Reason #990
Well, last day in the double digits. I can now count on my hands the number of blog posts I have left to write. In fact, this will be my last full week of posting. I'm still not sure I'm ready for this chapter to end.
Well, I informed you a long time ago that I was going to try to read through the bible in a year. Unfortunately, I do not believe I am going to make my timeline unless I pick up the pace over the next 2 months. I have, however, read my bible this year, and I've come across some new stories and facts I never knew.
The story of Uzzah always bothered me. Here's a quick recap of what happened. King David decided He wanted to move the Ark of the Covenant (God's dwelling place) back into his care. He gathers the people up to go get the Ark, and they are headed back singing and dancing with the Ark it tow. I am sure this was a pretty incredible moment for David and all who were there. One of those days you don't forget, you know. Something amazing was taking place, and the celebration was great. As they're moving along, the oxen pulling the cart carrying the ark stumble. Uzzah reached his hand out to stead the Ark and next thing you know, "the Lord's anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark." (1 Chronicles 13:10)
I've read this passage many times, and I've always been a bit confused by it. After all, it seemed like Uzzah was doing a good thing by trying to keep the Ark from falling off of the cart. It didn't seem, to me, like an act that deserved punishment much less death. And so this became one of those passages that I just decided I'd accept even though I didn't quite understand it. A passage that I figured had a deeper explanation than what was written on the pages of scripture. And as I read last night, I discovered why it was such a big deal that Uzzah touched the Ark. I read why it was an act that deserved death, and as I thought about how the people must have felt watching Uzzah drop to the ground in the midst of the celebration, I was reminded why obedience is so important.
Here's the thing, long before Uzzah showed up, God had given His people specific instructions on how to handle the Ark of the Covenant. In Numbers 4, He gave them a full run down on how the Tabernacle and the Ark were to be transported during their moves. All of the individuals responsible for moving the Tabernacle and the Ark were Levites, the priests. God had chosen them to serve in this capacity. I don't know why, but that's not for us to decide. God made it clear that the only people who were supposed to carry out this job were from the tribe of Levi. Unfortunately, Uzzah was not a Levite.
Well after what happened with Uzzah, David was afraid to keep moving the Ark and left it with a family for three months before deciding to move it again. This time, David summoned the Levite leaders and said, "You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem. Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses." (1 Chronicles 15:12-15)
If only we'd do it right the first time. God doesn't ask us to understand why He has given us certain instructions and commands, He simply asks that we obey them. It's for our good. God doesn't think up things to try and make our lives difficult or complicated. Rather, we're the ones making it that way because we want to do things our way. We don't always see the significance or importance in what God has asked us to do, and so we think, "Oh, this is no big deal. What will this hurt? I have good intentions, and so this will be okay." But God isn't interested in good intentions. God is interested in intentional obedience. He is God. We are not. And if we want to live an abundant life, if we want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, a life of blessings, and a life that bears fruit, intentional obedience will get us there. The question isn't why, it's how. How can we serve you, Lord? And then let's be certain to do it.
#990 - Because He blesses our acts of obedience.
"What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22
Well, I informed you a long time ago that I was going to try to read through the bible in a year. Unfortunately, I do not believe I am going to make my timeline unless I pick up the pace over the next 2 months. I have, however, read my bible this year, and I've come across some new stories and facts I never knew.
The story of Uzzah always bothered me. Here's a quick recap of what happened. King David decided He wanted to move the Ark of the Covenant (God's dwelling place) back into his care. He gathers the people up to go get the Ark, and they are headed back singing and dancing with the Ark it tow. I am sure this was a pretty incredible moment for David and all who were there. One of those days you don't forget, you know. Something amazing was taking place, and the celebration was great. As they're moving along, the oxen pulling the cart carrying the ark stumble. Uzzah reached his hand out to stead the Ark and next thing you know, "the Lord's anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark." (1 Chronicles 13:10)
I've read this passage many times, and I've always been a bit confused by it. After all, it seemed like Uzzah was doing a good thing by trying to keep the Ark from falling off of the cart. It didn't seem, to me, like an act that deserved punishment much less death. And so this became one of those passages that I just decided I'd accept even though I didn't quite understand it. A passage that I figured had a deeper explanation than what was written on the pages of scripture. And as I read last night, I discovered why it was such a big deal that Uzzah touched the Ark. I read why it was an act that deserved death, and as I thought about how the people must have felt watching Uzzah drop to the ground in the midst of the celebration, I was reminded why obedience is so important.
Here's the thing, long before Uzzah showed up, God had given His people specific instructions on how to handle the Ark of the Covenant. In Numbers 4, He gave them a full run down on how the Tabernacle and the Ark were to be transported during their moves. All of the individuals responsible for moving the Tabernacle and the Ark were Levites, the priests. God had chosen them to serve in this capacity. I don't know why, but that's not for us to decide. God made it clear that the only people who were supposed to carry out this job were from the tribe of Levi. Unfortunately, Uzzah was not a Levite.
Well after what happened with Uzzah, David was afraid to keep moving the Ark and left it with a family for three months before deciding to move it again. This time, David summoned the Levite leaders and said, "You are the leaders of the Levite families. You must purify yourselves and all your fellow Levites, so you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly.” So the priests and the Levites purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to Jerusalem. Then the Levites carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with its carrying poles, just as the Lord had instructed Moses." (1 Chronicles 15:12-15)
If only we'd do it right the first time. God doesn't ask us to understand why He has given us certain instructions and commands, He simply asks that we obey them. It's for our good. God doesn't think up things to try and make our lives difficult or complicated. Rather, we're the ones making it that way because we want to do things our way. We don't always see the significance or importance in what God has asked us to do, and so we think, "Oh, this is no big deal. What will this hurt? I have good intentions, and so this will be okay." But God isn't interested in good intentions. God is interested in intentional obedience. He is God. We are not. And if we want to live an abundant life, if we want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord, a life of blessings, and a life that bears fruit, intentional obedience will get us there. The question isn't why, it's how. How can we serve you, Lord? And then let's be certain to do it.
#990 - Because He blesses our acts of obedience.
"What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22