09/23/2020 – Day 122: Samuel 5 – 9 Why did God strike Uzzah dead?
As my book : “Be Decisive” by Ken Baugh notes : “God doesn’t usually strike people dead in such a dramatic fashion, but it did happen to the followers of Korah (Numbers 16), to Uzzah (here in Samuel 6:7 of our reading today), to the Assryrian army (2 Kings 19:35), an to Ananias and Sapprhira (Acts 5). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)
Why did God strke Uzzah down? Don’t we have a natural tendency to share , at least initially, David’s anger (fear) of God. I think we owe it to ourselves to explore this “uncomfortable” further, even if it means sacrificing a focus on more joyful testimony in these five chapters. If you haven’t already done so, please read chapter 6 in it’s entirety, then come back to this page. I am going to use our capable messenger, Matthew Henry to help bring us home here so I quote him at length from his commentary:
“I. Uzzah’s offence seems very small. He and his brother Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, in whose house the ark, had long been lodged, having been used to attend it, undertook to drive the cart in which the ark was carried, this being perhaps the last service they were likely to do it; for others would be employed about it when it came to the city of David. (Matthew – (watch those compound sentences!”) Ahoi went before, to clear the way, and, if need were, to lead the oxen. Uzzah followed close to the side of the cart. It happened that the oxen shook it, v. 6. The critics are not agreed about the signification of the original word: They stumbled (so our margin): they kicked (so some), perhaps against the goad with which Uzzah drove them; they struck in the mire, so some. By some accident or other the ark was in danger of being overthrown. Uzzah thereupon laid hold of it, to save it from the falling. Uzzah was a Levite, but priest only might touch the ark. The law was express concerning the Kohathites that, though they were to carry the ark by the stave, yet they must not touch any holy thing, lest they die, Numbers iv. 15.
II. His punishment for this offence seems very great (v.7.) There he sinned, and there he died, by the ark of God; even the mercy-seat would not save him. Why was God thus severe with him? 1. The touching of the ark was forbidden to the Levites expressly under the pain of death – lest they die. 2. God saw the presumption and irreverence of Uzzah’s heart. Perhaps he affected to show, before this grat assembly, how bold he could make with the ark, having been so long acquainted with it. 3. David afterwards owned that Uzaah died for an error they wre all guilty of, which was carrying the ark in a cart. But Uzzah was singled out to be made an example, perhaps because he had been most forward in advising that way of conveyance. 4. God would hereby strike an awe upon the thousands of Israel, would convince them that the ark was never the less venerable for its having been so long in mean circumstances, and thus he would teach them to to rejoice with trembling, and always to treat holy things with reverence and holy fear.
III. David’s feelings on the infliction of this stroke were keen, and perhaps not altogether as they should have been. 1. He was displeased. David’s ander was kindled. It is the same word that is used for God’s displeasure, v. 7. Because Go was angry, David was angry and out of humour. The death of Uzzah was indeed an eclipse to the glory of a solemnity, but he ought neverthless to have subsribed to the righousness and widom of God in it, and not to have been displeased at it. When we lie under god’s anger we must keep under our own. 2. He was afraid, v.9. It should seem he was afraid with amazement; for he said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? As if God was so extremely tender of his ark that there was no dealing with it; and therefore better for him to keep it at a distance. He should rather have said, ‘Let the ark come to me, and I will take warning by this to treat it with more reverence.’ David therefore will not bring the ark into his own city (v10 till he is better prepared for its reeption. 3. He took care to perpetuate the remembrance of theis stroke by a new name he gave to the place; Perez-uzzah, the breach of Uzzah, v.8. He had been lately triumphing in the breach made upon his enemies, and called the place Baal – perazim, a place of breaches. But here is a breach upon his friends. The memorial of this stroke would be a warning to posterity to take heed of all rashness and irreverence in dealing about holy things. 4. He lodged the ark in a good house, the house of Obed-deom a Levite, which happened to be near the place where this disaster happened, and there, (1) It was kindly entertained and welcomed, and continued there three months, v. 10,11. Obed-edom knew what slaughter the ark had made among the Philistines and the Bethshemites. He saw Uzzah struck dead for touching it, and perceived that David himself was afraid of meddling with it; yet he opens his doors to it without fear, knowing it was savour of death unto death only entertainment: The Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. The same hand that punished Uzzah’s proud presumption rewarded Obed-deom’s humble boldness and made the ark to him a savour of life unto life. The ark is a guest which none shall lose by that bid it welcome. It is good living in a family that entertains the ark, for all about it will fare the better for it.
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