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Over the years, I have heard many reasons that people choose to shun God from their lives. The most common one goes something like: “If there is a God, why does He allow so many bad things to happen?” Those of us who truly know God, realize that the presence of evil doesn’t negate the presence of His ultimate goodness. However, we may have felt the same feelings of anger and/or fear toward Him at some point in our lives. Even if those feeling have never reared their ugly heads in your lifetime, they might do so upon reading the story of Uzzah and the ark in 2 Samuel, chapter 6. This passage records the attempt of David, king of Israel, to bring the ark of God – the actual presence of God – back to Jerusalem. In doing so, he sets the ark on a new cart, and assigns two men, Uzzah and Ahio, to guide it. On the way, the oxen slip, and Uzzah reaches out to keep the ark from falling to the ground. Upon doing so, he is struck dead by the Lord “because of his irreverent act” (2 Sam 6:7). David is greatly angered by this because, after all, wasn’t Uzzah trying to do a good thing for God? Was his hand upon the ark of God not a passionate attempt to protect it from disaster? Is God so fierce as to punish an honest mistake steeped in good intentions? These are all questions that bothered me greatly about this passage of scripture, among others. Upon reading and researching the verses prayerfully, I’ve been able to see three main lessons we are to learn from this event and apply to our own lives when we are in a position to wonder, "Is God really good?": - Before we plan to do anything to glorify the Lord, we must first as Him if we should, and how. Then, listen closely and obey.
In the previous chapters of 2 Samuel, we see David enjoy victory upon victory, as he inquires of the Lord and closely follows His instructions. Here, however, we see David falling victim to his own enthusiasm, as he assumes that his good idea is a God idea. In fact, he is so overcome with joy and self-satisfaction at the work of his hands, that he and the whole house of Israel celebrate fervently until the moment Uzzah is struck down. David’s plan to bring the ark to Jerusalem was shrouded by good intentions. He wanted to bring God back to the center of his people’s lives. However, he failed to ask the Lord if he should move the ark. Furthermore, he ignored the special ark-handling instructions prescribed by God Himself in Numbers 4:15, where it is made clear that only Levites were to handle the sacred vessel. Nor were they supposed to cast the ark off on some beast-driven cart, but were instructed to bear its weight carefully and solemnly upon their own shoulders. Often, it is difficult for us to understand God’s specific instructions for our lives. However, with us as with David, there is a book in which many specific instructions are written. For David, it was the Old Testament Torah. We, on the other hand have been given access to the whole council of God, Old and New Testaments, in the Bible. If we choose to overlook the clear and specific direction laid out for us there, we have no right to expect God-provided success in our endeavors, even if they are done with the best of intentions. 2. When bad things happen in our lives, we often react to what we feel, rather than to what we know about God. When we remember that the heart is deceitful above all else (Jer 17:9), we realize that reacting to what we know about God – that He is all good, all loving, all powerful, and His love endures forever – is much wiser and more profitable than reacting to our emotions. After Uzzah’s death, “David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah…David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?’ He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David” (2 Samuel 6:8-10). David did not understand why Uzzah had to die. He was devastated, and perhaps even felt a little guilty. Instead of reacting to what he knew about the character of God – that He is good, loving, holy, and just – he reacted to what he felt about the situation. In his anger, he went on to Jerusalem without the presence of God, as if leaving the ark behind would somehow teach the LORD a lesson. When something happens which devastates, saddens, or annoys us, and we lack the understanding as to why, we tend to shun the One in charge. We revert to our foolish childhood defense of, “Leave me alone!” We’d rather have it our way than the right way. We are pulled by our fleshly tendency to wallow alone in self pity rather than to run to our Father who loves us, despite our ignorance of His ways. When David finds out that the family with which he has left the ark of the LORD has been greatly blessed by Him, he returns, reclaims the ark, and continues with his plan to make the presence of God the center of his kingdom – this time with reverence, obedience, and attention to detail. Often, when we are done grieving or pouting, we return to God in hopes of a blessing. He welcomes us with open arms, because He delights to show us mercy (Micah 7:18). However, we would be wise not to run from Him in the first place. We would greatly benefit from remembering that it is not God’s lack of goodness, but our lack of understanding, that leads to anger and fear. We need to trust Him fully, giving Him the opportunity to shed His light of wisdom on our own darkened council. When we step out of the yoke of our emotions and into the freedom of faith, embracing God regardless of our understanding of Him, He blesses us. 3. We react to what we know and God reacts to what He knows. We know what we see. He knows what we don’t. Even if understanding does not come – even if we never receive the answers to all of our “why’s”, we must remember that God is all-seeing and all-knowing (Ps 139) and that our understanding is nothing compared to His. He sees that which we cannot and understands that which is beyond the comprehension of the greatest human mind. He reacts to the hearts and intentions of man, rather than to man’s outward show (Jer 11:20; 1 Sam 16:7). Like an expert craftsman, He weaves every event in the span of existence to fit perfectly into the tapestry of His plan for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Such a plan is unfathomable to us. Shouldn’t we trust Him as He carries it out? |
