Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant Question

[Ultima4257]

Hello,

I was told to post this question in this place since I would get a better response. I posted a while back about the story of Uzzah and how I thought it was unjust for God to kill him. However, my question is how did they get the ark of the covenant on the cart in the first place?

They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13:7-11

I simply don't understand how these guys got the ark on the cart to begin with without touching it, and if they did why were they not killed? Did God magically levitate the ark on the cart so no one would touch it? Did they use a crane or simply use the power of their will to position the ark on the cart?

 

[twnsrkr]

I don't know how they got it on there. They probably lifted it. Why is that unthinkable? Though I just realized, since you don't appear to be a believer atm, you might be unfamiliar with the arks design. Hence your misunderstanding.

YHVH killed him because they disobeyed His command. YHVH commanded that the priests were to transport the ark on their shoulders. But, someone thought they had a better way.

 

[pat34lee]

The ark had rings on it that poles went through for the priests to carry it. They would have had to lift it onto the cart using those. If they would have carried it normally, there could have been no accidents, but David wanted to make a show of moving the ark.

 

[Ultima4257]

Fair enough. If there were actually priests of God there present to attend to the ark I definently understand it more. That being said, why isn't the bible more specific about this? It would have definently explained the situation better if He included that little detail. Even more so, if the priests of God were there, then why did they allow them to place it on the cart in the first place? They would have known better than anyone else to not transport it the way they did wouldn't they?

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Fair enough. If there were actually priests of God there present to attend to the ark I definently understand it more. That being said, why isn't the bible more specific about this? It would have definently explained the situation better if He included that little detail. Even more so, if the priests of God were there, then why did they allow them to place it on the cart in the first place? They would have known better than anyone else to not transport it the way they did wouldn't they?

Consider that it was the time directly after Judges and the people still did not have a real concern for the Law at multiple points during the establishment of the early monarchy in Israel. It was already the case that Judges 19-20 shows where Levites and priests were selling themselves out for profit and many saw no problem practicing the Law alongside magic/witchcraft. The priests already had disregard for the Ark by taking it into battle (as was the case in I Samuel 4 with Eli's sons who died alongside others)---and when they finally brought it back, there may've been some issues with true reverence being present.

First time they got the ark back, it seems the king chose to listen to men rather than go back and see what the Law of the Lord said:

1 Chronicles 13:3

Bringing Back the Ark

13 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of[a] it[b] during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.
​

That didn't go well, with the Lord allowing it to a point until Uzzah touched the Ark and the Lord struck him down because it was blantant disregard for His standards. David then left the ark at the house of Obed-Edom...longing for its return. And later he came back, only to note the following:

1 Chronicles 15:2
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever.”

1 Chronicles 15:1-3

1 Chronicles 15:7
Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

17 So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,[b] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel,[c] the gatekeepers.
​

 

[twnsrkr]

Fair enough. If there were actually priests of God there present to attend to the ark I definently understand it more. That being said, why isn't the bible more specific about this? It would have definently explained the situation better if He included that little detail. Even more so, if the priests of God were there, then why did they allow them to place it on the cart in the first place? They would have known better than anyone else to not transport it the way they did wouldn't they?

Just because someone knows the right way, doesn't mean they walk in it.

 

[ananda]

Just because someone knows the right way, doesn't mean they walk in it.

 

[Lulav]

Fair enough. If there were actually priests of God there present to attend to the ark I definently understand it more. That being said, why isn't the bible more specific about this? It would have definently explained the situation better if He included that little detail. Even more so, if the priests of God were there, then why did they allow them to place it on the cart in the first place? They would have known better than anyone else to not transport it the way they did wouldn't they?

There were always Levite priests, and they were in attendance, but this type of transport, along with the fact (it is in the torah) that it was to be carried upon the shoulders of the Levites, by holding the poles, was that the heathen Philistines had transported the ark that way when they returned it (on a cart).

The poles would have been used to lift it up onto the ark. However when the oxen hit a pothole or a stone, the cart tipped and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, but most likely did not touch the poles, but the ark itself, which was never to be touched by anyone. The poles were for carrying it, but also a way to carry it without touching it.

