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What the Bible says about Uzzah
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Leviticus 23:15

This verse teaches how to count Pentecost, but it also reveals who should count Pentecost. Who is the "you" in verse 15? In verse 6, "you" is the person who is to eat unleavened bread. So, this "you" is each one of us. The addition of "for yourselves" makes it even more emphatic that we are to do the counting. It is not done by a calendar, not by the ministry, but "for yourselves." Just as the ministry does not eat unleavened bread for us because it says you are to eat it, it follows that they are not to count Pentecost for us either. We eat unleavened bread every year, so we should also count Pentecost for ourselves every year.

Does this counting seem to be a small thing? Yes, it does seem inconsequential, but we are to live by every word, not most of the words, that God gives to us. Notice a paragraph from John W. Ritenbaugh's article "Countdown to Pentecost 2001," in the December 2000 Forerunner:

We are to live by every word of God. However, I have learned through this Pentecost-counting test that has come upon the church that people consider certain areas as "little" and thus of no account. They dismiss them as not worthy of serious consideration. One might be tempted to think that all the points discussed so far are minor ones that God could easily overlook because Israel had such a sincere attitude at that point in their relationship with Him. Perhaps it is good to be reminded of God's reactions in other instances when people have set aside seemingly "minor points" in favor of some other way of doing things.

The article recounts examples that show what God thinks of those who dismiss the little things. Based on one flaw, God rejects Cain's offering. In Leviticus 10:1-3, two sons of Aaron are instantaneously struck dead when they ignore one simple instruction about incense. David transports the ark in the wrong manner, and when Uzzah, probably involuntarily, touches it to keep it from hitting the ground, God strikes him dead. Both Ananias and Sapphira fudge a bit by not telling Peter the whole truth, and God strikes them dead, too. We should soberly consider these examples because they reveal the importance God places on His "minor" instructions. Yes, we are to live by every word God gives to us.

Why would God have each of us count Pentecost rather than just look at a holy day calendar—the way most people determine the day? At a glance, it does not make much sense to count, does it? But that is irrelevant. What is relevant is that we do what God commands us to do.

Should we not consider that God must have a special reason for determining Pentecost by a method different from all the other holy days? For all the others, God gives a specific date, so we have to look at a calendar to know when to observe them. But Pentecost must be counted, and as Leviticus 23:15 commands, each of us must do the counting.

We really do not know why this difference exists. How many centuries did ancient Israel, and after them, the Jews, keep the holy days? Yet, to this day, they still do not know the most important reasons behind them.

Each of us counting Pentecost for ourselves each year does seem like a little thing and unnecessary because, after all, there are calendars, the Internet, etc. Even so, in Matthew 25:21, Christ gives a glimpse into our future and what that future hinges on: "You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much" (Revised Standard Version).

As noted earlier, people died because they ignored God's "minor" instructions—everything matters. How careful are we about God's "minor" instructions? History shows that the answer could one day be the difference between life and death.

Pat Higgins
Count for Yourselves

1 Chronicles 13:9-11

I Chronicles 13:1-3 introduces an episode containing a presumptuous act, immediately followed by a sobering display of divine justice. However, this time, one of the most respected names in Israelite history is directly involved. It is the story of Uzza's sudden death while moving the Ark of the Covenant, the most sacred and revered of Israelite objects. The Ark, representing the throne of God and containing the tablets of stone Moses received from God on Mount Sinai, normally resided in the Holy of Holies.

David desired to move the Ark to Jerusalem to continue to consolidate the kingdom under himself. As they were moving it on an oxcart, the oxen stumbled, and the Ark appeared to be toppling to the ground. Uzza, in what may have been pure reflex, put out his hand to steady the Ark, but upon touching it, he was immediately struck dead (verses 9-10)! At first, David was angry that God ruined his party (verses 8, 11) - as the whole atmosphere of the Ark's transfer was celebratory - but shortly after, he became extremely fearful (verse 12).

The Bible shows God to be longsuffering and slow to anger. Why did they not hear His voice from heaven saying, "Thank you, Uzza, for keeping the Ark from getting damaged and dirty"? Instead, He exploded in anger and slew Uzza on the spot! However, God had given strict instructions for transporting the Ark, found in Numbers 4:4, 15, 17-20:

This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things: . . . And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. . . . Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: "Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things; Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task. But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die."

The Bible nowhere indicates that Uzza was a Kohathite. If he was, what God did is even more understandable. Everyone in the whole procedure from David on down was guilty of disobeying God's instructions regarding the most holy things. David failed to consult with the High Priest - or any priest, for that matter - regarding how the Ark should be moved. Evidently, no priest protested that proper procedures were not being followed.

The Kohathites were not even supposed to look on the uncovered Ark. To God, when Uzza reached out and touched the Ark as it seemed about to topple off the cart, it was no act of heroism but the final act of desecration, arrogance, and presumption. The last thing presumed was that Uzza's hand was less defiling than the earth that he feared would contaminate the Ark.

