“When they arrived at Nakhon’s threshing floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uzah put out his hand to steady the ark of God. But Yehovah’s anger blazed up against ‘Uzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his offense so that he died there by the ark of God.”-2 Samuel 6:6-7
So the first order of business was to move the Ark…
The holiest object on planet Earth…
From Avinadav’s home to the City of David…
This was a whopping 8-mile distance.
So what did David decide to do?
He decided to transport it via a newly constructed oxcart.
Two men named Uzah and Achyo were assigned to guide the cart.
We’re told they were Avinadav’s sons but they could very well have been Avinadav’s grandsons.
Why?
Because in Biblical thought, the two are barely distinguished.
King David and 30,000 BACHAR (chosen men of Israel) also joined.
This was supposed to be a joyful procession, celebrating with songs, dancing, and music.
However, soon after, something terrifying happened.
We’re told the oxen pulling the cart stumbled.
The cart shook, and the Ark looked like it might fall.
Uzah, acting fast, reached out to steady it.
The moment he touched the Ark, he dropped dead.
This shocked David to his core…
So much so that he decided not to bring the Ark into his home.
Okay, so a lot is happening here that we gotta break down.
The bottom line is from a Torah perspective, David committed several violations that led to this mess.
First off, the Ark should never have been put on an oxcart—even a new one.
The Torah clearly says the Ark must be carried on the shoulders of men, and those men had to be Levites from the Kohath clan.
Here are the Scripture references:
“When Aharon and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy utensils when the camp is about to move forward, then the descendants of K’hat are to come and carry them. But they are not to touch the holy things so that they won’t die. These things are the responsibility of the descendants of K’hat in the tent of meeting.”-Numbers 4:15
And we have this verse as well:
“Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the descendants of M’rari, in keeping with the needs of their duties, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen. But to the descendants of K’hat he gave none, because their duties involved the holy articles, which they carried on their own shoulders.”-Numbers 7:8-9
Next, we’re led to the following $64,000 question:
Where in the world did Uzah, Achyo, or even David get the idea that a new oxcart was the proper way to deliver the Ark to Israel’s capital?
The answer is as sad as it is tragic.
They got the idea from their pagan neighbors.
The takeaway here is crystal clear.
Can you see why it’s so important to the Lord that He separates His People from the Gentiles?
Because you can’t help being infected and contaminated by whatever you’re exposed to regularly.
Remember, the word “holy” or KADOSH in Hebrew literally means to “separate.”
I don’t think I need to elaborate anymore.
See ya all next time.
Photo credit: Come and Reason Ministries
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