Serious about the Law

David presumed that all God required was sincerity, despite the fact that only the sons of Kohath were supposed to carry the ark and that anyone who touched it would die (see Num. 4:1–15). Remember that the ark contained the Law of God. The ark was holy only because the Law is holy. The lesson is that it does matter how we “carry” the gospel into this world. It exists only because of the Law. It was the Law of Moses that put Jesus on the cross. Had there been no perfect righteousness demanded by the Law, Jesus would not have had to suffer for our sins. If God is so serious about how the Law is physically carried, how much more should we fear if we neglect it—and even despise it—when proclaiming the gospel? All the song and dance in the world doesn’t please God, if we don’t do things according to the pattern laid out so clearly in Holy Scripture.

2 Samuel 6:1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.6 And when they came to Nachons threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.8 And David became angry because of the Lords outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, How can the ark of the Lord come to me?10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.