But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he dies there by the ark of God. (verse 6-7)
Message: Uzzah's Error
Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader.
What the Lord is Saying: David's 40 year reign as King began in Judah for 7 years and then it moved to Jerusalem as his capital where a house is built for him. It was in I Samuel 6 that the Ark of the Covenant returned to Israel. It was there that I saw how bad things happened to people that thought they could possess the Ark and clearly the Ark belonged only in certain places. It had been in the city of Baalah Judah (Kiriath Jearim) (I Chronicles 13:5) to retrieve the ark as it had been in possession of the priest Abinidab. I Chronicles 13:7,9-10 says, "They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it...When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark." When this happened, this troubled David and instead of taking the Ark to Jerusalem, it was kept with "the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite" for 3 months and "the Lord blessed his household and everything he had."
2 Samuel 6 summarizes these same events told in I Chronicles 13. Chronicles adds that Uzzah was intending to steady the ark. 2 Samuel 6:6 says the "oxen nearly upset it." Something caused the ark to shake. It was being pulled by oxen. The terrain could have been uneven at times. Whatever the circumstances, it resulted in Uzzah reaching out and grabbing the ark. It seems most anyone would have done what he had done in that situation. And yet for doing it he was struck dead.
After the events with Uzzah, David starts to question whether the ark should be with him, perhaps concerned that someone might make a similar gesture toward the ark unwittingly trying to help and be struck dead. David will eventually learn that only the Levites are to carry and transport the ark of God (I Chronicles 15:2). Uzzah was a Levite but the ark was not being carried, but instead on a cart. Uzzah did commit an error. Even if there was danger of it falling, it should not have touched because only the priest is able to touch the ark.
David sees that Obed-edom is blessed for having the ark of God so he then makes plans to take it to Jerusalem - going 6 paces with it, then stopping and sacrificing. And David danced. Michal his wife saw David dancing and despised him, not understanding his joy of the Lord. David later explains to her how he celebrates to the Lord for His hand of providence and the joy he has with God.
For me this is a lesson about being careful and realize that God's commandments are sacred, though in the New Testament there seems to be also a lesson on the heart being more of what God is concerned about. I suppose we always have to consider the situation at hand. I suppose there is the question as to whether or not commands must be followed by the letter of the Law, thus no variation or if there can be deviation because of circumstances. Overall, good intentions do not justify disobedience to God's Word, which had decreed that human hands should never touch the sacred ark of God's covenant.
Summary: David now is ready to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and on the way there Uzzah touches the ark and only the priests are allowed to touch it and Uzzah is struck dead.
Promise: The Lord's wrath is real and people need to be warned.
Prayer: O God, thank you for having grace with me regarding my sin. Your patience overwhelms me. Your wrath is real and you are to be respected always. Thank you for knowing me and knowing my needs and also showing me the importance of following your ways. Lord, I ask for your discernment in regards to your commands and to what extent Your laws and commands need to be followed. Is it hard and fast like this always? As I read your word and study I see instances of doing things with an emphasis on heart and motivation, is that correct? Or it always precisely how you have laid out? Thank you for wisdom and understanding. And providing people in my life that you use as well to give me understanding. You are to be praised and adored.
No comments:
Post a Comment