The Curious Case of Uzzah’s Death
11/19 Reading Portions: 1 Chronicles 13-14; James 1; Amos 8; Luke 3
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11/19 Reading Portions: 1 Chronicles 13-14; James 1; Amos 8; Luke 3
1 Chronicles 13:10
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.
MERCY
We encounter this episode twice in Scripture, both here and in 2 Samuel 6:5-10. On the surface, some have been inclined to think that Uzzah meant no harm in attempting to steady the rocking ark when the oxen stumbled. Some commentaries suggest that there must have been something corrupt in Uzzah’s heart, so when he reached out his hand, God struck him down. Well, that’s “straining at a gnat to swallow a camel.” It imposes something upon the text that just isn’t there in two accounts. Indeed, there’s something corrupt in all of us. It’s called sin. While the ark was brought up in a manner foreign to God’s instruction, David’s error in bringing up the ark upon an oxcart rather than upon the shoulders of the priests presents to us a blessed gospel lesson. The ark was the support for the pure, solid gold mercy seat (Ex 25:17) —the seat of God’s mercy; and from between the two cherubim was where the voice of God spoke to Moses (Num 7:89). The mercy seat was a foreshadow of the place of God’s ultimate mercy, the cross of Christ, where the God who became Man who fulfilled the law of Moses both actively and passively, spoke, saying,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
When Uzzah “put out his hand” to steady mercy (1 Chr 13:9), the act was like suggesting that ultimate mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ needs our help. It doesn’t. While God’s mercy may look imbalanced and unstable in a fallen world, God is sovereign and in control; and moreover, His mercy through Christ’s sacrifice doesn’t need man’s help. Christ’s sufferings, death, and shed blood are sufficient. Worldly cavilers may scoff at the cross, the wrath of God, and the shed blood of Christ, but it is His atoning Sacrifice that is sufficient and essential for a sinner’s EVERY need in redemption. To preach, suggest, or even hint that Christ’s atoning work needs our help is to lead the hearer to death. “Nothing in my hand I bring,” wrote Augustus Toplady, “simply to Thy cross I cling.” Amen! Hallelujah! What a sufficient Savior!