Year One, September 16

A God Greatly to Be Feared1

1 Chronicles 13

1David consulted with commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. 2And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the LORD our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us. 3Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” 4All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. (The son of Jesse loved the Lord too well to forget to honor him. As soon as he became king over all Israel his first thought was to glorify his God. How different this is from many who obtain wealth and honors. Most turn their back on the God who has given them so much!)

5So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. 6And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD who sits enthroned above the cherubim. 7And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. (At this point they made a critical mistake. The law commanded the priests to carry the ark using poles on their shoulders. God will be served in his own way and not in ours. Ignoring God in even the smallest detail may lead to serious consequences. The two young men who drove the cart had probably grown so familiar with the ark, that they no longer respected it as they should. A stern lesson was needed to teach all Israel that the Lord is “a God greatly to be feared.”)

8And David and all Israel were rejoicing before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

9And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God. (There are very many today who commit the sin of Uzzah. They dream that Christianity will suffer greatly unless they adapt it to the tastes and whims of their generation. They change its teachings. They decorate its worship to satisfy modern desires. They add philosophy to the simple gospel. Plain speaking must give place to eloquence. In their zeal and conceit they attempt to help HIM who does not need such helpers. They insult the true religion their unbelieving fear tries to protect. We must beware of even imagining that our hand is needed to steady God’s ark. The thought is blasphemy.)

11And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzza (which means “the breaking out against Uzzah”) to this day. 12And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” 13So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

Israel’s joy in the Lord was interrupted that day, because God and his law were not given the holy respect they deserve. This was actually good for David and all Israel. It postponed their rejoicing, but it removed lightheartedness and disrespect from their hearts. It taught them to be not only zealous for, but obedient to, the Lord’s word. We all need to be taught these lessons.

14And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had. (As a family, may we always cheerfully open our house to the Lord’s servants. Many households have been blessed because they did.)

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¹ Psalm 89:7