“And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD come to me?’ So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David.” 2 Sam. 6:6-10
Devotional Thought For The Day
There is a lot of history preceding this account. You can read about the construction of the ark, the poles made for carrying it [so that no one was to touch it directly], its significance as the focal point of God’s promised presence and blessing, and most importantly as the place where the blood of atonement was sprinkled for the cleansing away of sin, pointing directly to Jesus [Who is described both as the mercy seat, the lid covering the ark, and also the blood of atonement]. When one reads this account it is rather remarkable that Jesus personally touched other people and allowed Himself to be touched by them. The mystery of the incarnation is great indeed, and nothing to be trifled with. So also the mystery of Christ’s meal – according to His own Word, His body and blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. [Matt. 26:26-28] We perhaps take much too lightly the Word of God which alerts us to these realities, and the consequences of treating the sacred things contrary to that Word – the apostle clearly identifies sickness and physical death as consequences of participating in the meal of the Lord impiously, by not “discerning the Lord’s body.” [1 Cor. 11:29,30]
So what are we to do with a God Who is love, but Who is also apparently quite dangerous to those who are subject to committing “error”? David was angry with God for His judgment against Uzzah, and also terribly afraid, so much so that he concluded that the ark of the Lord couldn’t be brought into Jerusalem. David later changed his mind about the ark, seeing the blessing that it brought to those who temporarily housed it [2 Sam. 6:11,12], and he did bring it up to Jerusalem – but with greatest reverence, care, and respect. So the punishment of Uzzah served a great purpose for God’s people. We should not conclude that Uzzah was eternally condemned for his “error,” and if he was a believer, a child of God, then even this punishment was a blessing and benefit to him, for it is preferable to die and to be with the Lord. [Phil. 1:23] Likewise, we should not conclude that people of God who have suffered discipline for their errors have lost faith and salvation, even those who may have become sick and died for some transgression. But there are lessons to be learned and realities to be respected – that God is no one to trifle with.
Perhaps when we hear these things we then are fearful to draw near to God and to participate in the intimate fellowship that He invites us to. Or perhaps we just discount these things and presume that God is not near, that He really doesn’t care that much, that God poses no threat to anyone. This is the unbelief of the world – and if God poses no threat why bother drawing near to Him at all, or paying any mind to Him? This disregard for God, even within the fellowship of the church, has led many to simply desert the church for the pleasures of this world, and the exodus from the church continues. So should we approach Him only in fear and trembling, uncertain as to whether He will bless us or strike us dead? No! No! We should by all means take seriously His gracious Word of forgiveness, mercy, love, compassion, cleansing, and deliverance – and boldly come to Him to receive the blessings He wills to give us in Christ! But we should do so with genuine reverence and respect – which only deepens our gratitude and worship of God, for we are poor sinful human beings, who err and sin daily in thought, word, and deed, and therefore need His gracious forgiveness and love more than life itself.
But what if we err? What if some ill befalls us because of our weakness and sin, some guilt regarding the body and blood of the Lord? [1 Cor. 11:27] Well, there are worse things than dying “there beside the ark of the Lord.” It is far worse to disregard the Lord to the point of falling into utter unbelief and impiety. It is far worse to despise God’s Word to the point of doubting His love and refusing to draw near to Him. God is God, and at times His ways make us both angry and afraid. But He remains Who He is – God is love, and He remains faithful to His Word, which means great blessedness for all who believe in His beloved Son, our dear Savior Jesus Christ. And for the occasional harshness toward an Uzzah, there are many lives filled with the blessings of God’s presence and love. So let us draw near to Him with boldness and with greatest reverence – knowing that in everything that He does He is working for our greatest blessedness.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, when we read that mere errors can be deadly we fear all the more what we deserve because of our dark sins. Like David, we may conclude that we are better off just to keep our distance from You, and not participate in the blessings of Your salvation. Forbid Lord, that we should lose faith and confidence in You. Forbid that we lose reverence for You. Help us to be bold in coming to You for grace and mercy, trusting that no matter what may come, if we have You as our Savior and Lord all will be well. Amen.