Timeless Truths. “Don’t Touch”

David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 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.

Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

2 Samuel 6:1-15

Trust and Obedience

Several parts of the Old Testament are skipped over or ignored because it seems they are hard to reconcile.

2 Samuel 6 is a difficult portion of Scripture.

Bringing the Ark into Jerusalem showed David’s relationship with God.

Uzzah did what anyone would have done.

He protected the Ark.

His intentions were good.

Yet, The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah
because of his irreverent act.

The best intentions don’t mean anything if we “touch what we’re not supposed to touch”—God’s Throne.

David’s reaction is anger and fear.

Anger at God.

Fear of the Ark.

The Old Testament teaches against trifling with God.

The Ark will not be a pawn in David’s politics.

In John 20:17a, Mary is told not to touch God/Jesus.

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

Just as Uzzah could not touch the Ark, Mary could not touch the risen God in His glory.

Both 2 Samuel 6 and John 20 teach about the glory of God—that is, the lack of containment of God.

A God that is too approachable does not inspire trust and obedience, not the fear of judgment.

We have too often trivialized God’s message much more so that Uzzah did.

We often understand too little and presume too much when it comes to God.

Thank God that He is patient
and loving with us!

Special thanks to Dr. Brent Strawn for the primary teachings used in this post. You can read more of his teachings 

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