2 Samuel 6:6-7 Erred!

 ”And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.“ II Samuel‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. When they came to Nachon’s threshing floor: At a threshing floor the whole stalks of wheat were gathered, and the chaff was separated from the wheat. There was a lot of chaff in this production, and God blew away the chaff at Nachon’s threshing floor.

b. Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it: This was strictly forbidden. Regarding the transporting of the ark Numbers 4:15 says, they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.

i. Uzzah made a decision in a moment to disregard God’s command and to do what seemed right to him. Even decisions made in a moment matter before God.

c. God struck him there for his error: God fulfilled the ominous promise of Numbers 4:15 and struck Uzzah. David wanted Israel to know the presence of the LORD and God showed up at Nachon’s threshing floor– but not in the way anyone wanted.

i. Uzzah’s error was more than just a reflex action or instinct. God struck Uzzah because his action was based upon a critical error in thinking.

· Uzzah erred in thinking it didn’t matter who carried the ark.

· Uzzah erred in thinking it didn’t matter how the ark was carried.

· Uzzah erred in thinking he knew all about the ark because it was in his father’s house for so long.

· Uzzah erred in thinking that God couldn’t take care of the ark Himself.

· Uzzah erred in thinking that the ground of Nachon’s threshing floor was less holy than his own hand. (Guzik)

ii. “He saw no difference between the ark and any other valuable article. His intention to help was right enough; but there was a profound insensibility to the awful sacredness of the ark, on which even its Levitical bearers were forbidden to lay hands.” (Maclaren)

Erred!

When we read these verses at face value we think how awful that God struck him dead for trying to prevent the ark from falling! But Uzzah lived in the house that the ark was stored and he should have known better just as the others for transporting the ark by cart instead of the poles as commanded by the Lord.

As Christian’s we are no different at times when we’ve erred towards someone instead of acting out of love or asking ourselves WWJD? What would Jesus do?

'To err is human; to forgive, divine', coined by the poet Alexander Pope in 1711.

Is there someone you need to forgive?

Blessings