Careless with the Things of God

2 Samuel 6:1-11 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 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 L ORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. 3 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 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the L ORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The L ORD ’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 Then David was angry because the L ORD ’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. [e] 9 David was afraid of the L ORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the L ORD ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the L ORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the L ORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the L ORD blessed him and his entire household.e

A. When we become careless, we become presumptuous

1. Saul was presumptuous in losing the ark… religious talisman

1 Samuel 4:1-3 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the L ORD bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the L ORD ’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

God can never be used as ‘means to anything outside of himself’

Jeremiah 7:4-5 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the L ORD, the temple of the L ORD, the temple of the L ORD !” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly

B. Destructive road paved with good intentions

2 Samuel 6:3 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

“You don’t break the law...the law breaks you”

Galatians 6:7-8 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

1 John 2: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

C. David refused responsibility for carelessness

1. David refused responsibility 2. David blamed God-held Him responsible for his own failure 3. Passion is not necessarily the only litmus test-Godliness and obedience are

2 Samuel 6:5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the L ORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

1 Samuel 15:2 This is what the L ORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

1 John 2:4-5 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him

D. Uzzah and David had lost sight of the fear of the Lord

Familiarity breeds contempt

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding

Psalm 2: Serve the L ORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Hebrews 12: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Acts 5:1-5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

E. The fear of the Lord was restored

2 Samuel 6:9 David was afraid of the L ORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the L ORD ever come to me?”

2 Samuel 6: Now King David was told, “The L ORD 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. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the L ORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the L ORD with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the L ORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

1) Every time in scripture where the fear of the Lord was restored…revival broke out 2) Worship can be a presumptuous mockery when we lose sight of the fear of the Lord 3)Paradoxically, the fear of the Lord produces intimacy and fellowship not distance

2 Samuel 6: They brought the ark of the L ORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the L ORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the L ORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.