Uzzah

[JM]

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

Uzzah knew he wasn't to touch the Ark but he did. My guess...he was motivated to, in his opinion, overrule the command given by God and save the Ark from touching the ground. His motives ignored God’s command. What role do motives play in the Christian life? Can someone have a “good” motive that ultimately ignores God’s command and it not be a sin? I don’t think so. Consider modern worship for a moment. Most of what passes as “Christian” worship is really just pandering to the goats.

Is it possible that a Christian can ignore the commands of God and still be God pleasing?

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[abacabb3]

I am convinced by Sproul's exegesis that Uzzah's sin was one of presumption. The ark was supposed to be carried, but was pulled by an ox, and he thought he could make up for this obvious breaking of the Law with his good intentions (keeping the ark outwardly clean.) Yet, his presumption that his hand was cleaner than the mud was wrong, for there is no sin in mud. Sin defiles the man ultimately, that's the whole point of the ritualistic Law and what it points to.

So, connecting this to worship, I would need specific examples to draw parallels. I can easily start making a list where we are flagrantly disobedient in worship: head coverings sticks out, and related to that, dress as a whole is far too ostentatious.

 

[JM]

Shouldn't we, as people who profess sola scriptura, connect everything to scriptural command?

I don't see we can avoid it.

 

[abacabb3]

Of course, that's the regulative principle. I don't quite understand your angle here though, am I missing something? That's why I will dig my heels in about head covering and modest decorum. The Scripture is so abundantly clear, and the admonishments so clearly ignored, and it is so easy to be obedient in these points, that I think other more questionable matters pale in comparison.

 

[hedrick]

The Word commentary has the best suggestion I've seen:

A plausible explanation is that Uzzah, like Eleazar before him (1 Sam 7:1), may have been consecrated to have charge of the ark, and therefore he ought to have realized that the falling of the ark was really a sign, namely, Yahweh’s way of stopping the procession (cf. the remote parallels in 1 Sam 5:1–5; 6:10–15). If so, not only the sacredness of the ark was an important factor but also the attempt (unintentional?) to frustrate or disregard the will of Yahweh; therefore also the consequences were so severe. Thus Dus (TZ 17 [1961] 7) has remarked that Uzzah sinned in that he did not grant Yahweh the freedom to choose his own resting place. This incident could have been regarded also as a warning to David, especially if Yahweh was not consulted at the beginning of this undertaking.

 

[JM]

I don't want this thread hijacked and turned into a debate over headcoverings.

Any thoughts on Nadab and Abihu?

 

[abacabb3]

I don't either, but what's your angle in the OP? I asked, I really don't understand the connection with modern worship. As for Nadab and Abihu, I suppose that when the Lord tells you what pleases Him and we obviously ignore it, it contaminates the worship service. We should pray to God that our worship may be acceptable, and that we may worship obediently.

THis is why if you want to tie it into modern worship, I would say that head coverings is a much more relevant issue than those that usually divide churches (the contemporary music debate, LCD projectors, and other irrelevant stuff.)

 

[JM]

The op drives at motives. I have been told a few times recently that our approach to God in worship, evangelism, etc. all boils down to our motives. If we love God, even if we are willingly accepting a worldly philosophy and approach Him the way we prefer rather than the way we have been instructed to in His word, it’s all good. I see the issue as being one of pragmatism. The pulpits of North American are filled with preachers who want to avoid doctrine and, for pragmatic reasons, preach only “practical” or moralistic messages. Christians now offer strange fire and touch the Ark because they willingly deny God's revealed will or simply do not know any better.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

 

[abacabb3]

The op drives at motives. I have been told a few times recently that our approach to God in worship, evangelism, etc. all boils down to our motives. If we love God, even if we are willingly accepting a worldly philosophy and approach Him the way we prefer rather than the way we have been instructed to in His word, it’s all good.

No, because even Aaron had "good motives" behind making the golden calf. I mean, they called it Jehovah, so they meant good, right?

I see the issue as being one of pragmatism. The pulpits of North American are filled with preachers who want to avoid doctrine and, for pragmatic reasons, preach only “practical” or moralistic messages. Christians now offer strange fire and touch the Ark because they willingly deny God's revealed will or simply do not know any better.

I really think the Regulative Principle is spot on. If we stuck to that, we would avoid tons of problems.

I know we agree on these things.

