Read
2 Samuel 5:1-13
1 Chronicles 11:1-9
1 Chronicles 12:23-40
2 Samuel 5:17-25
1 Chronicles 14:8-17
1 Chronicles 3:4b
1 Chronicles 14:1-2
1 Chronicles 13:1-14
2 Samuel 6:1-11
Think
2 Samuel 6:5-8, "David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs, and playing all kinds of instruments ... But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. Then the Lords's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. ... David was angry that the Lord's anger burst out against Uzzah..."
Anointed king over all Israel, David dominated two crucial battles giving all the credit for Israel's wins to God. He was now more powerful than ever and feared among other nations. So, after a rocky start, things were moving along quite swimmingly for the new king.
After conquering Jerusalem, he chose to reside there and make it a central place of worship for all of Israel. To do so, he decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to the city because it signified God's true presence and glory among His chosen people. He made plans for it to be a festive day of celebration, but he did not take care to follow God's law regarding how to handle and transport the Ark of the Covenant.
The day of festivities was interrupted by tragedy when Uzzah reached out and touched the Ark. Even though his intentions were good – he wanted to keep it from falling – his disobedience resulted in judgment. Uzzah fell dead, and the Israelites came face to face with God's holiness. They were again reminded that true worship doesn't come from good intentions but obedience.
We can fall into the same trap. We can rationalize, "What God really meant to say was...." Or "I'm sure God wouldn't mind in this case if I..." We justify our decisions by our circumstances and feelings. We hope that our "good intentions" will excuse our disobedience. But, we must remember that God is God and we are not. He is holy, and obedience is always the best form of worship. And when we worship Him with our obedience, we will experience His blessing.
Pray
Lord, I'm so thankful I can approach you as a loving Father, but I also worship you as a holy God. Guide me towards obedience as I seek to live out Your will. I want to honor You in all I do! Amen.
