1 Chronicles 13.12 David
was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to
me?”
In Exodus 25, are the initial instructions for the
transporting of the Ark; it was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests
by use of two long, gold overlaid, wooden poles. The poles were never to be
removed. (Cf. Exodus 25.14ff)
By the time King David was crowned, the Ark had been
stored in Kiriath Jearim for quite some time and David even said, “Let us bring the ark of our God back to us,
for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” It had been
relegated to a piece of furniture. So, David sought to bring it to Jerusalem
where he thought it ought to be in the tabernacle.
The story goes they built a new wooden cart on which to
place the Ark, and with two oxen they started
to bring it back to Jerusalem. Along the way, the oxen stumbled, and with no
suspension under the cart, the Ark took quite a jolt, and Uzzah, presumably one
of David’s men or a chief Levite, reached out to steady the Ark with his hand; and
God killed him for doing so. Struck him dead as a doornail.
Well, of course a happy and joyful occasion turned tragic
and everybody, including the King, freaked out. So, they took the Ark on the
cart to Obed Edom and left it there for three months. Obed Edom may have lived
close by.
Verse 11, says David got angry because of the death of
Uzzah. I tend to think his anger was based in: How could I have been so stupid!!? And verse 12 David asks: “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”
Again, there may have been a healthy dose of self-deprecation. How do you bring the Ark David? You bring
the Ark the right way.
After three months of trying to figure it out, someone
must have consulted the Operating Manual (the Law) and realized the Ark of God
was only to be transported a certain way: God’s
way. And that they did, and the Ark came to rest in Jerusalem; and David
visited Uzzah’s tomb with flowers every year after.
For us today, there is our way, and there is God’s way. Our way is leaning on our own
understanding, cleverness, practicality and expedience. God’s way is leaning not on our own understanding, in humility,
patience and prayer. Things with God seem to make haste slowly. This is
amplified when we slow down, seek the Lord, and wait for Him to direct and
guide. No one dies, and God’s will pervades.
I think about all the stuff I’m trying to do in these
present days and in the next few years; and I have two options: His, or mine. I’ve
relied on mine for decades and today’s reading reminds me of all the defeat and
destruction that lays in my wake. I want to finish well but that has to be on
God’s terms, not mine.
Lord God, it isn’t
a matter of Arks and carts and poles; it’s a matter of walking humbly and
obediently with You. Forgive me of my impulsiveness and help me to slow down,
bow down, and trust You to lead me to where You want me to be: at home in
Heaven, with You forever. Amen.
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