Good Morning Friends,
“They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. 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. 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. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 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.” (2 Samuel 6:3-7)
David wanted the ark of God in his new city, Jerusalem. Until this time it had been kept at the house of the high priest. Now, David wanted it to be near his palace. David and the people of Israel traveled to the house of Abinadab the priest intent on bringing the ark to Jerusalem. David had a new cart built just for the purpose and oxen were brought along to pull the cart. Abinadab’s sons, Uzzah and Ahio walked along with the ark, Ahio in front and Uzzah in the rear. As they were walking, with the people all around them raising their voices in praise to God, the oxen stumbled and it looked as if the ark might be thrown off the cart and damaged. So Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, to protect it.
The problem was that God had made it clear that no man was ever to touch the ark. When Moses had built it he had made special provision so that it would never need to be touched. Rings had been built into it that long poles would fit through. When it was moved, as it was often during the days of Moses when the people of Israel were wandering in the desert, the Levites put the long poles through the rings and carried the ark. It took four men to carry it.
Two things went wrong when David was moving the ark to Jerusalem.
1. David chose a new method for moving the ark. It seemed like a better method. It was easier to put the ark on a cart and have it pulled by oxen than to have it carried by four Levites. They could move faster. It was less of a burden. But it was not the way that God had instructed for the ark to be moved. David had a better idea than God!
2. Uzzah didn’t trust God to take care of the ark on the cart. When it looked like it was in danger, he took matters into his own hands and reached out to steady the ark. He thought protecting the ark was more important than following God’s instructions.
Those same two problems arise in our lives over and over. We think we have a better way than the one God has given to us, so we do our own thing. We may even do it out of good motives and with worship accompanying it … but if we ignore God’s way and go our own we do so at great risk. And sometimes we think God needs our help to protect His work. We often take matters into our own hands, ignoring God’s instructions.
The point of this story is clear … God knows what He is doing and He wants us to listen to Him and follow His instructions.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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