No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
David and his men were having a jolly good time bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem.
Whenever we read stories like this in the Bible, it's good to take a moment and experience the emotions. The Bible is not dry. So take a breather and feel the unjust harsh treatment. Imagine yourself as Uzzah's best friend. Imagine yourself as his wife or his child. Imagine yourself as David.
More Anger
David got angry too.
But even if David was mad at God, it was held back by a fear of God. I know I've done that in the past when I saw God do something that I felt was unfair or unjust. But I quickly remember that he's God and I'm not. Notice how the Bible records people's immediate, raw, and authentic emotions.
The ark was too much for David. So instead of taking the ark to Jerusalem, he sent it off to a foreigner. This is why I think David was actually mad at God for unjustly killing Uzzah and not just mad at the fact that Uzzah had died. If this was how God was going to treat those who handle the ark, then David didn't want the ark in Jerusalem where he lived. Instead, he sent it off to a Gittite named Obed-edom. Gittites were people from Gath just like Angelinos are people from Los Angeles. Gath was also the city where Goliath came from. Obed-edom was not an enemy like Goliath, but was one of the loyal Philistines who had left their hometown to follow David (2 Samuel 15:18-19).
Notice that the ark went to a foreigner. It shows how despised or second class the ark had become. Think of the ark like nuclear waste. Would you want it in your home state? No, you'd call your senator and ask him to petition to the president to send it another state. Eventually, it'd end up in a state with the least political clout to resist the presence of nuclear waste.
Obed-edom's house was somewhere between Kiriath Jearim, where the ark was, and Jerusalem, where they had tried to take the ark. The exact location of Obed-edom's house isn't important, but it is important to note that the distance from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, by modern roads, is roughly 12.5 miles (20.1 km).
David wanted to make sure that the ark was brought properly to Jerusalem. Instead of using an ox cart, humans carried it this time. But here's the strange part -- they sacrificed two large animals everytime they took six steps.
Why did so many animals have to be sacrificed? To answer that question, we must first answer the question of whether or not God was just in kiling Uzzah.
The Sun
My dad read 2 Samuel 6 and complained to me that God was mean and capricious for killing someone who had tried to help. God seemed like a whimsical tyrant. I could see where he was coming from.
We all come to the Bible with preconceived notions about God. In the case of my dad, his sense of justice, much like many of us, would categorize God as unjust in the death of Uzzah. The problem isn't our sense of justice, or our sense of right and wrong. The problem is our assumptions about the nature of God.
If God were just another king, then he would be unjust for killing Uzzah. But God is not just another king, he is THE King. We tend to see God as who we want him to be and not as who he says he is. When we comprehend God according to his revelation of himself, it necessarily shatters categories and preconceived notions we have about God.
Imagine God as the sun. What would happen if we stared at the sun? If we do it without sun glasses, we would go blind. What if we approached the sun? We would melt.
Imagine people as rocks in your backyard. As the sun is grander than the rocks in our backyard, so God is grander than us. We cannot approach God like we approach other people. We cannot approach the sun like we approach the rocks in our backyard and expect to not go blind or melt.
God was perfectly just in killing Uzzah because Uzzah approached God without recognizing God for his sheer awesomeness, even though Uzzah was just trying to help. God is so awesome that when we approach him, we are blinded and melt from his glory. See Judges 6:22-23, 13:22, and Isaiah 6:5. Those are just a few accounts of people who understood that seeing God results in death.
But Not All Die
If we deserve to die when seeing God, then why did Moses, Isaiah, and countless others not die when they saw God? The answer to that question is also the answer to the question of why David sacrificed two animals every six steps.
Moses, Isaiah, and countless others deserved to die, but did not die because they were pardoned by God. They were pardoned by the blood of animals, or by other objects that hinted at the Old Testament system of animal sacrifice.
David was simply carrying out that idea of blood sacrifice. David was reminding himself and God, every six steps, that he deserved to die like the animals he was sacrificing. And God, in seeing the sacrifice, didn't kill anyone this time because David was carrying the ark in a worthy manner.
But the blood of animals required continual use. The Jews had to sacrifice animals ever year. David had to offer sacrifices every six steps. That means that the sacrifices were only temporary and foreshadowed a more permanent sacrifice -- Jesus Christ.
We can approach God, not because God is not awesome, but because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died in our place as our blood sacrifice. Apart from Christ, no one can come to God and not die.
So the immediate application of the account of the death of Uzzah is to remind us of the sheer holiness of God. Remember that we deserve to die on the spot, or to melt away, by his awesome glory. It does Christ injustice to see God as lowly and come to him in a cavalier fashion, because then, Christ's sacrifice doesn't do much.
The higher we see God, the more majestic we see him, the more precious is the blood of Christ. And a high view of God necessitates that it was just for God to kill Uzzah.
David and his men were having a jolly good time bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem.
And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. (2 Samuel 6:2-5)But the oxen that were carrying the cart stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to make sure that the ark of God would stay on the cart.
And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. (2 Samuel 6:6)God got angry and killed Uzzah for touching the cart.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:7)If we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit we all feel that his death was unjust. First, Uzzah didn't seem to have done anything that bad. The oxen stumbled, so he reached out because he cared about the ark. Uzzah seemed to have had good intentions. Second, even if touching the ark was wrong, did the punishment fit the crime? Wasn't immediate execution a bit extreme? Uzzah may have had a family. If so, a wife lost her husband. If he had children, his death would mean that his children would have to go through a lifetime of not having a father.
Whenever we read stories like this in the Bible, it's good to take a moment and experience the emotions. The Bible is not dry. So take a breather and feel the unjust harsh treatment. Imagine yourself as Uzzah's best friend. Imagine yourself as his wife or his child. Imagine yourself as David.
