Steady! Steady!
Last Wednesday, I shared some thoughts about an incident from the life of David. He and all of his officers and officials made a commitment to bring the ark of the covenant up from the little town of Kireath Jearim to Jerusalem. David put together quite an assembly for this great procession and everything seemed to be going without a hitch. That is until someone died. . .
When the oxen carrying the ark stumbled at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hands to steady the ark. His actions seems innocent enough to you and me, but the LORD’s anger was kindled and burned against Uzzah. He died right there on the spot before the LORD. . .
This incident raises all kinds of questions:
- What was wrong with reaching out a hand to keep the ark from toppling over?
- Would God have preferred the ark to spill out on the ground?
- Why death? Why not tumors or disease like the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5?
- Why is David so upset with the LORD’s anger? (1 Chronicles 13:11, 2 Samuel 6:8)
We do know that the God expressly taught the Israelites to keep away from the ark. Number 4:15 is clear that even the Levites were not to touch the holy things. And if Scripture were not clear enough, Uzzah had to have known what happened to the people of Beth Shemesh (a nearby village) that looked into the ark. It is hard to believe he would be so foolish after 70 (or 50,000+ see the footnote) people died after gazing into the ark.
But this passage is more David than Uzzah. . . I think David is upset with the LORD because he knows that Uzzah died rather needlessly. If David and priests had really taken seriously the teachings of Torah, Uzzah would have been alive. David was absorbed in what seemed “right to all the people” (1 Chronicles 13:4).
So what do we learn from this passage:
1. God’s punishment is severe for those who take it upon themselves “to steady the ark.”
2. God’s grace is surprising, and he forgives and offers new beginnings to those who set their hearts on pleasing Him. People like David who would three months laster dance before the LORD (2 Samuel 6:11,16).
Being Practical – Uzzah’s Demise
I think it is important to realize that Uzzah very likely never realized how much danger he was facing as he reached out his hand toward the ark of the covenant. He was so familiar with the sacred that he treated God with contempt. His actions were “irreverent” (2 Samuel 6:7).
Could that happen to me? Could I treat what is holy and sacred as if it is common? The answer is yes.
It’s interesting to me that it is easier to see how other people (or other self-professing Christians) violate the sacredness of God by their flippant or casual behavior and not see in my own arrogance that I might be treading on sacred ground as well. We can see that others violate “the Uzzah principle” but can’t seem to see that we ourselves might be in a dangerous position as well.
Jesus asks us to examine our own eyes before we venture out to take specks from our brother’s eyes (Matthew 7:3-4).
How am I doing with God? Do I treat what is holy as I should?




