The Ark, The Cart, and Uzzah- Part 2

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. II Samuel 6:1-7 (English Standard Version, ESV)

Yesterday we discussed the death of Uzzah and the fact that he was not sanctified to care for the Ark- his brother Eleazar had been. Also, Uzzah had been around the Ark for roughly 20 years and had become too familiar with it. When he touched the Ark as it tipped on the cart, his casual approach angered the Lord and the righteous holiness of the Lord clashed with Uzzah’s unrighteousness, and he was killed. Today, let’s discuss a more obvious issue with this whole incident- the cart.

And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. Exodus 25:14-15 (English Standard Version, ESV)

 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. Numbers 1:50 (English Standard Version, ESV)

God had instructed the Israelites, through Moses, to transport the Ark on poles, carried by the Levites. It was not to be moved any other way. Therefore, David was partly to blame for the death of Uzzah because he had not properly researched the proper way to transport the Ark of the Covenant. In their human reasoning, the leaders thought a brand new cart would be sufficient to move it. They did not ask God.

When we rely on our own knowledge and understanding, we fall short every time. However, when we choose to look to God for answers to life’s problems and to guide us in all things, we have success and we encounter fewer problems along the way.

Let’s go a bit further in our discussion and consider why the Ark was required to be carried by men and not on a cart. I don’t claim to have all the answers to this, but I believe the Holy Spirit has showed me a couple things about it.

A cart would be drawn by animals, not by people. God’s covenant is with man, not beasts. The Lord’s redemptive plan prioritizes man above anything else in His creation. God does love the animals, but man is His first priority and His crowning creation. Man is the primary object of His love. The earth, the plants, the animals, and everything else He made, He made for us. And we were made for Him. A personal relationship with God has now been purchased by Jesus for mankind- not for the animals. By requiring man to carry the Ark, it emphasizes the fact that God wanted a personal relationship and partnership with people rather than with the animals.

Also, I believe the carrying of the Ark, which was where God’s presence was to dwell, was to give us a picture of the change in the ministry of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Ark, or the place of Lord’s presence, was carried on men. After Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord’s presence moved from being on men to being in men. When we are born-again, the Spirit of Christ lives inside us. In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit periodically came upon men, causing them to prophesy and do other supernatural things. Now, we house the Holy Spirit inside us at all times, and when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we overflow with the Spirit and have the power to operate in the supernatural.

Uzzah’s death was a tragedy, but had the Ark of the Presence of the Lord been moved according to the Lord’s instruction, it would have never happened. We need to rely on the wisdom of God rather than the logic and natural knowledge of man.