In an age of grace, some Old Testament stories jar me. While I can’t wrap my mind around some of them, I recognize their warning. Today, God may not strike us dead when we sin, but sin is no less serious. And how we—especially God’s people— treat God matters. 1 Chronicles 13 delivers one such jarring lesson.

King David, a man after God’s heart, wanted to bring the ark of God back to Israel. A great goal. The Philistines had taken the ark in battle. And though they no longer had it, the ark had never returned to Jerusalem.

“Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, ‘If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, … let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.’ Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people” (1 Chron. 13:1-4 NASB).

All the leaders and people agreed. Can you imagine that kind of unity today? David even referenced the Lord in his thinking. However, he failed to seek God directly or to read what the Scriptures said about transporting the ark.

The people no doubt assumed their religious leaders must be heeding God’s instructions. They gathered in jubilant celebration. When the oxen pulling the cart that carried the ark stumbled, Uzza reached out to steady the ark.

“The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God (I Chron. 13:10 NASB).

Good Intentions, Wrong Execution

That moment stops me. How often have I polled people when making a decision instead of seeking God directly? “I’m thinking of this—what do you think?” I see this a lot.

A youth worker says, “My brother’s youth ministry exploded after they hosted a comedian. Should we try that?”Parents say, “The Jackson’s sent their child to this camp, and she returned more confident. Let’s send Melissa this summer.”Business leaders say, “This consultant turned ABC Accounting around. What do you think of hiring him?”

Seeking good counsel is wise. Proverbs 11:14 (NASB) says “In abundance of counselors there is victory.” But even a good idea will go bad if it’s not carried out God’s way or in His timing. For example, we know sex is God’s idea. But it is only good between one man and one woman who are married to each other—no matter how many in our culture say otherwise.

This passage holds an important warning for us. In the Old Testament, God’s holiness broke out against those who didn’t treat Him as holy—by His definition, not theirs. While Jesus gives us direct access to a holy God, we must still treat Him and His Word with reverence.

God had taught Israel how to handle the ark: only Levites could carry it. David and all of Israel’s leaders neglected to read Moses’ recorded instructions. They’d failed to ask God how to return the ark.

David learned from his mistake and called the Levites together.

“‘Because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.’ … Then the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord” (I Chron. 15:13-15 NASB).

God’s will and ways protect us from unnecessary loss and suffering. A nation’s opinion—no matter how united—means nothing if God says otherwise. Instead of pushing ahead with a good idea, let’s pause and ask our Lord, “Am I pursuing the right goal? And if so, am I pursuing it the right way? If the Scripture says no, we must stop—even if we stand alone.

Good intentions aren’t enough. David learned the hard way that God’s will must be done God’s way. #BibleLesson #1Chronicles13 #Faith
Share on X

Click here to comment.

Blessings,

Sometimes I link to these great sites:

#MondayLinkUp #InstaEncouragements, #Let’sHaveCoffee, #Grace&Truth

The post Right Goal, Wrong Way: A Warning from 1 Chronicles 13 appeared first on Debbie W. Wilson.