The fate of Uzzah is relatively well known. Many of us will have heard of this man who “reached out his hand to steady the ark” (1 Chron 13:9) and was struck dead as a result. It seems petty and vindictive of God – and indeed a great contrast to Jesus who in the passage from John healed a man born blind.
The ark of the covenant had been in Kiriath Jearim, 8 or 9 miles south of Jerusalem for 20 years or so. The ark was the gold-covered box that sat at the heart of the tabernacle, and then the temple. It was the centre of Israelite religion and worship, for inside it were the 2 stone tablets of the 10 commandments, and it was topped by 2 cherubim, between which the Lord was “enthroned” (13:6). Indeed this ark so symbolised the presence of God himself that it was “called by the Name” (of God). (13:6)
To move it to its home in Jerusalem was a cause for great celebration: “David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.” (13:8) Yet in this joyous picture we then read the shocking next 2 verses:
“When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.” (13:9-10)
Do we like David become angry with God when we read of him acting like this? What do we make of such an incident?
Perhaps the key to understanding this story is Numbers chapter 4. This whole chapter is dedicated to explaining how the tabernacle and all the holy things are to be moved when the Israelites moved camp in the wilderness. One particular group of priests, the Kohathites, were responsible for carrying the ark and the holy things:
“This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things. When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.” (Numbers 4:4-6)
Poles are to be used to carry the ark so no-one touches it, the curtain was to be spread over the ark so no-one sees it – not even the Kohathites themselves:
“But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.” (Num 4:20)
So what on earth was the ark of the covenant doing on a cart, pulled by an ox, with just 2 men guiding it?! We may think Uzzah did what he thought best in steadying the ark – but the problem was that he should never have been put in that position to begin with!
The role of the priests was, among other things, to protect the people from acting in inappropriate ways that would lead to them being put to death – they were mediators between God and the people. David the King should have ensured they did this job – but both he and the priests failed.
So what do we learn from this incident?
First, we we learn that God is holy and not to be trifled with. His presence with us is a great joy and blessing, but we should not presume upon him, or be casual in the way we relate to him, for “our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 13:28)
Second, we praise God that we do not have a negligent king and priests, who put people like Uzzah in danger through their poor mediation. Rather we have Jesus, who stands between us and God and his wrath – indeed who bore that wrath in the place of people like you and me. He indeed is a high priest who “meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” (Heb 7:26)
Finally, this is a challenge to those of us in Christian leadership of any kind. Whilst not sacrificing priests of the old testament, nor even kings like David (Jesus is both of those), nevertheless we do have a responsibility to teach God’s people to revere him rightly. In particular how tragic if we fail to warn people like Uzzahs that their actions will incur God’s wrath – or even encourage them in these actions. Whether it be in the area of human sexuality, or justification by faith alone, or whatever it may be, we must not keep silent and so be complicit in sins we know will incur God’s eternal judgment. We must love people enough to warn them, as the apostle Paul did:
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)
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