He was most likely electrocuted by this, which was why G-d did not want them to touch it.

The writer gave his explanation of what happened,

The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark

but he most likely was electrocuted.

If you are told not to do something, you shouldn't do it. They were told this for a reason, for their own well being. So it has nothing to do with fairness. G-d is righteous.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Just because someone knows the right way, doesn't mean they walk in it.

Indeed. That often came up in the life of David many times before and it always cost him dearly...

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Ditto

 

[Laureate]

Hello,

I was told to post this question in this place since I would get a better response. I posted a while back about the story of Uzzah and how I thought it was unjust for God to kill him. However, my question is how did they get the ark of the covenant on the cart in the first place?

They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 1 Chronicles 13:7-11

I simply don't understand how these guys got the ark on the cart to begin with without touching it, and if they did why were they not killed? Did God magically levitate the ark on the cart so no one would touch it? Did they use a crane or simply use the power of their will to position the ark on the cart?

The act of the oxen carrying the ark on an un-manned cart, was a miracle no matter how small, therefore the oxen/cart was driven from on high, for the most part, a miracle is a feat performed by The Divine, and not a man, I can't help but feel it was more the fact that Uzza was struck down for putting his hand on a Holy event rather than a Holy object, he tried to correct something that was in greater hands than his own, he tried to save something that was already in the process of being rescued, if he believed the hand of the Divine was guiding the Ark, then he would not have felt the need to do something that was uncalled for. We know that the Philistines were in possession off the Ark, and that they were physically cursed for it, but we hear of not one of them dying for touching it, just a thought.

 

[Lulav]

I think you may be getting two events mixed up.

The Philistines indeed had stolen the Ark. The weren't immediately struck down, but were being given diseases that would give them a slow and painful death. We know this as cancer today, and the painful death it causes, it is called a plague in 1 Samuel. This was the reason why they sent it back. They put it on a cart and the L-RD lead the oxen to bring it home to Israel.

The incident with Uzzah, was when David was bringing the Ark from Shiloh where the tabernacle was setup, to the city of David (part of present day Jerusalem).

We read in 1 Samuel about when it returned from the Philistines that

[The rock] is a witness to this day of the great mourning [which resulted from] putting the ark of ADONAI on it in the field of Y'hoshua the Beit-Shimshi; 19 for [ADONAI] struck the people of Beit-Shemesh for looking at the ark of ADONAI. He killed 50,070 of the people; the people mourned because ADONAI had struck them with such a terrible slaughter.

After hearing of this you would think that Uzah would have been wise to not touch it. Nor should they have had it on another cart, but it should have been held by it's poles, covered, by the Levites.

 

[Laureate]

I think you may be getting two events mixed up.

The Philistines indeed had stolen the Ark. The weren't immediately struck down, but were being given diseases that would give them a slow and painful death. We know this as cancer today, and the painful death it causes, it is called a plague in 1 Samuel. This was the reason why they sent it back. They put it on a cart and the L-RD lead the oxen to bring it home to Israel.

The incident with Uzzah, was when David was bringing the Ark from Shiloh where the tabernacle was setup, to the city of David (part of present day Jerusalem).

We read in 1 Samuel about when it returned from the Philistines that


After hearing of this you would think that Uzah would have been wise to not touch it. Nor should they have had it on another cart, but it should have been held by it's poles, covered, by the Levites.

Ah! you made me nervous, I pulled an all nighter, so I had to check the scriptures to see if I might have gotten my passages mixed up, and no, it's the one I thought the OP was referring to.

As I recall, my first impression was pretty much what the consensus appears to be here, but as I further meditated on the passage, well, to say "on the passage" can be a little misleading of a term, for in meditation the mind is first cleared, no pondering whatsoever takes place, suddenly. from the stil silence comes an array of verses only Ruach HaKodesh can. orchestrate, I'm sorry it was so long ago, though it left me with a lasting impression, I can not recall the array of verses, I believe the scriptures are clear enough to be perceived/understood as you related, and there is no need to to try to make something out of it that does not exist; notwithstanding, I hold fast that which I received, yet as I look at my last post, I can see the effects of the "all nighter" (study, after fasting), affecting my ability to communicate more clearly. :o