A Little Dirt Versus Doing It Myself…..

When I read the story of Uzzah and the Ark of God (1 Chronicles 13), I always wondered why Uzzah died for trying to keep it from falling off the cart. You can also read about it 2 Samuel 6. In each story we are not given the answer. However, two chapters later (1 Chronicles 15), we get the answer to the question; David did not ask God how to move it. You see Moses was instructed how to build it, where to place it, what its purpose was, and how to move it. The Levites were the only people to ever move it, and they were to carry it with the poles it was designed with, never on a cart. Under King Saul’s leadership, this procedure was abandoned and neglect of the ark took place. And David’s reverence for God took an ignorant turn because of it. Uzzah was just trying to steady the cart, but God had already had enough of being tolerant of David’s miscue. When Uzzah touched the art that was it for God’s patience. To think that ultimately it was Uzzah’s thinking that it would be better to touch the cart with sinful hands than for a little innocent dirt to get on it was enough for God to put an end to this ignorant and blatant non-sense. So how does all of this translate to our lives? How often do we do things without asking God first? How often do we think we are doing God a favor when it’s our thinking and not God’s will? How often do we play God without even consulting with Him? This story seems tragic, and even cruel to those not in pursuit of knowing God, but when the truth (purpose behind it) is revealed we have a choice to make; either accept it, or question God still. The latter of the two will always end up steering us away from God. It’s just the nature of our flesh to do it. It’s the difference between “thinking and feeling”. Both can lead us down a path of disappointment, but thinking on what we know to be true, and acting on it is the better choice. As I always say, “feelings are legitimate, but often overrated”. Consult With God on every major decision you make, and you’ll find out that a little dirt is often better than touching something sacred without permission.

13 Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” 1 Chronicles 15:13