Blake Allen
Dunbar Cave Campus Pastor
2 Samuel 6:6-11
6 When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. 7 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. 8 David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah; as it is today. 9 David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 So he was not willing to bring the ark of the Lord to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in his house three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his whole family.
It’s interesting to consider how we can get things wrong when we think we are doing right. There are a lot of good things we try to do but sometimes we miss the most basic of things. That is what happened in 2 Samuel 6.
Ever wonder why Uzzah’s punishment was so bad? We tend to resonate with David, not understanding why God could be so harsh in His judgment. In fact, on this journey to bring back the ark they were celebrating, singing praises to God, dancing, playing instruments, etc. It looked like one big worship concert on the road. So why did God punish Uzzah when all he wanted to do was protect the ark from hitting the dirt?
They missed the most basic part of worship: reverence and obedience. The ark of God never should have been on the ox cart in the first place. They were given specific instructions on how to handle the ark. It was supposed to be carried on poles and never touched directly because God’s presence is so holy and powerful. In the midst of their praises and dancing, they missed the most basic requirement of God: reverence and obedience.
Without obedience our dancing, singing, and worship is irreverance. We can dance, sing, go to church; our worship can look good on the outside, but if we are not living in obedience to God and His commands, then we miss the most basic part of worship. It’s not about performance. It’s not about looking like we have it all together. It’s not about perfection. It’s not about how things appear on the outside. It is about genuine worship and reverence because of who God is and what He has done for us.