Priority and Presumption

It is a basic rule of Bible study that repeated words in a passage typically reveal the main idea. In our text today, the word “Ark” appears fifteen times, and the phrase “before Yahweh,” four. This story is about God’s presence in the lives of his people.

After his long, steep climb, David has finally reached the top. But instead of taking a cruise or playing golf, David can’t sleep (Ps 132:1–5). Why? Because God is not rightly honored in Israel. In the Old Testament, God’s manifest presence dwells on a 5’ x 2’ box called “the Ark of the covenant.” It contained tokens of God’s rule and provision, and housed the “mercy seat,” where a priest sprinkled the blood of atonement. This ark led Israel through the wilderness into Canaan; it’s what makes Israel special among the nations. But for sixty years now, the ark has been in storage (1 Sam 4–6). King Saul didn’t care about the ark as long as he was winning battles and the economy was up. But David can’t rest until he leads 30,000 soldiers to bring that ark into his capital city: God must be elevated above his own glory, fame, and comfort. This is the priority God deserves, and it’s the priority that makes David great. Amid all of his success, he knows he has nothing that he did not receive (1 Cor 4:7). Not another day will pass until the Lord is at the center of Israel.

Yet it’s so easy for God’s people to mix up our priorities. We can enjoy God’s extravagant blessing—health, family, talents, opportunities, jobs, education, money, possessions—and then push God himself to the margins of our lives. David knew that honoring God required the visible, public worship of his people: when we pause our individual pursuits to collectively acknowledge the Lord. Do you prioritize his worship?

The Ark’s homecoming parade is a huge, happy spectacle—until gasps and screams bring it to a screeching stop. Everyone backpedals from the ark. Uzzah, the ark’s attendant, lies dead. An oxen pulling the cart misstepped, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, “and God smote him (7, KJV).”

David is angry, and we understand why. Uzzah was just trying to help! Is God being a little unreasonable? No. God had explicitly told them how to avoid this, by treating the Ark as holy (Num 4). You don’t look at it; you cover it with animal skins. You don’t touch it; authorized personnel carried it via long poles. Uzzah knew all this; the ark had been in his home all these years! But maybe Uzzah got too familiar with this holy God. The last time the ark moved, the uninformed Philistines sent it back to Israel on a cart (1 Sam 6:10–21), advanced technology at the time. Maybe Uzzah liked that. Maybe it seemed to him a more efficient, convenient, and impressive way to transport. When we think our ideas are better than God’s, the Bible calls it “presumption.” We do not learn how to treat God from the world, or our reason, but from his Word. When Uzzah touches the ark, God judges him as he did the Philistines for the same offense (1 Sam 5–6). David rejoiced that God “burst out” against his enemies (5:20), but it angers him when God bursts out against him (6:8). You won’t find God’s apology to David in these pages.

We may also grow presumptuous toward God through overfamiliarity. We can think that we can do what we want, and get a pass as God’s people. But though God is not out to zap you, he will be regarded as holy. We can’t use him for his blessings while disregarding his explicit commands. There is a presumption that God disciplines (1 Cor 11:27–32).

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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church