2 Chronicles 13 records a horrible event. The story starts out good enough: David had conquered Jerusalem and decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to the city. He finds out where it was and goes to get it. But then story takes a negative turn.
“When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.” (1 Chronicles 13:9–13)
Many things have been written, said, preached, etc. about what happened here. Everyone makes careful note of David’s passion to get God’s presence back and Uzzah’s presumptuous and deadly mistake, but not much is said about David’s response.
We are told that David was angry, then became afraid, and then gave up bringing the ark back to Jerusalem altogether. Instead he left the ark at the house of man named Obed-Edom. Then, totally frustrated, David headed home.
But God didn’t let David sulk for too long.
While the Ark was parked at Obed-Edom’s house, David discovered that hundreds of years prior, there were actually very clear directions given for the handling of the ark, but over the years these steps and procedures had been overlooked and forgotten.
David learned that not only ark was only to be carried in a very specific way, more importantly, it was to only to be carried by the priests. He called Zadok, Abiathar, and other men, who were of the tribe of Levi. David instructed them,
“You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
(1 Chronicles 15:12–13)
After this, the ark was successfully brought to Jerusalem. David danced and twirled with joy. His anger had vanished. His fear was gone. And God blessed his rule, calling him a man after His own heart.
Doing the right thing for God certainly should include having the right motive, purpose, and attitude, but it also must be done the right way—his way.
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