Uzzah - When the Music Stops

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

I. Uzzah’s Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

Son of Abinadab, brother of Ahio (v3)

The fact that he’s Ahio’s brother is of little consequence, other than to note that this incident took place in his presence and he had front-row seats to the Judgment of his brother.

The fact that he’s Abinadab’s son is of more importance.

Abrinadab’s house was the place that the Ark had resided since prior to the entire kingship of Saul. (More than 40 years).

1 Samuel 6:21–7:2 “And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.”

The fact that they sought out Abinadab and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark, leads us to believe that this family was of the Levites, as they were the ministers of God.

Son of Abinadab & brother of Ahio

II. Uzzah’s Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

Moving the Ark of God (v3)

What we know of Uzzah is found within the text we read, and that in 1Ch. 13:7-11 which tells the same story. He’s not mentioned prior to this passage, nor is he remembered afterwards.

Moving the Ark

Being Smitten by God (v6-7)

As we see in this passage of Scripture, he’s mainly known for God striking him dead as he steadied the Ark of God.

The Oxen were pulling the ‘new cart’ and they stumbled (1Chr. 13:9), the ark shook (2Sam. 6:6) Uzzah leapt into action and secured the cart so that it didn’t fall off - and God strikes him dead.

Being Smitten by God

His Name being Immortalized (v8)

Once Uzzah was struck dead, David decided to rename the area in which God ‘caused the breach’ upon Uzzah.

‘Made a breach’ (def) ‘break forth’ or ‘breaking of’

You could view this as the anger of the LORD ‘breaking forth’ upon Uzzah, but I think it best as ‘the breaking of’ Uzzah - as the name ‘Perez-uzzah’ means break of Uzzah

Either way, Uzzah’s name was immortalized that day in regards to the Judgment of his sin by the LORD.

His Name being Immortalized

III. What Makes them Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

Good Intentions Doesn’t Excuse Sin

When we consider what Uzzah did, and why he did it, we’re left to wonder why God brought such harsh judgment down upon him.

Uzzah reached up to steady the ark as it was apparently shifting as if to fall when the oxen stumbled and the cart shook. It seems that he was trying to do a good thing! There’s no indication of malice or evil intent in his actions.

But the fact is that sin is sin no matter what your intentions are!

How was it sin? Because they weren’t transporting the Ark in the manner God commanded. (Read Num. 4:1-15)

So regardless of Uzzah’s intentions, he sinned against the LORD.

So many today feel as though it’s ok with God if they do the wrong thing for the right reasons - and it’s just not so. If your ways are contrary to the Word of God, it doesn’t matter about your intentions - it’s still sin.

You can kill a baby in the womb to spare the hurt of a woman raped, but it still doesn’t make it right.

You can invoke the name of Jesus while playing the worlds music, but it doesn’t make it right

You can get ‘Jesus Saves’ tattooed all over your body, but it still doesn’t make it right

Good intentions doesn’t excuse sin.

Beware, for “Familiarity Breeds Contempt”

How many have heard this? It means that the more familiar we become with someone or something, the less reverence / respect we have for it. The more ‘normal’ it becomes.

The ark was in Uzzah’s house - maybe all of his life (depending on how old he was). He was around the Ark of God continually. Over the years it’s likely that the awe of such a thing became an ‘ehh’.

(Ill.) When you walk in my house, we have a table sitting there. It’s one of the few pieces of furniture that my wife and I bought new. When we first bought that, I thought it was beautiful. Now, it’s a place to sit my keys. It’s still pretty, but the awe of it isn’t there anymore.

I think that many ‘seasoned’ Christians fall into this trap. They get so familiar with the Word and Commands of God, they just don’t have the same reverence of them that they once had.

(Ill.) How many of you used to be in awe at the preaching of God’s Word? How many are not much affected by it anymore?

We must beware, for Familiarity breeds Contempt

Men’s Counsel Isn’t God’s Authority (1Ch. 13:4)

We see that David consulted with many people about bringing the Ark of God to Jerusalem - and make no mistake, counsel is a good thing: Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.” But regardless of how many counsellors David would have consulted, it didn’t equate to God’s authority.

Two things:

A consensus on a matter doesn’t mean that it’s Godly

A consensus among Christians today would deem that Contemporary worship is ok, women should be preachers and sodomy is not a sin. But consensus doesn’t mean anything.

David consulted with a bunch of people, but there’s no record of him every asking counsel of God.

