David tried to bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.
Here’s one thing I did not understand for a long time. Why did God strike dead Uzzah?
We learn from Number 4:15 that those carrying the holy things must not touch them or they will die. It is something every Israelite knows. When they passed by the threshing floor of Nakon, the oxen stumbled. Uzzah reached out to hold on to the Ark. It looks like a reflex action. He did not want the Ark of the Covenant to fall on the threshing floor. His intention could be good. However, he disobeyed God’s law.
Because if this, the Ark was moved to the house of the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Lord blessed that household. David then made a second attempt to bring the Ark back.
Good Intention Alone is Not Good Enough. Uzzah might have good intention. He did not want the Ark to fall to the floor. However, he disobeyed God’s law (Num 4:15). Every Israeli knows about it. In the frenzy, Uzzah’s reflex overcame his obedience. Is the knowledge of God’s instruction our ultimate guidance? Does it take precedence over our reflex, consideration, assessment? It should.
(I am not comment on David’s two attempts to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. When Uzzah was strike dead, he ordered the Ark to be moved to the house of Obed-Edom. When that household was blessed, he instructed the Ark to be carried back.)
Worship the Lord. David did not care about what others think when he worshipped God. During a church camp decades ago, the invited speaker commented that someone (he was talking about me) who could put down their dignity would be greatly used by God. I was thinking, I was just worshippping God, how did I not care about “my face”? LOL. I am still waiting to be greatly used by God. It is said that when we worship God, he is the audience of one.
How can you ensure your worship of God honours him and are following his principles, instead of personal preferences or peer pressure? When you worship, are you pressured into following a certain style? Does your worship reflect a healthy balance of reverence and joy? Do you feel that you approach God in reverent awe and respect for his holiness? If not, what can you do to improve it?
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