Lord willing, we’ll be looking into some Old Testament history this May through summer in SixTen. While doing some prep reading in 1 Chronicles I came across the frightening story of Uzzah in Chapter 13 (with a slightly more detailed account in 2 Samuel 6). Therein fresh King David has decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord (think “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) back to himself, to the people, and to Jerusalem -it had been taken previously by the Philistines before being sent halfway back to Israel, making it as far as the house of Abinadab. But now David wants to bring it all the way home.
The occasion is marked by unity, festivity, and intensity: all of Israel is assembled, the music is loud and constant, and the people are expressing themselves ”with all their might.” That’s when Uzzah, one of two men specially appointed to caretake the Ark, reaches out to stabilize it as the oxen stumble. And the Lord’s anger burns against Uzzah such that the Lord immediately takes Uzzah’s life.
Really? What’s the big deal about that? Isn’t God overreacting, especially to kill a man who was only trying to help? David thought so. In fact, David was so convinced God’s retaliation was so extreme that he got angry at God -seemingly having judged God for being hostile, temperamental, even immature. Don’t we do this sometimes? We have ways in our minds -presuppositions perhaps- as to how God should respond to us, particularly amidst our “praise” of Him. If we go out of our way to get together and honor him, and do so with a fair degree of passion, then shouldn’t He soak it up and return the favor?
David’s anger (v11) did not last long (v12). He had already begun to ask the question of “What went wrong?” even as he asked “How can I bring the ark of God to me?” And by 1 Chronicles 15:13 David has the answer: “It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of Him how to do it in the prescribed way.” Amazingly, despite his sincerity, David’s disobedience cost Uzzah his life. (The oxen hardly stumbled by accident!) The Levites were the ones God wanted to bring the Ark, and it wasn’t enough that they be identified, they had to be consecrated -”made holy” in a way Uzzah had not been when he quick stretched to touch.
There is at least one overarching lesson to learn here: it is impossible to celebrate God while ignoring God’s Word. No matter how universal our agreement and energetic our praise, if we “worship” God on our terms rather than His terms, we fail. However, we can succeed in bringing God glory, just like they did -such a joyful narrative through Chapters 15 & 16! When the content of our worship is as self-sacrificial as God indicates (Romans 12:1-2) and Christ calls for (Matthew 5-7), we, with God, will win.
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