What killed Uzzah?
2 Samuel 6:6-7 And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for touching the ark, and he died there by the ark of God.
Introduction: Glory be to God in the Highest as we witness another week of hearing from the Scriptures. I pray that nothing will prevent His presence in our lives in Jesus name. In the course of reading, I again came across our text for today. I raised a question in my heart and that is our discussion for this week; “What killed Uzzah?“
Uzzah was the son of Abinadab in whose house the Philistines brought back the Ark of God. The two sons of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart that was carrying the Ark of God to Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 6:3 (NLT) They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the hillside home of Abinadab. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart
A cart is a wooden vehicle driven by oxen. The Ark of God was put in the cart as Uzzah and Ahio were guiding it. What made Uzzah to hold the Ark of God?
2 Samuel 6:6 And when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled and shook it.
Uzzah took hold of the Ark of God because the oxen stumbled, the cart shook and the Ark of God was about to fall down. Remember the Ark represented Dwelling place of God, it was the presence of God amidst Israel, His chosen ones.
We can now say, Uzzah took hold of the Ark of God so that God would not fall down. What had Uzzah done wrong for preventing God from fallen?
Let us pause and examine ourselves. Have we not acted like Uzzah? How many times have we helped God that is perceived to be helpless in our situations?
Some helped God by all means in raising money for gigantic projects in ministry, some helped God using tricks to draw people to God for soul winning, some helped God by protecting themselves using security guards and traditional means, some helped God to get children when God seems too slow or incapable to give children.
There are several ways we help God as we zealously and impatiently serve God as Christians, especially those ministers with ministry in competition for souls business where two major factors used to measure performance are financial income and numerical growth contrary to God’s standard of measurement.
In the viewpoint of human nature, Uzzah did nothing wrong just like David was angry with God.
2 Samuel (MSG) 6:8 Then David got angry because of GOD’s deadly outburst against Uzzah. That place is still called Perez Uzzah (The-Explosion-Against-Uzzah).
David who enthusiastically was bringing God to city of David with musical instruments and dancing before the unfortunate incidence, abandoned God in the house of Obed-edom a native of the Philistine from the city of Gath where Goliath came from, probably thinking Obed-edom and his household would also die like Uzzah.
2 Samuel 6:10 (AMP) So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to him into the City of David; but he took it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
Let us also pause for self-examination Are there times we feel disappointed from our expectations from God? In what areas of our lives have we abandoned God to pursue our plans? What has driven us away from His presence? Are there long standing expectations yet to be fulfilled that is making us to look elsewhere for help?
David, a man after God’s heart was also disappointed and abandoned God’s presence for a Philistine.
What killed Uzzah and who was instrumental to his death?
2 Samuel 6:7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for touching the ark, and he died there by the ark of God.
Uzzah zealously touched the Ark of God which was exclusively for the Levites thereby contravened God’s commandment.
Numbers 1:50 (NLT) You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it.
David was instrumental to the death of Uzzah because he did not obey God’s instructions on the process of how to carry the Ark of God and who to carry it. To avoid death of any sort, we must live by His words with attention to every details.
Matthew 4:4 (GNS) But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’”
1️⃣. God did not ask Israelites to transport the Ark of God with cart but to be carried with poles on the shoulder.
2️⃣. Only the Levites are to carry the Ark of God. David was in haste to bring God’s presence down to city of David and thereby committed error.
Though David had a good heart towards God, but because he was also human subject to error, Uzzah became victim of his error. David eventually realised his error, corrected it and brought back the Ark of God to the city of David.
1 Chronicles 15:1-4; 12-13 (AMP) DAVID MADE for himself houses in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever. And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: And said to them, You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. For because you bore it not [as God directed] at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us–because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained.
David reconciled to God, recognised his errors and acknowledged that they did not seek God according to His ordinances and realised that God was justified for His reaction to Uzzah.
David brought to city of David the Ark of God with dancing and rejoicing along with Israelites without casualty but all were blessed except Michal who despised David her husband for dancing before God among his servants.
2 Samuel 6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
Remember Uzzah who was zealously following David could not be brought back to life and will have to face God’s judgment.
What lessons can we learn from Uzzah’s death?
God is still same yesterday, today and forever. In the early Apostolic era, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and died as a result. And Scriptures speak that all liars shall have their place in hell. Are there no liars in the Church of God and among ministers of the Gospels of Christ? Several Christians are spiritually dead due to errors of “fathers-in-the Lord” whom they blindly follow.
Do not go the way of Uzzah because the “father-in-the Lord” can realise his error and reconcile back to God like David whereas Uzzah who died for errors committed by David had no opportunity for reconciliation.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Finally brethren, you are inexcusable for dying as a result of ardently following any “fathers-in-the Lord” who is also awaiting results. All Born-Again and Believers of Jesus Christ are Levites or Priests entitled to carry God who now dwells in us and not in man-made temples.
Acts 17:24 (NLT) “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,
Dispensation of Christ that we are now is where God has made believers of Jesus Christ a Levite or priest.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are the chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation, God’s own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.
Revelation 1:6 He has made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!
We are to constantly and consistently fellowship with God to know and live by His words for directions without looking unto “fathers-in-the Lord” for directions. Let us learn from Uzzah’s death and fix our eyes only on Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
Hebrews 12:2 (GNS) Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.
✋ Maranatha
