Ignorance, Arrogance and the Ark

Is the way we approach God just a matter of preference, culture, or style?

Does it make any difference how we worship?

The Books of Samuel present important evidence regarding God’s view of our choices of how to relate to Him. In ancient Israel, the focal point of contact with God was the ark of the covenant, which contained the two stone tablets of the law and was covered by the “mercy seat.” Above it, God would make His presence known “between the cherubim” (Ex 25:22).

Aware that at the ark God would meet with them, the people of Israel once took the ark with them out to battle, as though it possessed some magical charm that would ensure victory over their enemies.

The Philistines captured the ark, only to find that it brought a curse to them. Ignorant of God’s instructions on how to transport the ark, they sent it back on an ox cart. But the Israelite people of Beth Shemesh, in spite of knowing better, curiously looked into the ark and immediately suffered the judgments of God for their arrogance. The ark was then moved to the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim, where it remained for a long time.

The interim witnessed the reign of Saul and a change in the kingship from Saul to David. Also, the sanctuary services apparently lapsed. The ark was neglected, even forgotten—but not by David. No doubt the prophet Samuel had instructed the future king in the theology and liturgy of the sanctuary. David’s love for the sanctuary overflows in a number of his psalms, among them Psalms 42 and 84.

David desired to bring to his new capital, Jerusalem, “the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim” (2 Sam 6:2, NASB throughout). The King James Version suggests that this is where the Lord of hosts “dwells.”

David’s psalms show that he understood the significance of the ark of the covenant, for he frequently referred to its location as the dwelling place of God. Psalm 46:4 speaks of Zion as the dwelling place of the Most High. Psalm 48 speaks in glowing terms of the beauty and glory of the city of the great King, for God is in her.

The ark symbolized God’s presence, the Shekinah glory, which resided above the cherubim. The very revelation of His holy and righteous character—the “testimony,” or the ten commandments—was contained in that sacred chest.

So the sanctuary with its contents, especially the sacred ark, was to be a constant reminder of the greatness and the majesty of the Presence of Israel’s holy God. David’s spiritual nature had a keen sensitivity to the significance of the ark among God’s people. When he had accomplished the task of moving his capital to Jerusalem, he turned his attention to providing a place for the sacred chest. This history provides the background to a troubling story in 2 Samuel 6.

Tragedy of Uzzah. Preparations for moving the ark were impressive: thirty thousand leading men, together with choirs and great orchestras, assembled to make this an unprecedented occasion. David himself, no doubt, had prepared psalms and music especially for the occasion. Thousands of people from all over Israel marched behind Uzzah and Ahio for the nine-mile journey to Jerusalem.

The great throng was jubilant. But suddenly all the rejoicing fell to deathly silence. The people stood frozen in terror. Royal guards pushed the people back and covered a body to take it away as quickly as possible. The celebrants were advised to return to their homes. Fear and questioning hovered over the people as they made their way from the site of the tragedy. The terrible details passed in whispered tones from one person to another. When the oxen stumbled near Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah had reached out to steady the swaying ark. As if by lightning he had been stricken dead instantly. Evidently it was a judgment from God.

David’s Response. David’s first reaction was anger. How could God do this to him when he was trying to honor Him by bringing the ark to Jerusalem? David named the place Perez-Uzzah, “Outburst against Uzzah.”

To David’s credit, he could get angry at God without becoming bitter. Very soon he began to ask what had gone wrong. The answer was not long in coming, as David and his advisors pored over the Mosaic instructions.

The tabernacle furniture was never to be carried on carts. Though the Levites received carts in the wilderness for transporting some items of their sacred charge, none of the carts went to the Kohathite division, responsible for carrying the ark and certain other holy articles. The ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the Kohathites. It must be covered before they looked upon it or moved it (see Num 4:5–6, 15; 7:1–9). Neither David’s nor Uzzah’s sincerity excused their obvious failure, whether by ignorance or arrogance, to follow God’s instructions regarding how to move the ark.

The record is clear that David set about to correct his mistakes before his next attempt to move the sacred chest three months later.

Important Truth. We must not miss the important spiritual truth here. God wants to dwell with us; He wants to be enthroned in the sanctuary of our lives. But this must be no make-believe religion, no “playing church,” no cheap grace.

People talk glibly about a relationship with Christ. That’s all that matters, they say.

But when Jesus dwells in our lives, He brings with Him His holy life, His righteous principles. We become reflectors of His presence, revealing His glory, His beauty, as well as His holy and perfect will.

To profess the covenant law without the Presence is legalism, but to profess the Presence without the holiness and righteousness inherent in that Presence is deception of the saddest kind. Jesus said that many will come to Him in the last day, tragically disappointed when He says, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Mt 7:23).

The lesson of the ark of the covenant, then, is that God wants to dwell with us, but it must be on His terms. Ignorance of those terms will not excuse us; nor will the arrogance of insisting on our own terms be acceptable. The New Covenant promise is, “I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Heb 8:10).

Worship. The holiness of God has implications for our worship. In one important sense, worship is celebration (notwithstanding the devil’s attempts to give “celebration” a bad reputation). “David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord” (2 Sam 6:5). We celebrate God’s majesty, His greatness. If we lose the vibrancy of celebration, we lose the significance of worship.

But let us never forget that this story illustrates in dramatic tragedy:

God will not tolerate irreverence or disregard of what is holy.

What happens when celebration is not balanced by deep respect and awe. The tragedy of Uzzah reminds us that God will tolerate neither arrogant irreverence nor ignorant disregard of what is holy. His people do not honor Him that way. He will not accept disobedience even when offered in celebration!

The Bible explains David’s unsuccessful attempt at moving the sacred ark by stating simply that those involved “did not seek Him according to the ordinance” (1 Chron 15:13).

Worship indeed includes celebration of God’s greatness and majesty, His holiness and His worthiness to receive our adoration and praise. But worship of the great and holy God must not be offered casually and on human terms, but according to the ordinances He has given to His people. Those who worship Him in spirit and in truth must have a sense not only of His love and mercy, but of His holiness, which sinful man may not approach carelessly.

The story of David’s failure and Uzzah’s death reminds us that to celebrate God’s majesty without respecting and reverencing His holiness is to commit the sacrifice of touching the sacred ark!

Theology Needed. Perhaps as a church we have failed to define and clarify our theology of worship as carefully as we have defined our theology of the day of worship. Could this be contributing to the present controversy over what true celebration is?

Like David, we need to go back to the Guidebook and read the instructions more carefully in order to find the way to make worship all that God meant it to be.

Happy Ending. After three months, David observed the Lord’s blessing on the house of Obed-Edom, where the ark had remained since Uzzah’s death. Encouraged by this evidence of divine favor, David made arrangements for an orderly and appropriate moving of the sacred ark, one that would combine the proper celebration of God’s presence with careful observance of His requirements. This time the throng marched behind the Kohathites carrying the sacred ark, rather than behind two sincere but misguided men who did not recognize or understand the holiness of God connected with this chest.

Imagine the beauty and pageantry of this high occasion! As the procession approaches the city, a choir accompanying the ark bursts into song:

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.”

From the walls, a band of singers and players asks,

“Who is this King of glory?”

The choir gives the jubilant response,

“The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.”

The group outside the city repeats the call:

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.”

As if they delight to hear the answer again, those on the wall issue the challenge,

“Who is this King of glory?”

Then hundreds of voices unite to swell the triumphal chorus:

“The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”
Psalm 24:7–10, KJV.