Articles
Uzzah Is Dead
Uzzah Is Dead
2Samuel 6
Moving the Ark of the covenant was regulated by God's commandment. The Levites were to carry it using the appropriate poles placed through the rings attached to the ark (Ex. 25:14-15, Deut. 10:8; 31:9, 25). When they were moving the tabernacle and its articles, they had and used wagons (Num. 7:1-9). They distributed these wagons to the Levites but "to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder" (Num. 7:9). The carrying of the Ark was not because they had no wagons or didn't know about wheels it was because God said so. David knew this for we read that "David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever" (1 Chronicles 15:2).
David didn't do it this way. He prepared a new cart and put the ark on it. He had Uzzah and Ahio drive the cart. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah touched the ark to steady it and keep it from tumbling out of the cart. We then read that "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 Sam. 6:7). God had specifically commanded the people of Israel not to touch the ark. Numbers 4:15 states that " …the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry."
David understood that the death of Uzzah had its actual root in David's decision to use the cart. David said: "Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule” (1 Chron. 15:13). This simply would not have happened if David had sought the Lord according to the rule of God. Following the commandments of God the way that God says, when God say, where God says… this is not optional.
In our day there is need to again stress this concept. People can hate this, question this, and even refuse to acknowledge it but there is no denying that Uzzah died. He died because he committed an error. He died because the LORD was angry with him. Disobeying God in one area will bring about consequences in other areas.
