The thing I got out of today's reading that I found interesting had to do with Uzzah touching the ark because it appeared to be falling of the cart and God "struck him down"...my study Bible mentioned that the ark represented the very throne of God, required special care and handling. But taking their cues from the pagen Philistines, the Israelites put the ark on a chart which showed no awe for God's presence or commands. The did not follow the commands God gave on how to handle the cart. Later David made a comment on how he should have inquired God on how to move the ark...I think it was another blog entry I had that mentioned how I need to make sure I'm inquiring more of God's direction and not always leaning on my own. I related to Nicole sharing how hard it is for her to let go of control. I'm also a very control-freak type of person and I need to rely more on God and less on me!
That puzzled me two ("stuck him down because he had put his hand on the ark") at first but later in chapter 15:1 it says "no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever." I am not sure if Uzzah was a Levite (should check on this). If he was not he was not allowed to do anything with the ark and that is why he was struck dead. But even if he was, Levites were supposed to follow very specific instructions on how to handle it as you mentioned.
I found some more interesting information about Uzzah in Ellen White's writings...pretty cool you can search her writings online at www.whiteestate.org and I just did a search for Uzzah...here is what she had to say:
"But "when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his rashness [marginal reading]; and there he died by the ark of God." A sudden terror fell upon the rejoicing throng. David was astonished and greatly alarmed, and in his heart he questioned the justice of God. He had been seeking to honor the ark as the symbol of the divine presence. Why, then, had that fearful judgment been sent to turn the season of gladness into an occasion of grief and mourning? Feeling that it would be unsafe to have the ark near him, David determined to let it remain where it was. A place was found for it nearby, at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment upon the violation of a most explicit command. Through Moses the Lord had given special instruction concerning the transportation of the ark. None but the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch it, or even to look upon it uncovered. The divine direction was, "The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." Numbers 4:15. The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the staves, which were placed in rings upon each side of the ark and were never removed. To the Gershonites and Merarites, who had in charge the curtains and boards and pillars of the tabernacle, Moses gave carts and oxen for the transportation of that which was committed to them. "But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders." Numbers 7:9. Thus in the bringing of the ark from Kirjath-jearim there had been a direct and inexcusable disregard of the Lord's directions.
David and his people had assembled to perform a sacred work, and they had engaged in it with glad and willing hearts; Page 706 but the Lord could not accept the service, because it was not performed in accordance with His directions. The Philistines, who had not a knowledge of God's law, had placed the ark upon a cart when they returned it to Israel, and the Lord accepted the effort which they made. But the Israelites had in their hands a plain statement of the will of God in all these matters, and their neglect of these instructions was dishonoring to God. Upon Uzzah rested the greater guilt of presumption. Transgression of God's law had lessened his sense of its sacredness, and with unconfessed sins upon him he had, in face of the divine prohibition, presumed to touch the symbol of God's presence. God can accept no partial obedience, no lax way of treating His commandments. By the judgment upon Uzzah He designed to impress upon all Israel the importance of giving strict heed to His requirements. Thus the death of that one man, by leading the people to repentance, might prevent the necessity of inflicting judgments upon thousands.
Feeling that his own heart was not wholly right with God, David, seeing the stroke upon Uzzah, had feared the ark, lest some sin on his part should bring judgments upon him. But Obed-edom, though he rejoiced with trembling, welcomed the sacred symbol as the pledge of God's favor to the obedient. The attention of all Israel was now directed to the Gittite and his household; all watched to see how it would fare with them. "And the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household."
Upon David the divine rebuke accomplished its work. He was led to realize as he had never realized before the sacredness of the law of God and the necessity of strict obedience. The favor shown to the house of Obed-edom led David again to hope that the ark might bring a blessing to him and to his people.
At the end of three months he resolved to make another attempt to remove the ark, and he now gave earnest heed to carry out in every particular the directions of the Lord."
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The thing I got out of today's reading that I found interesting had to do with Uzzah touching the ark because it appeared to be falling of the cart and God "struck him down"...my study Bible mentioned that the ark represented the very throne of God, required special care and handling. But taking their cues from the pagen Philistines, the Israelites put the ark on a chart which showed no awe for God's presence or commands. The did not follow the commands God gave on how to handle the cart. Later David made a comment on how he should have inquired God on how to move the ark...I think it was another blog entry I had that mentioned how I need to make sure I'm inquiring more of God's direction and not always leaning on my own. I related to Nicole sharing how hard it is for her to let go of control. I'm also a very control-freak type of person and I need to rely more on God and less on me!
That puzzled me two ("stuck him down because he had put his hand on the ark") at first but later in chapter 15:1 it says "no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever." I am not sure if Uzzah was a Levite (should check on this). If he was not he was not allowed to do anything with the ark and that is why he was struck dead. But even if he was, Levites were supposed to follow very specific instructions on how to handle it as you mentioned.
I found some more interesting information about Uzzah in Ellen White's writings...pretty cool you can search her writings online at www.whiteestate.org and I just did a search for Uzzah...here is what she had to say:
"But "when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his rashness [marginal reading]; and there he died by the ark of God." A sudden terror fell upon the rejoicing throng. David was astonished and greatly alarmed, and in his heart he questioned the justice of God. He had been seeking to honor the ark as the symbol of the divine presence. Why, then, had that fearful judgment been sent to turn the season of gladness into an occasion of grief and mourning? Feeling that it would be unsafe to have the ark near him, David determined to let it remain where it was. A place was found for it nearby, at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment upon the violation of a most explicit command. Through Moses the Lord had given special instruction concerning the transportation of the ark. None but the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch it, or even to look upon it uncovered. The divine direction was, "The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." Numbers 4:15. The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the staves, which were placed in rings upon each side of the ark and were never removed. To the Gershonites and Merarites, who had in charge the curtains and boards and pillars of the tabernacle, Moses gave carts and oxen for the transportation of that which was committed to them. "But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders." Numbers 7:9. Thus in the bringing of the ark from Kirjath-jearim there had been a direct and inexcusable disregard of the Lord's directions.
David and his people had assembled to perform a sacred work, and they had engaged in it with glad and willing hearts;
Page 706
but the Lord could not accept the service, because it was not performed in accordance with His directions. The Philistines, who had not a knowledge of God's law, had placed the ark upon a cart when they returned it to Israel, and the Lord accepted the effort which they made. But the Israelites had in their hands a plain statement of the will of God in all these matters, and their neglect of these instructions was dishonoring to God. Upon Uzzah rested the greater guilt of presumption. Transgression of God's law had lessened his sense of its sacredness, and with unconfessed sins upon him he had, in face of the divine prohibition, presumed to touch the symbol of God's presence. God can accept no partial obedience, no lax way of treating His commandments. By the judgment upon Uzzah He designed to impress upon all Israel the importance of giving strict heed to His requirements. Thus the death of that one man, by leading the people to repentance, might prevent the necessity of inflicting judgments upon thousands.
Feeling that his own heart was not wholly right with God, David, seeing the stroke upon Uzzah, had feared the ark, lest some sin on his part should bring judgments upon him. But Obed-edom, though he rejoiced with trembling, welcomed the sacred symbol as the pledge of God's favor to the obedient. The attention of all Israel was now directed to the Gittite and his household; all watched to see how it would fare with them. "And the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household."
Upon David the divine rebuke accomplished its work. He was led to realize as he had never realized before the sacredness of the law of God and the necessity of strict obedience. The favor shown to the house of Obed-edom led David again to hope that the ark might bring a blessing to him and to his people.
At the end of three months he resolved to make another attempt to remove the ark, and he now gave earnest heed to carry out in every particular the directions of the Lord."
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