A Really, Really, Bad Idea
“And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader……Let us bring again the Ark of God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people” (1 Chronicles 13:1,3,4).
The Ark of God had been abandoned and left standing in a field. It had not been inquired of in 70 years and David found it and wanted to bring it to Jerusalem. He consulted men on this and not God which, as we will see, resulted in disaster. We are to seek the Lord and His ways in all that we do.
“So David gathered all Israel together… to bring up thence the Ark of the Lord, Who dwells between the Cherubim, Whose Name is called on it” (verses 13:5a,6b).
David was bringing the Ark of God to Jerusalem so that it could be inquired of, yet he did not consult the Lord at all regarding this. The ark represented the very Presence of God. He resided between the Cherubim over the Mercy Seat. Moving the Ark of God was the right thing to do, but it was not being done in the way the Lord had instructed Israel to do it.
“And they carried the Ark of God in a new cart….and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. And David and all Israel played before the Lord with all their might, and with singing, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets” (verses 7,8).
At a point in time within the 70 years that the Ark of God had not been consulted, it had been captured by the Philistines. The Lord judged them for this and they sent the ark back to Israel on a new cart. Why David decided to use a new cart, we do not know. But the Philistine’s use of the new cart may have played a part in his decision to use it. The Ark of God was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests when it was moved, and not on a cart. Again, this was clearly spelled out in God’s Word.
“And when they came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the Ark; for the oxen had stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and He smote him, because he put his hand on the Ark: and there he died before the Lord” (verses 9,10).
Again, the Word of God was not consulted and this ended in the death of Uzza. The Bible says David was “afraid of God that day.” A man was dead because the Lord’s Word was ignored. The Bible tells us that David did consult the Word of God after this and the Ark was brought to Jerusalem. But initially, it seems that Uzzah and everyone else was depending on David to know the right way to bring the ark to Jerusalem. They, like David, did not seek the Lord’s way to carry the ark. This was a grave error. This terrible end could have been avoided if they had only sought the Lord first.
We can learn some valuable lessons from this account. Salvation is all of the Lord. He does not need our help. Also, we are to seek the Lord ourselves and not depend on anyone else. We all want godly pastors, but in the end we are responsible before the Lord for following His Word. There are many in Hell today because they trusted in others to show them the way. We are responsible to the Lord for our own Salvation. The Lord’s way is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. This is where our faith must be daily. If we move our faith to anything else; we are depending on a “new cart.” The Holy Spirit will keep us on the right road, so to speak, as we place our faith in the Lord and His great sacrifice at the Cross.
As previously stated, there is a happy ending to this story. David did bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem. He did it the Lord’s way which was to have the ark carried on the shoulders of the priests as the following verses tell us:
“So David, and all the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Obed-Edom with joy. And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and rams. Thus all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making noise with psalteries and harps” (verses 25,26,28).
These sacrifices, and all those offered up in the Old Testament, represented the coming Redeemer and His shed Blood at Calvary which paid the sin debt owed for you and me. New carts are widespread in the church world today. We must be vigilant in our pursuit of the Lord and His ways. Again, placing our faith in anything other than Christ and Him Crucified for our Salvation, or for our Sanctification, represents a “new cart,” and that will not end well.
“Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Always Remember,
God Loves You!
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