2Sa 6:6-7 | KingComments | STEP | What should have been a feast ends in a disaster. David has arranged everything with the best intentions, but this does not prevent an accident happening with the ark. Uzzah wants to prevent the ark from falling and does so by reaching out his hand toward the ark to stop it. However, this well-intentioned act is punished with death by God. God does not want us to support His service with our hands. His Divine glory, of which the ark is the symbol, cannot be touched by our hands. That touch only results in a tarnish of the ark. God watches over His honor. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus. God wants us to treat Him with respect, to treat Him as He indicates. He is the center of true service to God. God will never allow us, humans, to arrange service to Him according to our own thoughts. If we are going to fill in this service ourselves, it will certainly end up wrong. Only if we really give Him the guidance in our lives and meeting together things will go well. For example, when it comes to worship, the Lord Jesus says that the Father seeks worshipers. At the same time, He indicates how God should be worshiped ( ). He does not do this by means of rules, men with the best intentions have prescribed. God has given His Word and His Spirit. In His Word we can read how to worship Him in spirit and truth. Where obedience to His Word is found under the guidance of His Spirit, a service can take place that is to His glory. The oxen that pull the cart on which the ark stands are no better than the shoulders of priests. They nearly upset. God has led the cows of the Philistines ( ). He did so because the Philistines do not know better. God’s people, however, must know better. What God tolerates to some degree with the Philistines, He doesn’t tolerate with His own. Uzzah tries to save the ark from a fall and forgets God’s rule not to touch the ark. God punishes heavily! Here in the picture it is about not keeping enough distance between the Lord Jesus and us. Appropriate respect is not undermined by confidentiality. Although Uzzah doesn’t look into the ark, he does something that speaks of tarnishing the glory of the Lord Jesus. Then God must intervene. David is not only sad, but also angry, and even rebellious. He thinks he’s doing so well and now he’s being punished so heavily! The disaster is not over the Philistines ( ), but over David. However, David must learn that it is not God, but himself who is the cause of this disaster. It is often the case that we blame God for the events we have caused ourselves. David’s lack of obedience to what God has said costs someone else, Uzzah, his life. Thus, our disobedience can have harmful consequences for others. This does not justify Uzzah. He too was responsible for knowing the will of God. His well-intentioned attempt to save the ark was contrary to God’s Word and God must punish it. God cannot give up anything of His holiness.

‏ 2 Samuel 6:6-7

The Death of Uzzah

What should have been a feast ends in a disaster. David has arranged everything with the best intentions, but this does not prevent an accident happening with the ark. Uzzah wants to prevent the ark from falling and does so by reaching out his hand toward the ark to stop it. However, this well-intentioned act is punished with death by God.

God does not want us to support His service with our hands. His Divine glory, of which the ark is the symbol, cannot be touched by our hands. That touch only results in a tarnish of the ark. God watches over His honor. The ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus. God wants us to treat Him with respect, to treat Him as He indicates. He is the center of true service to God.

God will never allow us, humans, to arrange service to Him according to our own thoughts. If we are going to fill in this service ourselves, it will certainly end up wrong. Only if we really give Him the guidance in our lives and meeting together things will go well.

For example, when it comes to worship, the Lord Jesus says that the Father seeks worshipers. At the same time, He indicates how God should be worshiped (Jn 4:23-24). He does not do this by means of rules, men with the best intentions have prescribed. God has given His Word and His Spirit. In His Word we can read how to worship Him in spirit and truth. Where obedience to His Word is found under the guidance of His Spirit, a service can take place that is to His glory.

The oxen that pull the cart on which the ark stands are no better than the shoulders of priests. They nearly upset. God has led the cows of the Philistines (1Sam 6:7 ; 12). He did so because the Philistines do not know better. God’s people, however, must know better. What God tolerates to some degree with the Philistines, He doesn’t tolerate with His own. Uzzah tries to save the ark from a fall and forgets God’s rule not to touch the ark. God punishes heavily!

Here in the picture it is about not keeping enough distance between the Lord Jesus and us. Appropriate respect is not undermined by confidentiality. Although Uzzah doesn’t look into the ark, he does something that speaks of tarnishing the glory of the Lord Jesus. Then God must intervene.

David is not only sad, but also angry, and even rebellious. He thinks he’s doing so well and now he’s being punished so heavily! The disaster is not over the Philistines (1Sam 5:6), but over David. However, David must learn that it is not God, but himself who is the cause of this disaster. It is often the case that we blame God for the events we have caused ourselves.

David’s lack of obedience to what God has said costs someone else, Uzzah, his life. Thus, our disobedience can have harmful consequences for others. This does not justify Uzzah. He too was responsible for knowing the will of God. His well-intentioned attempt to save the ark was contrary to God’s Word and God must punish it. God cannot give up anything of His holiness.