he came down the mountain, this is a type of man who can’t keep the law, the second set were unbroken, a type of Jesus…
2. Aaron's rod that budded also speaks of Jesus. Something that had died and supernaturally came to life again. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life."
When God was choosing the priesthood he asked that all the tribes bring a rod and leave them before God, 12 rods in all and in the morning Aaron’s rod had budded and grew almonds…
3. The golden pot of manna speaks of Jesus as the bread of life who came down from heaven to bring food, the Word of God, to a world in darkness and dying of hunger.
The pot of manna speaks of God’s provision.
Ex 25:22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
Let’s just stop here and talk about the glory of God for a minute… God had ordained from the start that he would dwell in the hearts of men and men would be the ones who carried the glory of God but they would be lead and guided by Him…
Here men had entrusted animals to carry the glory of God and they (the men) were leading God, this was a recipe for disaster right from the start… Where did they get the idea to put the Ark on a cart anyway?
1Sam. 6:1-2 And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? Tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
The Ark had been captured by the Philistines but while it was there God brought many judgements on the Philistines so they were anxious to get rid of it, but they didn’t know what to do with it or where to send it… Why did the Philistines want to get rid of the ark see 1Sam 5
1Sam. 6:7-9
The Philistines devised a plan, we are not sure if it is the Ark that is causing us this trouble so we will take the Ark and put it on a new cart and it returns to Israel we will know that it was God who afflicted us but if it just wanders aimlessly then we will know it was just by chance that these plagues came…
They put the Ark on a new cart, they were unbelievers they had no clue but they didn’t try to lead the ark, they let the Ark lead the way and the Ark returned to Israel and was placed in the house of Abinidab and this is where our story begins…
1Sam. 7:1-2 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
So the priests of Israel and even King David were taking their lead from the Philistines who were unbelievers, they put it on a cart and got away with it so God mustn’t mid riding on a cart, the problem was David and the Priests of Israel had the Law of Moses, they should have known better and in effect were treating the glory of God no differently that the unbelievers…
So the glory of God was being borne by animals and was being led instead of followed, this was not good, it was only a matter of time before something happened…
2 Samuel 6:5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
David and all Israel were very excited to be bringing the ark to the city of David. However, in their excitement, they had forgotten to do what God had already told them to do in Law. Excitement and zeal for the Lord can never replace simple obedience.
1Sam. 15:22 and Samuel said, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
2 Samuel 6:6 When they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.
2 Samuel 6:7 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.
Notice what Uzzah did God called an irreverent act; he had become too familiar with holy things. He took the ultimate sovereignty of God too lightly.
I want to draw your attention to something here, it was at the threshing floor that the Ark stumbled, the threshing floor in the word of God always speaks of judgment, it is where the grain is rolled out and the grain is separated from the chaff, Jesus tells us in Matt 25 that it represents the coming judgment of the nations…
So as they transported the glory of God in a way that was irreverent to God they came to a place of judgment and God judged them, unfortunately for Uzzah he was the one who reached out and touched the Ark, another sign of disobedience for the word of God because they had broken every law about transporting the Ark he presumed God would overlook this one too because they were after all taking the Ark to the Holy City…
This is a sad story about Uzzah but one that warrants our attention, sometimes we think when we have excitement or zeal for the things of God we can do whatever we want, but there is a prescribed way to carry the glory of God and God will not hold us guiltless if we do not do it his way…
2 Samuel 6:8 Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. (the breach of Uzzah)
David's first reaction is that he is angry with God. But he had also forgotten God's law. He thought his public worship and praise was enough for God. He thought his excitement and zeal would satisfy God. But God is holy. God does not change. The law does not change.
2 Samuel 6:9 David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?"
Something dawned on David. He didn't have the whole picture yet. But he realizes that God is sovereign in all things and he had better find out what he had done wrong ... not God!
2 Samuel 6:10-11 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the LORD remained in the house of ObedEdom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.
The ark is now left in the care of Obed-Edom. God blesses his household. David goes back to his city. He fasts and prays and re-reads the Scripture. He realizes that he and the Levites were wrong. They were disobedient to the Lord.
1Chr. 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
1 Chronicles 15:11-15, 2 Samuel 6:12-15
In this story, we see sloppiness in the service to God. This revealed a lack of concern for Gods word and they took away from His honor and His glory. Though Uzzah was the one who died, it was David who was guilty of transgression. Uzzah was a victim. His good, well intended, actions brought on sudden death.
• Uzzah made a decision in a moment to disregard God's command and do what seemed right to him. Even our decisions made in a moment matter before God.
• Uzzah erred in thinking it didn't matter who transported the ark.
• Uzzah erred in thinking it didn't matter how the ark was transported.
• Uzzah erred in thinking he knew all about the ark because it was in his father's house for so long.
• Uzzah erred in thinking that God couldn't take care of the ark of Himself.
• Uzzah erred in thinking that the ground of Nachon's threshing floor was less holy than his own hand.
The lesson for us to learn is that good intentions will not make up for failing to keep the word of God.
Many people feel that the intentions of the heart will be acceptable to God even if their actions do not deserve it.
It does not matter to them if they observe, follow or even know the Law. They believe that God knows their heart, and will pardon their faults because their motive is pure.
Prov. 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Prov. 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Prov. 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Wow, Elimelech, that is exactly right. You did an excellent job of telling it how it was, and the lessons to be learned. Knowing these things is what awes me that we are able to enter into the very presence of God.
Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
__________________ When one asked a leader of a Hindu nation what would cause them to move towards Christianity he responded with great clarity and directness, “First, I would suggest all you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people.”
I read the scriptures seeking the Lord in my heart with this, "How does it apply to me today? Is there anything here for me to learn and understand?"
It wouldn't be in the Bible if it were not meant to instruct, comfort, edify, or reprove. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In this case, I believe one of the lessons is this: we cannot approach God in the way we think is right, but in the way He says. Otherwise we too will die.
If we come to God on the grounds of our good works, we will die. We can't work our way to heaven. But if we follow His prescribed method, Jesus, we have eternal life. Nor can we begin in the Spirit by faith, and then work to earn anything from God. So it is with entering His presence.
Here's what I see off the top of my head.
1. Enter by the blood.
2. Enter with thanksgiving.
When I think of the magnitude of what Jesus has done for me, and the depth of His great love, it is an outflow of my heart to sing praises to Him. Psalm 45:1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
I am so grateful to Jesus for offering Himself for me. I couldn't save myself, and He did. He rescued me from this present evil age. He took me from darkness and brought me into His kingdom.
As I meditate on His goodness and believe the things He's says, I find I am in the presence of God. I am in the presence of this magnificent holy God.
We enter not into the type or shadow, which was the best they had in the old covenant, but into the real, the genuine, the Holy of Holies.
O, glory to God!
Glory to God!
We can KNOW God!
I find this hits home ever more as I understand this passage about Uzzah and the ark of the covenant. I can't enter casually anymore. I come now with a greater understanding of the privilege and joy of dwelling in the LORD.
__________________ When one asked a leader of a Hindu nation what would cause them to move towards Christianity he responded with great clarity and directness, “First, I would suggest all you Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non-Christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people.”
Many have interpreted God's charge not to touch the ark to mean, "If you touch it, I'll kill you". I interpret it as a warning rather than a threat. God knew that the Ark was Holy and that man's heart in its unregenerate state was full of wickedness. When sin and holiness comes into contact, something has to give way, and its not going to be holiness.
God had more concern for His man than for a box that was intended only for temporary residence.
__________________ Jesus came to set the captives free, not to make the prison cells more adaptable with cable television & an outside view . He wants people out!
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