October 10, 2023

I Chronicles 13: 9, 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died before God. (NIV)

Preferring the comfort of his nearness, we have lost the reality of God’s transcendent holiness.*

I have always felt that Uzzah’s punishment was a bit harsh. He was just trying to be helpful, wasn’t he? Turns out, if the Ark of the Covenant had been handled properly, the incident never would have occurred. David, who was overseeing the project of returning the Ark back home to Jerusalem from where it had been abandoned by the Philistines, should have known that the Ark was to be carried – by Levites only – on poles, not by oxcart accompanied by non-Levites. Improper transport of the Ark was a violation of God’s commandment – but touching it was a violation with a penalty. As thrilled as the Israelites were to have the sign of God’s presence restored to them, their sloppiness revealed a lack of concern for God’s honor.*

According to jewishvirtuallibrary.org, the Ark was the only physical manifestation of God on earth. And that is true, it was – until Jesus was born. Jesus said that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14: 9). No longer do we have to settle for a symbol of God’s presence - through Jesus, and through his Holy Spirit, we now have God’s actual presence among us wherever we go – and his presence doesn’t have to be hauled around on poles by priests. Much more convenient!

But the method of transportation isn’t the only way that Jesus is an improvement over the Ark of the Covenant. As Phillip Yancey observes: “In the Old Testament, Israelites who touched the sacred Ark of the Covenant fell down dead; but people who touched Jesus, the Son of God in flesh, came away healed.”* When we come in contact with Jesus, not only do we not die, we live. 

God still may not be approached carelessly. Each person must examine his or her life, to be certain that God’s purity is not violated.*