Learning To Listen to God Uzzah – Disaster From A Touch

Ignorance Is Never Bliss Some ignore the worship of God Some refuse to learn from His word. Yet they seem to believe the are going to be saved in the day of judgment. Ignorance of God’s will can be deadly!

A Brief History of the Ark of the Covenant Exodus 25:10-22 God commanded it be built to house the tablets of the Law. He designated the space above the cover between the cherubim as the place He would meet with Israel.

Numbers 4:4-6, 15 -- "This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting…When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place...and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.

1 Samuel 4-7 Ark captured by the Philistines during the days of the wicked sons of Eli the prophet. Philistines suffered greatly from the presence of the ark. Sent it back to Israel where it resided at Keriath Jearim (Baalah of Judah) Seventy people killed because they dared to look into the Ark of the Covenant to see what was inside.

The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for more than 40 years 1 Samuel 7:2 -- It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD. 1 Samuel 13:1 -- Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years. 2 Samuel 5:4-5 -- David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months....

Wrong people try to move the ark Disaster in Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem Wrong people try to move the ark 2 Samuel 6:1 -- Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

Wrong means of transport vs. 3 -- They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill….

Vs. 6-7 – Disaster from a touch But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.

David’s Fear and Confusion vs. 9-11 -- So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus 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.

The Ark finally brought to Jerusalem 1 Chronicles 15:4, 13-15 Right people Carrying as is proper Reverence demonstrated Knowledge of God’s will brings victory

Could This Disaster Have Been Avoided? What led to the disaster? Insufficient information Incorrect implementation of a flawed plan. Improper reverence for God

What can we learn from this? Romans 10:1-4 -- Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

What people think is right might be wrong 1 Chronicles 13:1-4 David consulted his greatest men – captains of the thousands, hundreds and every leader David consulted with the assembly of Israel. The entire assembly agreed with the plan because “the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.”

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

2 Timothy 1:13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.