«David was afraid of God that day, saying, ‘How can I bring the ark of God to me?»‘ (1 Chronicles 13:12).
David had made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom, and now he also wanted to make Jerusalem into the center of worship for all nations. There was joy, celebration, and enthusiasm as the people followed along behind the cart carrying the ark of the covenant, the most sacred object of the Hebrew faith. To be negligent in the care and treatment of the ark was to be negligent with God Himself.
Suddenly the cart with the sacred load tilted. Wanting to keep the ark from falling, Uzza reached out his hand to steady it, but then «the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God» (1 Chronicles 13:10) (see the devotional reading for April 24).
The Levites were the only ones allowed to move the ark, and there is no indication in the Bible that Uzza was a Levite. No one was to touch that sacred object; it was to be moved by poles as God had instructed, but those instructions had been ignored. Neither the intention to do what we believe is correct, nor our sincerity in worship, nor the enthusiasm with which we worship is sufficient. The most important thing is the explicit obedience to a thus saith the Lord. David had consulted with his captains and officials (verse 1), but he forgot to consult with God. The advice of our friends, co-workers, and superiors can never substitute the guidance and the commands of God. Doing the right thing in the wrong way can bring consequences, and that is what happened to Uzza.
When David overcame his anger, he realized how wrong he was about the transport of the symbol of God’s presence. His anger was replaced by the fear described in today’s text.
A dedicated, thorough, and reverent study of correct worship is needed in our churches and in our praise services today. Let us worship God in the way that He wishes to be worshiped, not the way that our culture or our times indicate.
Our motives and ways of worship need to be examined frequently, because the envious enemy of God and of the worship we give Him is constantly on the watch to distort our worship. As soon as it is not pleasing to God, he will take it over. The way we worship determines who receives the worship.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
