"And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.”-1 Chronicles 13:9-10
King David’s desire was to bring the ark of God back to the city of David. He wanted to unite the people and restore the glory and the presence of God to the kingdom of Israel. His heart was in the right place, but did that make it the right thing to do?
Israel was a fractured kingdom and to a large degree in a transition phase. Transition from the fallen king Saul to the anointed king David. Restoring the ark of God was a worthy goal. Saul had just left it abandoned and forgotten for twenty years. Again, David’s heart was in the right place, but it was rushed, mishandled, and done outside the will of God. In the first place the ark was loaded on a cart without the presence of the Levites, and sacrifices. You wouldn’t carry the Bill of Rights around in your backpack, would you? How much worse to carry the holy ark of God in the back of a cattle cart? The ark was to be transported in the manner that the Lord commanded Moses. Carried by sanctified Levitical priest between staves which were overlaid with gold. Instead, they put it in the back of a cattle cart and the men driving the cart were of the tribe of Judah. One of them was named Uzza (or Uzzah). When the oxen pulling the cart that was carrying the ark stumbled, Uzza foolishly reached forth his hand to steady it. When he touched the ark, God killed him for it. The holiness of God wrought immediate judgment on Uzza. Uzza’s breach, or violation of law, caused David to become both angry and afraid. He was angry at the circumstance and afraid of God. So afraid that he moved the ark to the closest city and left it there. While he went and reevaluated his plans. There is a compelling lesson here for us all. God doesn’t need our plans (no matter how good our intentions); he invites us to follow His. He doesn’t need us to steady the ark or interfere with His will. He counsels us to simply follow His commands. The object of the Christian life is “do always the will of the Father.” We do Him and ourselves a great disservice when we steady the ark. When we work to accomplish our end, with our means, in His name. We must work to accomplish His end, with His means, in His name. Bringing glory to God. David would later learn his lesson and move the ark once more. Calling the Levities to carry it as the Lord commanded Moses. Bringing the presence of God, and the power of God to the people of Israel. Uniting them together.
Paul writes: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” We can run ahead of God with our own ambition only to find that our hand is on the ark, working to steady and prop up the ministry that we created. Likewise, we can leave it sitting dormant for years, doing nothing, claiming we are “waiting on God” while we are just waiting on ourselves. Neither is right, at least David did something (one might say), but there are consequences to recklessness same as slothfulness. The certain path is moving in the will of the Lord and understanding God’s will to operate in it takes an effort all its own. Prayer, praise, scripture reading. Denying the world, fleshly lusts, and cares of this life. Assembling and exhorting one another. These navigational waypoints that help guide us and keep us in the Lord’s will. In short, wisdom. Consider the Lord's will as a river that flows. Our plans are like a great levy to block and control its power. The best we can do is block its natural course. It is far better to remove the breach and follow the flow of the river. Find yourself in the center of its natural course and let that guide you. This is the task of the Christian, to find the natural course of God’s Spirit and move with it. Removing worldly blockage where needed. Moving unhindered, and with pace. Staying in the will of the Lord means staying away from the will of the world, from the trappings of sin, and the ever-alluring call of activity.
