A Sovereign God

 What are the consequences of having a casual attitude toward Jesus Christ? Those who dismiss him as a good teacher or moral example make a big mistake. Those who ignore him are equally mistaken. Those who claim to follow him but take him for granted are no better off. The Bible declares that Jesus is God! We will recognize him now or later.

David understood that bringing the ark to Jerusalem was a significant undertaking. Therefore, he called for 30,000 soldiers and many other representatives from Israel to accompany him in this venture (2 Samuel 6).

The ark was a gold-plated wooden box approximately four feet long, two feet wide, and high. Moses made it according to God’s instructions. It was fitted with gold rings, through which gold-plated wooden poles were placed for the priests to carry it. A pure gold cover with a solid gold cherub was at each end. It contained a jar of mana, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets engraved with the words of the Ten Commandments.

The ark had specific instructions about moving it, and they were ignored. It was to be covered when moved, but it is being carried in full view of everyone. Only the priests were meant to carry the ark by its poles, but it was transported in a new cart (1 Chronicles 15:13).

The tremendous procession had not gone far when an incident occurred. There was a slight stumble by the oxen pulling the cart and a quick response from the priest watching the cart’s precious cargo. However, when Uzzah touched the ark, the Lord struck him down.

The music stopped, and everyone was stunned. There, “beside the ark,” was the lifeless body of Uzzah. David was angry because he could not understand what had just happened. The Lord had been angry that someone had touched the ark, and David was angry because it had happened. David hated what had happened, but this did not mean he hated the Lord. He was deeply troubled by what had happened. The narrator writes: David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9)

The question expresses the opposite of presumption. The person who asks David’s question has learned that the Lord God is not under our control. We never fully understand him. We certainly have no control over him. He is the holy God. This may have been the occasion for David writing Psalm 24: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god” (Ps 24:3-4). Daniel later wrote: “All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him” (Daniel 4:35).