1 Crônicas 13

1 Crônicas 13

Morris - Critics of the Bible decry this "petty vindictiveness" of God, since they say that Uzza was merely trying to be helpful, even spiritual, in his zeal to keep God's ark from falling. But good intentions do not justify disobedience to God's Word, which had decreed that human hands should never touch the sacred ark of God's covenant (Exodus 25:14+). God's unseen hand would have been fully capable of sustaining the ark, and at the very beginning of the long-awaited Davidic kingdom, it was essential that the people of Israel should learn finally to believe and obey the Word of God at all costs. An even greater judgment had fallen upon the men of Beth-shemesh for presuming to look into the ark when it was returned from the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:19). (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) NET Note - The modern reader might think God seemed to overreact here, but Israel needed a vivid object lesson of God’s holiness. By loading the ark on a cart, David had violated the instructions in God’s law (Exod 25:12–14; Num 4:5–6, 15). Uzzah’s action, however innocent it may seem, betrayed a certain lack of reverence for God’s presence. God had to remind his people that his holiness could not under any circumstances be violated. R C