More Anger
David got angry too.
And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day. (2 Samuel 6:8)There are two ways we can interpret David's anger. One way is to say that David was mad at the fact that Uzzah did something wrong and died. Another way is to say that David was actually mad at God for unjustly killing Uzzzah. I think it was the latter.
But even if David was mad at God, it was held back by a fear of God. I know I've done that in the past when I saw God do something that I felt was unfair or unjust. But I quickly remember that he's God and I'm not. Notice how the Bible records people's immediate, raw, and authentic emotions.
And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" (2 Samuel 6:9)Hot Potato
The ark was too much for David. So instead of taking the ark to Jerusalem, he sent it off to a foreigner. This is why I think David was actually mad at God for unjustly killing Uzzah and not just mad at the fact that Uzzah had died. If this was how God was going to treat those who handle the ark, then David didn't want the ark in Jerusalem where he lived. Instead, he sent it off to a Gittite named Obed-edom. Gittites were people from Gath just like Angelinos are people from Los Angeles. Gath was also the city where Goliath came from. Obed-edom was not an enemy like Goliath, but was one of the loyal Philistines who had left their hometown to follow David (2 Samuel 15:18-19).
Notice that the ark went to a foreigner. It shows how despised or second class the ark had become. Think of the ark like nuclear waste. Would you want it in your home state? No, you'd call your senator and ask him to petition to the president to send it another state. Eventually, it'd end up in a state with the least political clout to resist the presence of nuclear waste.
So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. (2 Samuel 6:10)The ark stayed with Obed-edom for three months. During that time, God blessed him and his whole household! God blessed a foreigner! I love this because I'm Chinese American, and naturally, a foreigner to the promises of Israel. So I always take note when God is kind to foreigners like me.
And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household. (2 Samuel 6:11)David wanted the ark back because he wanted God's blessing. It's not wrong to desire God's blessing. And in that age, God's blessing was associated with the physical presence of the ark.
And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. (2 Samuel 6:12)Miles of Blood
Obed-edom's house was somewhere between Kiriath Jearim, where the ark was, and Jerusalem, where they had tried to take the ark. The exact location of Obed-edom's house isn't important, but it is important to note that the distance from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, by modern roads, is roughly 12.5 miles (20.1 km).
David wanted to make sure that the ark was brought properly to Jerusalem. Instead of using an ox cart, humans carried it this time. But here's the strange part -- they sacrificed two large animals everytime they took six steps.
And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. (2 Samuel 6:13)It doesn't matter if they were long steps or short steps, or if the distance from Obed-edom's house to Jerusalem was 1 mile, 5 miles, or 12.5 miles. Any way you do the math, and we come to the conclusion that they sacrificed a lot of animals.
Why did so many animals have to be sacrificed? To answer that question, we must first answer the question of whether or not God was just in kiling Uzzah.
The Sun
My dad read 2 Samuel 6 and complained to me that God was mean and capricious for killing someone who had tried to help. God seemed like a whimsical tyrant. I could see where he was coming from.
We all come to the Bible with preconceived notions about God. In the case of my dad, his sense of justice, much like many of us, would categorize God as unjust in the death of Uzzah. The problem isn't our sense of justice, or our sense of right and wrong. The problem is our assumptions about the nature of God.
If God were just another king, then he would be unjust for killing Uzzah. But God is not just another king, he is THE King. We tend to see God as who we want him to be and not as who he says he is. When we comprehend God according to his revelation of himself, it necessarily shatters categories and preconceived notions we have about God.
Imagine God as the sun. What would happen if we stared at the sun? If we do it without sun glasses, we would go blind. What if we approached the sun? We would melt.
Imagine people as rocks in your backyard. As the sun is grander than the rocks in our backyard, so God is grander than us. We cannot approach God like we approach other people. We cannot approach the sun like we approach the rocks in our backyard and expect to not go blind or melt.
God was perfectly just in killing Uzzah because Uzzah approached God without recognizing God for his sheer awesomeness, even though Uzzah was just trying to help. God is so awesome that when we approach him, we are blinded and melt from his glory. See Judges 6:22-23, 13:22, and Isaiah 6:5. Those are just a few accounts of people who understood that seeing God results in death.
But Not All Die
If we deserve to die when seeing God, then why did Moses, Isaiah, and countless others not die when they saw God? The answer to that question is also the answer to the question of why David sacrificed two animals every six steps.
Moses, Isaiah, and countless others deserved to die, but did not die because they were pardoned by God. They were pardoned by the blood of animals, or by other objects that hinted at the Old Testament system of animal sacrifice.
David was simply carrying out that idea of blood sacrifice. David was reminding himself and God, every six steps, that he deserved to die like the animals he was sacrificing. And God, in seeing the sacrifice, didn't kill anyone this time because David was carrying the ark in a worthy manner.
But the blood of animals required continual use. The Jews had to sacrifice animals ever year. David had to offer sacrifices every six steps. That means that the sacrifices were only temporary and foreshadowed a more permanent sacrifice -- Jesus Christ.
We can approach God, not because God is not awesome, but because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died in our place as our blood sacrifice. Apart from Christ, no one can come to God and not die.
So the immediate application of the account of the death of Uzzah is to remind us of the sheer holiness of God. Remember that we deserve to die on the spot, or to melt away, by his awesome glory. It does Christ injustice to see God as lowly and come to him in a cavalier fashion, because then, Christ's sacrifice doesn't do much.
The higher we see God, the more majestic we see him, the more precious is the blood of Christ. And a high view of God necessitates that it was just for God to kill Uzzah.
