Drop Dead Uzzah

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Uzzah touched the ark of the covenant and dropped dead. Was that fair? He was being conscientious in his duties. He was obeying the orders of the king. Uzzah did what anyone else would have done.

“When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God” 1 Chron 13:9-10.

In this narrative, David has just become king over all of Israel. As the new nation prepares to establish themselves in the land God has given them, the decision is made to bring the ark back to where Israel worships. The ark had been stolen by the Philistines.  When the Philistines no longer wanted possession of the ark because God had cursed them with illness, the ark was left in the care of Israelites living in Kiriath-jearim, roughly 7- 20 miles from Jerusalem depending on which site is the ancient one. The ark then sat in a kind of storage and was ignored for twenty years.

Moving the Ark

Bringing the ark to Jerusalem was a big deal. The ark was the symbol of God’s presence with the Israelites and God’s covenant with them. The presence of God would come and sit between the cherubim on the top of the ark.

David planned an extravagant celebration which included 30,000 of his best men, all trusted warriors. The procession travelled to Abinadab’s house to retrieve the ark and Abinadab’s sons, Uzzah and Ahio, were tasked with driving a cart pulled by oxen to carry the ark. The entire procession was dancing, playing many kinds of instruments, and loudly praising God as they travelled.  

As the procession neared Jerusalem, they passed a threshing floor where the oxen stumbled. The ark tilted toward the ground and Uzzah reached out a hand to steady the ark. The Lord was angry and Uzzah died immediately.

Why Did Uzzah Die?

When the Israelites left Egypt and God gave Moses instructions for how to worship and live in covenant with him, specific instructions were laid out for how to properly handle the ark and other holy instruments of worship (Numbers 4).  Specifically, the ark was to be carried by two poles inserted through rings attached to the ark. Each end of a pole was to be carried by men holding the poles on their shoulders as they walked. The Lord specifically commanded that only descendants of Aaron (Levites) may handle the most holy items.

“But they must not touch the holy things, or they will die” (Numbers 4:15).

David later confesses his fear of God’s holiness and power (1 Chron 13:12). Unsure of how to handle the ark, it was left outside of Jerusalem for three months. When the ark is finally brought into the city, it is carried by Levites on poles and all other instructions for showing reverence for God were followed carefully.

Lessons for Today

It is a danger to the soul to treat God casually. We risk the blessing of living in peace and intimacy with our creator by treating him like just another on our to-do list.

In our busy lives, God is often our favorite handyman that we call when something in life needs repair. Sometimes, God is the trophy we keep on the mantle to take down and dust off once a week. Often, God is the long-distance relative we send Christmas cards to but is not seen or communicated with often.

In our post modern “Jesus loves me, this I know” church culture, the holiness of the Lord is often set aside for the feel-good messages of grace and love. God sent Jesus because he loves us. Jesus gave his life for us because God is holy. The holiness of God is why we need a savior.

In your daily life, do you handle holy things casually?

You call him Father, when you pray to God, who judges all people by the same standard, according to what each one has done; so then, spend the rest of your lives here on earth in reverence for him. ¹⁸ For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; ¹⁹ it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. ²⁰ He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.

1 Peter 1: 17-21 GNT