One Way To Do God's Work

When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it, because the oxen had stumbled. Then the LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. David was angry because of the LORD’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah, as it is today. David feared the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" So he was not willing to move the ark of the LORD to the city of David; instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

2 Samuel 6:6–10 (HCSB)

The ark represented the presence of God. David wanted to the ark in Jerusalem, near him and in the midst of his people.

David made a big show of moving the ark. He obviously thought that if you move God it should be done with great fanfare and much hoopla.

I imagine the road they used had deep ruts. When the cartwheels dropped into one of these ruts it jolted the cart. Uzzah instinctively reached to steady the ark. Instantly God struck him dead.

The ark itself was not to be touched by human hands. There were two poles in the feet of the ark to carry it. Because the ark symbolized God’s presence it also represented God’s extreme holiness. God’s holiness cannot be defiled by human hands.

This tragedy was completely avoidable. Had David read the Scripture and followed God’s instructions this would not have happened. The ark was to be carried only one way—on the shoulders of the priests.

Here is the lesson for us: when we try to do God’s work the way we think is best we make a mess; but when we do God’s work His way there is blessing.

There is only one way to do God's work that succeeds: His way.