We must be very careful when it comes to what we use as the basis for our actions. Order of such should be as follows:

The Word of God

Prayer unto God

The counsel of men

Men’s Counsel Isn’t God’s Authority

Rejecting God’s Ways Demonstrate:

As we had pointed out earlier, God’s ordained way of moving the Ark was upon men’s shoulders, by the descendents of Kohath of the Levites. Yet, David and the rest rejected God’s way.

David might have done so out of ignorance.

If Abinadab was indeed a Levite, then he and his children should have known God’s requirement - and judging by the severity of the Judgment, they knew, they just didn’t care.

So what does this demonstrate?

Pride / Arrogance

When we reject God’s Word and God’s Ways we are in effect saying ‘I know better than God’

The church is guilty of this on so many levels - I’ll give you one illustration:

God says Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Yet today the church doesn’t ‘God and tell’ - we’ve got better ideas. We think it better to have special days and bring them in. Instead of church members ‘Going and telling about Jesus’, we think it better to ‘invite them to church and let the preacher do the work’. We say ‘Going out is outdated, it doesn’t work’. Do you know why we say that? Is because we think we know better than God!

We reject out of Pride / Arrogance

Irreverence

Irreverence (def) The state of being disregarded; want of a due regard to the authority and character of God

When we reject God’s Ways, we are putting this Bible on the same plain as any other book - and to many people, that’s exactly what it is. They just don’t care!

(Ill.) I sat at a table hearing a discussion between professing Christians about what they are reading. I heard Y/A novels and such being tossed back and forth - but no mention of the Word of God!

We reject out of Irreverence, and also a Contempt for the Word of God

Contempt for the Word of God

As mentioned a moment ago, to many Christians, they’ve heard what the Bible says - they know the Scripture, but oftentimes, the Scripture runs contrary to their thoughts & opinions, and so what happens is they secretly begin to despise the Word of God.

It’s seen as an irritant - stone in their shoe that they can’t remove.

They reject it because God’s Word is contrary to their ways.

Our Model should be God’s Word not the Heathen’s Ways (1Sam. 6)

There’s something interesting in the manner in which they began their transport.

When the Philistines were looking to return the Ark, they consulted with their ungodly priests and such and they devised the way to take it back to the Hebrews: (Read: 1Sam. 6:3-7)

What we see is that the COI were transporting the Ark just like the Philistines did! God’s people had adopted the ungodly’s ways!

We see this play out all throughout the Contemporary Church - we’ve adopted:

The music of the heathen

The dress of the heathen

The vocabulary of the heathen

The desires of the heathen

Christians have modeled their entire lifestyle after the heathen - and we wonder why there’s no power in the church!

(Ill.) Do you know why heathen get offended by some of the things I say and the stances I take? Because they’re not hearing that stuff from their ‘Christian’ friends. I had Christians upset with me for the stance that I took against the B&G club promoting the trans agenda - but the truth is, EVERY Christian should have been speaking out against it!

Our Model should be God’s Word, not the Heathen’s Ways

God’s Judgments are Always Just

Many people don’t understand what the big deal was with what Uzzah did. The reason is, they don’t understand or appreciate the Holiness of God.

Generally speaking - most all of us do not have the proper appreciation for how Holy God is.

(Ill.) Paul didn’t - till he came face to face with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

(Ill.) Remember - God required Moses to take his shoes off before he even approached the burning bush as the ground thereby was ‘Holy Ground’!

Whatever God would have desired to do here would have been Just, regardless of how we see it, do you know why? God is ALWAYS Just.

God’s Judgments are Just

Threshings Come in Due Season (v6; Jer. 51:33)

Notice where Uzzah was when God struck him - on the Nachon’s threshingfloor.

This was an appropriate place for God to bring Judgment for several reasons. First, it’s used by God as illustration of Judgment in Scripture: Jeremiah 51:33 “For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, It is time to thresh her: Yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.”

It’s a place where they were thresh the wheat by beating it and watching the wind carry the chaff away.

Church, let me say this: I’d advise us getting the proper mindset about WHO God is and a proper reverence to the Word of God, because you never know when you’re crossing across the threashingfloor before God.

Because lastly - at some point the music stops

At Some Point, the Music Stops

Oh they were having a time in v5 - until v6 came along. Then they weren’t dancing anymore.

This reminds me of Mat. 24:36-39.

Jesus’ return draws nigh - how will He find you?

Conclusion