Harsh
Good day to each of you reading this column on a very interesting subject in 1 Chronicles 13. We will explore verses 9-14 and get your take on the above subject.
Before we begin, it’s that time for some Christian humor –https://southcountychurches.com/funnychurchhumorstories.html
A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and then he bailed out.
(1) Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining. The doctor grabbed one and said “I’m a doctor, I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out.
The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.” He also grabbed a parachute and jumped.
The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.”
The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry, Father. The ‘smartest man in the world’ just took off with my back pack.”
Next, a man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten The red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, naturally… I assumed you had stolen the car.”
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of religious service when she was startled by an intruder. As she caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables, she yelled, ‘Stop -Acts 2:38!’ (. turn from your sin…). The burglar stopped dead in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, ‘Why did you just stand there? All she did was yell a scripture to you.’ ‘Scripture?’ replied the burglar, ‘She said she had an AXE and two 38’s!’
A cat dies and goes to Heaven. God meets him at the gate and says, ‘you have been a good cat all of these years. Anything you desire is yours, all you have to do is ask.’ The cat says, ‘Well, I lived all my life with a poor family on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors.’ God says, ‘Say no more.’ And instantly, a fluffy pillow appears.
A few days later,6 mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to Heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer that He made the cat. The mice said, ‘All our lives we’ve had to run. Cats, dogs and even women with brooms have chased us. If we could only have a pair of roller skates, we wouldn’t have to run anymore.’ God says, ‘Say no more.’ And instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.
About a week later, God decides to check and see how the cat is doing. The cat is sound asleep on his new pillow. God gently wakes him and asks, ‘How are you doing? Are you happy here?’ The cat yawns and stretches and says, ‘Oh, I’ve never been happier in my life. And those Meals on Wheels you’ve been sending over are the best!’
Humor is the best medicine and a big thank you to south county churches for those stories. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember to tell a joke properly, but I have plenty of family members who can tell some good ones.
Harsh, who God? Turn with me to 1 Chronicles 13: 9-13 (NIV) When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 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.
Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.
Notice the following, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark because the oxen stumbled and the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah and the Lord struck down Uzzah because he had put his hand on the ark.
As one who read this, I started to think that this was very harsh, but when I did more research Biblically, I understand the reasons behind Uzzah dying and why David was afraid of God that day.
Even though David was angry at God, David should have been angry at himself for not doing what God had told him to do. Are we any different when we blame others for our own mistakes or careless words?
As one jumps to conclusions, it is so easy to place blame and be harsh, but God? Yes, David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah and I am in hopes that he was also angry at himself as David knew he didn’t follow God’s rules of transporting the ark and the end result was death to Uzzah.
Look no further than Numbers 4:5-15 where God gives SPECIFIC instructions for the ark, it’s transportation, who will transport, how it will be transported (Numbers 7:9), and the consequences if the ark was to be touched.
Was Uzzah a Levite? The Bible shows no sign of him being a Levite which violated who will transport the ark and that the ark would be carried on the Levites shoulders with poles through its rings.
If you read the beginning of 1 Chronicles 13, you see that David conferred with just about everyone he came in contact with on bringing back the ark except one—God was left out of the equation and the results were deadly.
Yes, David was so excited to bring the ark back to Jerusalem so all the Israelites could come to worship and in his exuberance, his joy and his good intentions, David failed to follow God’s instructions and do it on his own.
I have to wonder if the following phrase came into effect—The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and David had plenty of good intentions.
Here is a perfect lesson where man uses his judgment instead of asking for wisdom and discernment from God. The judgment that David used, the advice given by man instead of God, and the anger to both God and himself fueled a person’s death, total disregard of transporting the ark, and what began as David’s exuberance in dancing and music as the ark came to Jerusalem turned into a nightmare.
Harsh, No God was not harsh for he gave SPECIFIC instructions and the result, they were neglected. God again was neglected when David did not consult him on the moving of the ark. Uzzah was not a Levite and the instructions were to be Levites only. The ark was to be moved by Levites by carrying on their shoulders with poles through its rings. Lastly, no one was to touch the ark—that meant no human for death would be the end result.
If anyone was harsh, it was David and yet David was angry at God. How many times have you or I been angry at God, blamed God for the mess we are in, or for saying that God made us do it.
Such foolishness—we need no further than to look in the mirror and see ourselves as the center of sin. As the anger cooled, we saw the error of our ways and repented of our sins.
I think David’s son, Solomon said it best in Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
Instruction, trust, lean and submit will lead to the blessings that God gives each of us.
As I close, talk to God daily and as you talk, thank God for all his blessings, his understanding, his love for each of us and his gift so much greater than any riches of this earth which is eternal life.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
