Why Did The Man Who Touched the Ark Die?
Good Morning Friends,
There is an old proverb that says you shouldn’t give a sword to a man who can’t dance. Let’s just say we like leaders who are not fearful of looking foolish. Maybe it is the curse of self-consciousness that keeps us from doing our best and that is especially true regarding this barrier to worshipping God the way we could and should. We need to be willing to look foolish. Noah looked foolish building a boat in the middle of the dessert. Sarah looked foolish being ninety and with child. Joshua look foolish blowing trumpets and marching around Jericho. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot and five smooth stones. And yes Jesus looked foolish half-naked on the cross. But that is faith. And this helps us to understand a possible answer to today’s question. Why Did The Man Who Touched the Ark Die?
Scripture: But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Luke 24:1-12 (NRSV)
David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he reached out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God. David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; so that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day.David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?” So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
2 Samuel 6:1-15 (NRSV)
Message: Today’s lectionary passage from 2 Samuel qualifies as one of the difficult passages of Scripture. We are befuddled at the harsh action of God, in what we might regard as a heartless act of justice. We read it against the backdrop of the story of the empty tomb. Now on to today’s question. On the surface, we see Uzzah doing what appears as a good deed, and God responding with swift vengeance. We also see David in what appears as inappropriate behavior before God, suffering no ill consequences. But then we remember the back story of David and we reimagined the death and resurrection of Jesus and it begins to make some sense. The results speak for themselves. Still deep down we may want a different approach but in the end have nothing better to offer. Ultimately we realize that unhealthy and unholy people are trapped by the fear of looking foolish. The happiest and healthiest people aren’t afraid of looking foolish. To become like Christ is to become more God-conscious and less self-conscious. The end result ought to be no ungodly inhibitions. Friends, maybe we are just too preoccupied with our selves. Maybe Uzzah was fearful that he might look bad if God got hurt. Of course that is crazier than David dancing with his pants falling down. And this is all coming together on what might be considered the greatest day of David’s life. The ark was being returned to be placed in the city of David after having been in the hands of the Philistines for twenty years. This is a big deal that some would have turned into pomp and pretense. But not David. He had the right emotion for the experience… joy. Perhaps Uzzah was fearful of appearing foolish and that put the focus on him and not on God. Perhaps he had to die but for different reasons than why Jesus had to die. The reality is that we can only approach the throne of grace because Jesus overcame death. We too will die if we in our ungodliness think we can save God. Friends, find joy in worship and be used by God. It is not about you. It is not about me. It is about Jesus welcoming us into the presence of the Father through the Holy Spirit. Now maybe we will get it.
Pray we never allow the judgment of the world to stop us from dancing before God. Pray with thanksgiving that with Jesus we can approach the throne of God. Pray we be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Pray we are wired for worship. Pray we overcome embarrassing moments. Pray we realize that just because we are excited for God it does not mean we should expect others to be feeling the same way. Pray we realize that those who do not hear the music may think the dancer is mad. Pray we stop being so preoccupied with ourselves.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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