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POOR UZZAH (1 CHRONICLES 13:1-14)

REFLECTION

Poor Uzzah is the theme for our reflection. Why the theme “poor Uzzah? It is because Uzzah met his untimely death when he touched the Ark of the Covenant when it was been transported. At a glance, one could say that it was unfair and unreasonable for God to take the life of a person who tried to do what was good? On second thought, could it be a situation of doing the right thing at the wrong time? We shall reflect on the reason for Uzzah’s death and the lessons therein.

Dear friend in the Lord, we must learn to be obedient to God at all times lest we face His wrath. God is loving, gracious and merciful, however, He can express His displeasure and anger because He also has a will. He may choose to exercise His will as it pleases Him. It appears some people may disobey God and receive mercy but others may not. Since we cannot perceive the mind of God, it is important to remain obedient at all times even as we pray for grace. There were specific laws given to Moses about what must be used to carry the Ark of the Covenant, who must carry the Ark and how it must be carried. Concerning what must be used to carry the Ark, God said to Moses, in Exodus 25:12-15, “12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed” Concerning who and how the Ark must be carried, we are told in Numbers 7:6-8, that Moses gave some Levites carts and oxen to work with “But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.” (Numbers 7:9) These Holy things include the Ark of the Covenant, therefore it was a great mistake on the part of Uzzah to touch the Ark since the Ark of the Covenant was never to be carried or transported on a cart, whether old or new. It was to be borne upon men’s shoulders and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath using the poles prescribed.

It is important to note that Uzzah was not a Levite and even if he was a Levite he did not not be belong to the Kohathites lineage who were designated to carry the Ark. Again, even if was a Kohathite, it was not permitted to carry the Ark on a cart but on his shoulder. It was for this reason, “When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.” (1 Chronicles 13:9-10).

It must be noted that in a state of emergency, God may have pardoned the violation of the Ark during its movement from the camp of Philistines to the house of Abinadab where it was kept for twenty years. (1 Samuel 7:1-2). However, when it was time for the Ark to be moved to its proper place, God expected the proper protocols or commandments concerning the Ark of the Covenant to be observed. Beloved in the Lord, the Ark of the Covenant symbolised the glory and presence of God among the Israelites and could not be violated or mishandled regardless of one’s honest intentions. We must approach God with the utmost reverence and must treat articles designated for worship with reverence since they have been consecrated for the service of the Almighty God.

Again, familiarity breeds contempt is another lesson we learn from Uzzah’s tragic death. Uzzah may be used to seeing the Ark in his father’s house therefore he became familiar with its sight without giving due reverence to what it represents. In our time or dispensation, many of us have become so familiar with the Bible therefore we treat it as ordinary literature. We have become familiar with the chapel or worship space to the extent that some people dress indecently to worship services, perform sexually seductive dances in the house of God, and desecrate the chapels by eating and leaving rubbish in the house of God. Others chew gum and affix it on the pews in the chapel and some people urinate on the walls of the chapel. Dear friends, Paul’s question is of relevance to us when he wrote ” What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died of sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2) We must always walk with Cod in humility and also come to His presence with reverence, for we are mere mortals and nothing without Him. Although His grace abounds through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are also reminded in Nahum 1:6, Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.” Let us not take the Lord’s grace and mercy for granted for we do not know the time He will decide to express His wrath or or declare the day of reckoning upon us.

In our dispensation, God is not represented by the Ark of the Covenant but He lives in us through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, It is for this reason Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) In other words, apart from showing reverence to God at our worship services, we must walk in righteousness because the Holy Spirit live in us and we are the living temples and living sacrifices according to Romans 12:1. We must remain obedient to the teachings of Christ and dedicate our bodies to the Lord all the days of our lives.

Beloved in the Lord, another important lesson to be learned from Uzzah’s death is, that if it must be done, then it must be done well. David was so excited and preoccupied with the joy of bringing the Ark of the Covenant home that he failed to pay attention to adequate preparation and details. He should have consulted the priests and Levites or handed over the whole affair of transporting the Ark to them. It is not enough to mobilize people but we must consult and put together qualified and experienced people when dealing with projects. The project was to transport the Ark to Jerusalem. There were special people designated for that purpose and was there adequate consultation, and preparation before the execution. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail. David learned the hard way after Uzzah died from the lack of leadership in putting together proper measures to transport the Ark of the Covenant. “Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David.” (1 Chronicles 13:11-13) It is not always about numbers but about allowing those competent, trained, qualified and experienced to do the needful for our mutual success.

In summary, to avoid the wrath of God upon our lives, we must always remain obedient to His will or commandments. Again, must not take the grace of God for granted. We must demonstrate utmost reverence in our walk with God as living temples and at various places of worship. Last but not least, if it must be done, then it must be done well. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to walk in reverence before the Lord. May we never encounter the wrath of the Lord but continue to enjoy His mercy and grace even as we offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. Amen