Pst. Dr. Shana Wise
1 Chronicles 13 (NIV)
David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right o all the people.
What David wanted to do by bringing the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem was not a bad idea. His heart and intentions were good.
David consulted with everyone about bringing the Ark of the Lord back, and they all agreed that this seemed to be the right thing to do. Yet, notice in the text that David did not consult with the priest and Levites.
5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name. 7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals, and trumpets.
During this part in the text, David and his assembly retrieved the Ark of the Lord and they were praising and worshipping God.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.11 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
Isn’t it interesting that during “praise and worship” God killed Uzzah? Also, isn’t it interesting about how David reacted in anger?
Several things come to mind when I think about this text:
1) We can think that our good intentions are pleasing to God, but our good intentions will not override God’s holiness. God is Holy, and we must reverence this fact. Only the Levites were supposed to carry the Ark of the Lord, and even they were not supposed to touch it but carry it with poles. Like David, Uzzah had good intentions, but his actions cost him his life.
The lesson we can learn from this is that our ambitions must not override God’s holiness. David, being the leader of this trip, is responsible for Uzzah’s death because he did not consult with the Levites, the law, or even God himself concerning transporting the Ark. We cannot treat God like we treat people because God is holy. If we want to please God, we can do it through reading and obeying the Word and praying for guidance and instruction.
2) David’s first response when God killed Uzzah was anger. I believe that he felt, “Why would God do this if I am trying to please Him?”. His praise and worship quickly went to anger. I believe that this happened because some pride had crept into his heart. When we push forward with our plans of “good intention”, without seeking God, and He interrupts them, it can cause us frustration, anger, and other ill feelings.
12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.
Praise the Lord that David feared God. His anger quickly turned to holy reverence because he knew that God was not pleased. David’s actions followed his heart because he decided not to move forward with his plans, but to stop and leave the Ark at Obed-Edom’s house.
Like David, when God is interrupting our plans, we need to stop moving forward and seek the Lord. We must not let pride stop us from the will of God.
We praise God for second chances to get it right. David humbled himself, consulted with the Levites and the law of the Lord (1 Chronicles 15:1-3), and returned three months later to retrieve the Ark of the Lord.
In 1 Chronicles 15:25-30 and chapter 16, we find the Ark of the Lord returning to Jerusalem and praise and worship happening again. I believe this type of worship was a sweet smell in the Lord’s nostrils because David and the people reverenced God in all His holiness. David danced before the Lord so much that his clothes fell off! He also sang a psalm until the Lord in Chapter 16.
In conclusion, let us examine our current plans and motives:
Did we consult God about them?
Did we wait for a response?
Is there anything in our hearts that is not pleasing to God?
Is our praise and worship pleasing Him?
Watch the video of this message when you click on this link: https://youtube.com/live/jwWi0X2NNE8?feature=share.
About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor who founded and oversees Wise Choice Ministries with her husband Pastor Ron Wise. She is also the CEO and founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network. Dr. Wise is the author of Women’s Devotionals Acts of Intercession and Chief Women Arise, The Impact of Your Election, and the Basic Ministry Training Manual (all available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives, and demonstrate it through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist who appears on social media outlets. Shana is married and has four children.
For speaking engagements email: wisechoiceministries512@gmail.com.
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Acts of Intercession
The Impact of Your Election
Basic Ministry Training Manual
Chief Women Arise
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