Learning that God’s judgement did fit the crime
In 2 Samuel 6, we read the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.
The Ark represented the presence of God among His people and signified God’s covenant with them. It contained manna, Aaron’s staff, and the 10 commandments. God gave very specific instructions for carrying the Ark (1 Chronicles 15:15).
In David’s excitement to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, he does not follow God’s directions. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to stop it from falling and suffered the ultimate price.
The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. (2 Samuel 6:6–8 NIV)
In the past, I struggled with this harsh consequence. Wasn’t he just protecting the Ark out of instinct? It didn’t seem to make sense.
But then my minister explained that this irreverent act was the sum of two things:
1. They were doing their own thing
David ignored God’s directions. There were strict instructions to move the Ark including that it had to be carried by priests, carried by poles only, and it had to be covered.
By reaching out to touch the Ark, Uzzah disregarded what was right. Instead, he did what he thought was best.
Even if we don’t understand it, God’s way is the best way.
God sees the beginning from the end. When we try to step around God’s best, it doesn’t work out well. The boundaries God has in place aren’t to make us miserable but rather they are to help us flourish.
David’s end goal was a good one. But they missed the boundaries and instead did their own thing.
2. They showed no regard for the holiness of God
Both David and Uzzah did their own thing without regard for the holiness of God.
Uzzah’s instinct was to stop the box from falling — not to guard the holiness of God. He thought the dirt on the ground would defile the Ark more than his sin. But it would’ve been better to have it hit the ground rather than have his sinful self touch it.
Our sin is serious.
God is holy. He is perfectly good. He is the source and standard of goodness. When we fail to give holiness the attention it deserves we compromise. His holiness and our sin don’t mix.
When we think that God’s judgment doesn’t fit the crime, it’s important to dig deeper. God’s way is always the best. He is always right.