15 April | EVERYONE
«And when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 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 13:9, 10
In the autumn chill of the early morning, in the darkness with the scent of walnut trees in bloom, the water of the creek that finally flowed into the Jordan glided silently. During the silence of those hours, there was only a grim murmur of tragedy, the origin of which no one could define. It was a mixture of strange feelings, which drew sighs from the soul, for no apparent reason. Everyone knew, it is true, that the next day the ark of the covenant would be moved from the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim to Jerusalem, but no one foresaw the tragedy.
In the time of the judges, the Philistines, after winning a battle, captured the ark of the covenant, but this apparent victory caused them much trouble, and to get rid of it, they put it in a new chariot and sent it back to Israel (see 1 Sam. 6). From that day until the time of our story, the ark remained in the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim.
Later, David tried to take the ark to the capital, Jerusalem, but the Israelites forgot God’s recommendation to them in the past. The ark could not be carried in chariots, but on the shoulders of the descendants of Kohath (Num. 4:15). On the other hand, no one, apart from the Kohatites, could touch the sacred ark. But they forgot the divine instructions and transported her in ox-drawn carts. Somewhere along the way the ark tottered and Uzza, a sincere man, with the best of intentions, touched the ark and died instantly.
The echo of that story brings the divine message: “Do not touch what is holy, do not dare to play with what God has determined to be sacred.” Holiness does not depend on human conjecture, but on what God says.
Take Action
The story of Uzza and the ark deserves reflection. Surely there is something about it that escapes us. It belongs to a time when God had not yet fully manifested Himself to humanity, as He would later do through Jesus (see Heb. 1:1-3). In any case, you should keep in mind: 1. When God warns, it is for a reason. 2. Uzza acted with good intentions, which it is impossible that God did not know.