15 April | Teens
«And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.» 1 Chronicles 13: 10
Today's story is about a surprising and slightly sad event that happened when they tried to move the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant was very sacred. It represented God's presence among the people. God had given specific instructions on how it was to be transported: only the Levites could roll it up, using rods in the gold rings, so that no one would touch the Ark directly.
But during transport, something didn't go as planned. They put the Ark in a new cart, which was already a mistake. Then, when the oxen stumbled, Uzzah, one of the men who were helping but who was not a Levite, instinctively reached out to grasp the Ark and keep it from falling. He thought he was doing the right thing, but touching the Ark was forbidden. Sadly, Uzzah died right then and there because he disobeyed this divine rule.
This teaches us that even the best intentions can be wrong if we don't follow God's directions. God wants us to respect Him and follow His commandments, not based on how we feel or what we think is right, but on what He says.
Take Action
To remind yourself of the importance of following directions, play a game with your family or friends where you must follow exact directions to get to a hidden treasure. Just as we need to follow God's rules, in this game, following the instructions correctly will lead to success.