God's instruction in Exodus 20:24-25 regards building Him an altar. An altar made for His worship had to be constructed of earth or unhewn stones. No altar defiled by man's sinful hand was suitable. Dirt cannot sin; it always follows the nature God established. God did not want the symbol of His throne contaminated by the evil that manifested itself in a whole string of rebellions against His specific instructions. There was nothing arbitrary, capricious, or whimsical in God's action.

Jesus teaches us to address God as "Father," a title suggesting familiarity, yet we are also to pray, "Hallowed be Your name." God shows in these two incidents that, if reverence is due to the symbols used in His worship, how much greater reverence must be given to the realities of the New Covenant?

Those involved in this incident were well-intentioned, but it illustrates for all generations that God still requires conformity with His directives concerning holy objects. Deviation from orthodoxy can be deadly.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Presumption and Divine Justice (Part Two)

Psalm 92:11

The psalmist encourages us to thank God for His justice upon His and our enemies. Is it right that we should be thankful for God's judgment and punishment upon them? We certainly should not gloat over their fate (Proverbs 24:17-18). However, we would be wise to remember the just punishments of Nadab and Abihu, of Eli's sons, of Uzzah, and of Ananias and Sapphira. We must beware of thinking of God as harsh or rash in His judgments. God's enemies are our enemies too, and His punishment of them is for our good (and ultimately theirs).

Staff
Thanksgiving

Song of Solomon 2:15

What are the "little foxes" in our lives? They are the seemingly little things that can do the greatest damage: a little "white" lie or perhaps just a little less than the whole truth, a little gossip, a little exceeding of the speed limit, a little stealing by downloading songs or software that we did not buy, a little grudge or lack of forgiveness, a little idolatry, a little neglect of God, a little Sabbath-breaking, or a little salty language. We could add ignoring people in need, watching inappropriate movies, and stealing time from our employers by getting in late, leaving early, or wasting time during the day. The list goes on and on, and before we know it, our entire future as fruit-bearing vines is at stake.

These little things seem so harmless on the surface, but as we yield to them, the "little foxes" subtly nibble at our vine, as the analogy in John 15:1-8 illustrates. Before long, our connection to the Root, Jesus Christ—the Source of our spiritual nourishment—weakens. The result is a gradual separation from God until our vine is withered. Soon, we no longer produce fruit, becoming dead wood to be gathered and put on the fire.

Examples and warnings against "little foxes" are found throughout the Bible. We see God's reaction to such seemingly minor things in the story of Uzzah (see II Samuel 6:1-7), who did a "little" thing by reaching out his hand to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling off the cart when God's Word clearly instructs that the Ark must never be touched but always carried by the sons of Kohath using poles (Numbers 4:15). There is also the story of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, who were guilty of a "little" infraction of the laws regarding the incense offering (see Leviticus 10:1-3). To them, fire was fire, but to God, there was a great difference between using the fire He provided—and commanded to be used—and common fire.

The Israelite King Saul made a "little" change to God's commandment to destroy the Amalekites completely (see I Samuel 15:1-9), sparing the life of the Amalekite king, Agag, and the best of the livestock. Joshua 7 tells the story of Achan's disobedience in taking a "little" of the accursed treasure after the battle of Jericho, and Genesis 19:26 informs us that Lot's wife took a "little" look back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the New Testament, the example of Ananias and Sapphira, who told a "little" lie, is narrated in Acts 5:1-11.

In all of these examples, God's reaction to these "little" breakings of the rules is quick and severe. In most of these cases, the one who disobeyed died! That should make us stop and think about our "little" sins.

As humans, we have a proclivity to worry about the things we should not worry about. But worse yet, we have a proclivity not to worry about the things we should worry about.

Likewise, many modern-day Christians feel that God does not care about little things, taking a human perspective of God to justify this philosophy. We can easily see the fruit of this warped perspective. They do what is right in their own minds (see Judges 21:25), thinking that as long as they are not out there committing the "big sins"—one of the "big Ten"—they are just fine. Yet, we see that they consider the Sabbath, one of the Ten Commandments, a little thing. This shows us that once they begin to compromise on the things they think are insignificant, they soon move on to disregard bigger matters, too.

However, to be true followers of Christ, we must be united to Him—our Vine and Root—by faith. As Christ tells us Himself in John 15, through our connection with Him we derive our spiritual strength and produce fruit. Following Him and being united with Him means that we must do what He instructs us to do, no matter how "little" it may seem.

The "little foxes" of Song of Songs 2:15 threaten our faith and connection with Christ. These little foxes are not little to God—and they cannot be little to us. Throughout the Bible, we receive stern warnings of the danger of "little foxes" through God's fierce reactions to seemingly inconsequential things. Where are the "little foxes" in our vineyards? We must take action to seek them out and remove them from our daily lives.

As Paul tells us in Romans 11:16, "If the root is holy, so are the branches." God has called us to be holy, and when it comes to holiness, God does "sweat the small stuff"—and so must we!

Bill Onisick
Should We 'Sweat the Small Stuff'? (Part Two)


Find more Bible verses about Uzzah:
Uzzah {Nave's}
 




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