Christians: Why did God kill Uzzah for protecting the ark?

Question

The ark of God was placed on a new cart and taken away from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab guided the cart, with Ahio walking before it, while David and all the Israelites made merry before the Lord with all their strength, with singing and with citharas, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God to steady it, for the oxen were making it tip. But the Lord was angry with Uzzah; God struck him on that spot, and he died there before God. (2 Samuel 6:3-7 NAB)

Answer 1

To touch the Ark was in violation of divine law (Num. 4:15)

Answer 2

Under the law, the ark was not be transported on a cart. It was to be carried using two poles that went through brass rings on the sides of the box. And then only the Levites could carry it. If it was moved any other way, then touching it would be deadly. The people were warned before hand not to move it that way, but did anyways.

The results were that things went wrong, and Uzzah ended up paying the price for it.

But there is a deeper meaning in the story. The name "Uzzah" is the Hebrew word for "sinful flesh". Like most names, it is transliterated (carried over without translating it) into the English Bible.

God is showing what happens anytime "sinful flesh" comes in contact with the Glory of God. It is destroyed.

Answer 3

Father K gave you the best answer. Only the Levites, with their priesthood authority from Aaron were authorized to transport the ark. Uzzah was not a Levite and even if he were, they were not to touch the ark directly but by means of the two poles inserted through rings on the sides of the ark was it carried upon the shoulders of the Levites. If the ark had spilled over, then the Levites would have been responsible for letting it fall. No telling what would have happened to them if that had happened. As is, one Israelite usurped authority and paid the ultimate price for doing what he thought was good. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Hind sight is wonderful.

Answer 4

Keep in mind that Uzzah should have known better. The Ark was associated with Jehovah’s presence. Therefore, the transfer of that sacred chest was not a task to be treated lightly. Uzzah evidently was a Levite (though not a priest), so he should have been familiar with the Law. Besides, years earlier the Ark had been moved to the house of his father for safekeeping. It had stayed there for some 70 years, until David chose to move it. So from childhood on, Uzzah had likely been aware of the laws regarding the Ark.
As mentioned earlier, Jehovah can read hearts. Since his Word calls Uzzah’s deed an “irreverent act,” Jehovah may have seen some selfish motive that is not expressly revealed in the account. Was Uzzah perhaps a presumptuous man, prone to overstep due bounds? Did leading in public the Ark that his family had guarded in private give him an inflated sense of self-importance? Was Uzzah so faithless as to think that Jehovah’s hand was too short to steady the sacred chest that symbolized His presence? Whatever the case, we can be sure that Jehovah did what was right. He likely saw something in Uzzah’s heart that caused Him to render swift judgment.

Answer 5

The Ark of the Covenant was an embodiment of God's presence with the Israelites. The atonement cover (or "mercy seat") that covered the ark was God's throne (2 Sam 6:2) and God's presence was above it (Lev 16:2); it was also the place where God met Moses and gave him commands (Ex 25:22). If someone approached the ark, they would effectively be in God's presence - a sinner standing before a holy God who does not tolerate evil (Ps 5:4-6) - and would die as a result of their sins. For this reason, God had given the Israelites many rules concerning the Ark of the Covenant. It was to be kept in the Most Holy Place in the temple, hidden from view by a curtain (Ex 26:33).

Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and then only after he had undergone ceremonial cleansing, made sacrifices to atone for his sins and the nation's sins, and burned incense to conceal the atonement cover (Lev 16). When the ark was moved, it was covered with at least 3 layers of cloth by the priests to protect others from seeing it (Num 4:5-6, 15, 18-20); the priests/Levites carried it and everyone else had to stay about a thousand yards away (Josh 3:4). These laws enforced the concept of God's holiness: sinful people couldn't be in his presence, not even the high priest.

Hence, when Uzzah touched the ark, he was profaning it and disobeying God; he should have grabbed the poles used for carrying the ark instead, for that was their purpose (Ex 25:14-15). And as Glenn Miller points out in his response, the ark shouldn't have been on a cart anyway, but should have been carried on people's shoulders (1 Chr 15:15).

The Israelites who looked in the ark were actually violating several laws: they came near to the ark (a violation if they weren't Levites), they looked at the ark, they touched the ark and they moved the atonement cover, which was God's symbolic throne. Since God's presence was on/over the ark, they were actually coming into the presence of God - and without the least sense of reverence towards him, since they decided to poke around and play with his throne!

Answer 6

God can read hearts. He must have known that Uzzah had the wrong attitude when he did it. He wasn't allowed to touch the ark. Only certain people could. Uzzah might have felt like, "this is my chance to touch it", or some kind of selfish thinking like that. God is a just god and wouldn't do things unjust.

I know i'm not talking very specific because i don't have the bible in front of me but i had the same question and i did some research on it a long time ago.

Answer 7

Remember this was the old testament where god was displayed as a vengeful god who brooked no transgression, Written by an elite who wished people to fear god and do as they were told so that they could be easily controlled, So that they could retain there nice easy lives and stay in a controlling position . Most leaders of religions have always used religion in this way ,it is not a new thing , in the medieval times the richest people in the world were Bishops,who always spoke of the wrath of god to terrify there parishioners . Even today the church is still one of the richest institutions in the world. But of course because of education that no longer works in the western world , although it still works well in the Eastern world and i guess untill they have a fair and open education system not controlled by the clergy they will remain the same

Answer 8

Because he was not aloud to touch the ark.

Joshua 3: 3 and to command the people, saying: “As soon as YOU see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah YOUR God, and the priests, the Levites, carrying it, then YOU yourselves will pull away from YOUR place, and YOU must follow it, 4 —only let there prove to be a distance between YOU and it of about two thousand cubits by measure; do not get near to it—in order that YOU may know the way by which YOU should go, for YOU have not passed over on that way before.”

1 Chronicles 15:1 And he continued building houses for himself in the City of David; and he went on to prepare a place for the ark of the [true] God and pitch a tent for it. 2 It was then that David said: “No one is to carry the ark of the [true] God but the Levites, for they are the ones whom Jehovah has chosen to carry the ark of Jehovah and to minister to him to time indefinite.”

when god says something.. it will be done... he told no one to touch it and he did. it seems harsh but what if he didnt kill him? he would prove false to his name and his power because he said you cant touch it.. but than he touches it and nothing happens?

Answer 9

Earlier in the scripture, it says that no hand is to touch the ark. It was only to be transported on the shoulders of Levites by utilizing the carrying poles. It was never to be transported on a cart, and never to be touched by human hands. Had they been using the poles, it never would have slipped from the back of a cart, and thus nobody would have had to steady it with their hands.

Answer 10

Only a priest of the tribe of the Levites could touch the ark of the covenant.
If anybody esle did it was certain death.