2 Samuel 6:6-9
Verse 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.
In all the excitement to retrieve the Ark of the Lord, David failed to make sure it was being brought to town in the proper way. Every Israelite adult male should have known about the proper way to move the Ark as they would have been taught the stories of old. The fact this generation seems to know nothing about the transporting practices of the sacred object, shows just how soon a commonly known piece of knowledge can be lost in one generation.
According to the instructions given to Moses the ark was to be carried on poles through the rings at the feet of the Ark. Only Levites were allowed to carry the Ark and it had to be done in a very precise way. These instructions would have been something the families of priests would have gone over and over so they would know how to do it properly. It is obvious they hadn’t been as avid in the training process since the Ark had been captured by the Philistines.
In their eagerness to collect the Ark, David and his men didn’t take the time to figure out what the proper procedure was and so they loaded it on a new wagon and started the joyous journey. The cart was being guided by two brothers, Ahio in the front by the oxen and Uzzah in the back. The parade continued down the hill to the threshing floor of Nakon where the oxen stumbled.
Uzzah did what any of us would have done without thinking, if something is falling we try to catch it. It is a reaction we don’t even have to think about, we just do it. Uzzah didn’t even know what hit him as he dropped immediately, taken out by God for disobedience. It was against God’s rules regarding the Ark for it to be handled but it was also against His commands to move it on a cart, so why didn’t God kill everyone that was involved with the moving of the Ark?
David had the same response we would likely have as he couldn’t believe Uzzah had died from touching the box. It may not have been immediately understood what happened to Uzzah or why, but David doesn’t take long to come to the point of fearing the Lord. He may not have understood the entirety of what had just happened, but he knew that God was the only one powerful enough to do it.
Making It Personal
Have you ever witnessed something that could only be explained as something God had done? How did it change your view of the Lord? What is your understanding about the power of God?
Making It Personal Kids
What are some amazing things that Jesus can do that no one else can? How does knowing Jesus can do all those things make you think about Him? How strong is Jesus?
Closing Prayer
Father, we confess that we don’t always understand why You have set certain boundaries for us and we know we regularly fail in following You. Please give us the faith to obey even when we don’t understand and to remember there are consequences to disobedience. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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