 

[abacabb3]

For what it is worth, Leviticus 4 appears to address how one can atone through the priesthood for improper worship (sacrifices not being done according to God's directions.) So, if the priesthood and the sacrifice are a type of Christ, Christ's sacrifice may atone for improper worship.

 

[twin1954]

The Ark represents the salvation of God in Christ Jesus the Lord. That is the reason it was never to be touched by man. Uzzah laid his hand to God's Salvation. He was going to help God. The penalty for trying give God a hand is severe. David said that God brought this breach upon us because we sought Him not after the due order. Not only did they disobey in putting the Ark on a cart instead of carrying it by the staves but when the oxen stumbled Uzzah didn't believe God was able to keep the Ark from falling.

I find it very informative that when the Philistines took the Ark (1Sam. 5) they put it on a cart and nothing happened to them. Why was that? Was it because they made no pretense of worshipping the true and Living God? I think so.

 

[sdowney717]

Regarding Uzzah and the LORD, God does not need man's help.
Uzzah's action did not treat God as holy. The ark was no idol, it held the presence of God in their midst. God always reaches out to a man first on God's initiative, not man aiding the LORD who needs no help.

The LORD was also angry with Moses when Moses struck the rock at the waters of Meribah. Moses was to speak to the rock, but Moses struck the rock in wrath calling Israel rebels.

Numbers 20
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 This was the water of Meribah,[a] because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among them.

When you do not obey the voice of the LORD, to follow His commandments, they you are not treating Him as holy. The LORD was in covenant relationship with Israel, and so Israel was expected to follow the commands and ordinances of the LORD, but not so the gentile nations. When the ark was taken, they likely touched it without being killed not because they knew the LORD, but because they did not know the LORD. God also had a purpose to weaken the Philistines and show them their gods were powerless, that He was the true God of all the earth. Those gentile nations thought each god had power over only certain areas, as local gods. God determines in each case, Moses, Uzzah, Nadab, Abihu, the Philistines, the appropriate judgement.

Leviticus 10 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Profane Fire of Nadab and Abihu
10 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’”

So Aaron held his peace.

Nadab and Abihu also did not treat the LORD as holy by what they did offering strange fire, something which the LORD had not commanded them to do. Those who come or draw near to God must do so treating Him as holy, meaning to be obedient to what He tells them. Do not come before the LORD and give Him your gifts on the altar, if you are at odds with your brother, as in you have sinned against your brother. First make it right with your brother, and then come back to the LORD to offer your sacrifices, which includes praise and worship today.

In a similar manner today, some despised, did not treat as holy what our Lord Jesus Christ did and ate unworthily the bread and the wine of the Lord's last supper and many were sickened and many died. So not just a few had this happen to them.

1 Corinthians 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

So true then today, there are judgements on us from the LORD if we do not treat Him as holy. But there is greater judgement on those who do know better. Just like it says about those who teach the word in James.

 

[AMR]

What role do motives play in the Christian life? Can someone have a “good” motive that ultimately ignores God’s command and it not be a sin? I don’t think so.

Is it possible that a Christian can ignore the commands of God and still be God pleasing?

We choose according to our greatest inclinations (motives) at the moment we so choose. That is what "freedom" entails. The "will" is that by which the mind chooses something. The whole of that which moves a person to "will" something is called the motive. The strongest motive is always the driving force behind the will. Motive is the ground or cause of the will--the will is not self-determined, but rather the will is determined, or more properly speaking, the will is as the motive is. Hence, we can say motives are the antecedent causes which give rise to the act of willing.

Obedience to God is the hallmark of any goodness we may lay claim to in our words, deeds, or thoughts. As believers we can choose to sin or not to sin versus the unbeliever who can only sin more or sin less with every word, thought, or deed.

We feed our faith and starve our waywardness by not neglecting daily Scripture study, rejoicing in hope, being patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer (Romans 12:12), fellowship with other believers, keeping stewardship of the secular and spiritual gifts God has given you, and with regular assembly with others to worship God, receive instruction, access the ordinary means of grace, and be subject to discipline (see also here, and Genesis 15:1-6; Prov. 3:5-8; Romans 5:1-11; Eph. 6, 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Hebrews 10:19-25, 35-39; Hebrews 11:1,6).

If we take our walk of faith seriously, we will be changed daily from our wrong inclinations to the good. Just as a Father is displeased by the disobedience of his children such as is our heavenly Father when we stray from the path of righteousness. Fortunately, we are His workmanship, and were created for good works, prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.