God Save the Ark

Day 75: I Chronicles 5-13

This blog post is a continuation of my last post because these chapters contain lists of descendants of the tribes, Saul, David, and others. It also chronicles who played music in front of the temple, who the gatekeepers were, who guarded the temple, and who the mighty warriors were that led David's army.

Chapter 10 once again recounts events that were told in I and II Samuel, as well as the books of Kings, such as the death of Saul and the time David became king.

One story I don't remember reading about, though, is the story of Uzzah, the man who reached out to steady the Ark and whom God struck down because He was angry at him. This passage has always puzzled me because of how cruel it seems. Here was someone who was trying to save the Ark from collapsing on the floor and God strikes him dead right then and there. This man's motives don't seem to matter to God. Why, I wondered?

It seems to me that this story isn't so much about Uzzah's sin as it is about David and his sins. Instead of carrying the Ark like they were supposed to be doing (by holding on to the poles), they were carrying it on an ox. I don't exactly know why. Maybe it was easier for them to guide an animal rather than to carry the thing for miles and miles. I'm not sure. But either way, it was because they were carrying it wrong in the first place that Uzzah had to reach out to steady it from falling. If they had been obeying God from the outset, Uzzah wouldn't have had to lose his life.

Once again, everything boils down to obedience. This time David's disobedience cost another man his life. God wants us to obey him, to obey his laws and to obey his will for our lives. Obedience seems of the utmost importance and over and over again the theme of obedience appears in the Bible.

God wants me to obey.

God wants me to obey.

And when I don't, my actions may impact others. Others may have to suffer the consequences of my sins, just like David's decisions proved fatal for Uzzah. Next time we are faced with a decision to obey or disobey, I pray that we will think of Uzzah and remember that our choices don't just effect us; they may alter the life of someone else.