I Chronicles 13:12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
Consult God First
There is a lot of talk these days about worship. We tend to describe worship as either “contemporary” or “traditional.” While these may be fair designations, “contemporary” is another name for the fashion of the day and “tradition” is often another way of describing what people have always done. In either case, I think it is very easy for our worship to be more of a reflection of the culture that was or the culture that is than it is of the God Who reigns.
In I Chronicles 13, David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to a more accessible and central place where it could be a part of the worship that God had designated. David realized that Saul had neglected the Ark of God. Saul had not sought God for guidance. And even though David recognized that danger, he fell into something very similar in this instance.
I Chronicles 13:1-3 says, “And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where… that they may gather themselves unto us: and let us bring again the ark of our God to us.” David consulted with people, and basically said, “If you think this is good, then I’m going to take this as of the LORD.” Even though David realized that Saul had not consulted with God, he himself did something very similar even as he was trying to do a good thing.
Israel transported the Ark of God on a new cart. But as the ark was being moved, a man name Uzza put up his hand in order to steady the Ark and “the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza… and there he died before God.” Both Uzza and David meant well, but in both cases they had transgressed God’s prescription for how things were to be done.
David was greatly displeased and “he was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?” That is the central question of the entire story. How do I bring the Ark of God home?
The main thing is that God is the One we should consult when considering how to worship Him, and any worship that does not please God is not worship. Uzza may have meant well. David certainly meant well, but their zeal was not an alibi for their lack of obedience. So many times we want to work one virtue against another as if we can just choose them like you choose groceries at a store. There is knowledge and the zeal that should come from it. There is reverence and the obedience that should come from it. Had David had more knowledge of what God wanted, his zeal would have been more aptly used. Had they had more reverence for the Ark that God had given, perhaps they would have been more obedient in their transportation of it.
Today, do not allow yourself to choose from false choices. You do not have to choose one virtue over another. We need both knowledge and zeal, reverence and the obedience that should come from it. When we worship God, it must come from our hearts, but our worship should be worship that consults God first of all.