Scripture
5David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals. 6But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God. 7Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God. 2 Samuel 6:5-7
Observation
When it comes to following the Lord the end does not justify the means. David decided to use the method of transportation the Philistines used when they stole the Ark. It would certainly be faster to roll the Ark of the Covenant on a cart. As the Ark represented the very presence of God there was only ONE way to transport it. The Ark was only to be carried by the Koathites holding poles that extended through rings on the sides of the Ark (Exod. 25:14-15). Uzzah would still be alive if David had followed these instructions. David was so angry and then he sought the Lord and remembered that a Holy God cannot be near a sinful man. Even though Uzzah had good motives, he lost his life. Even though David had a good heart he had disobeyed God. Apart from the sacrifice of Jesus, none of us could be alive in the holy presence of God. Would it take longer to get the Ark back to Jerusalem when walking? Yes, but obedience isn’t about expediency. David’s motives were good but his zeal for God’s presence had superseded his observance of God’s laws. He was doing a good thing in the wrong way. It’s clear that David learned his lesson the hard way, but to his credit, He learned it well. Not only did he transport the Ark the way God commanded, but he slowed everything down and took the time to sacrifice to the Lord every six feet (vs. 13). Now, I don’t know how long it took, but I promise you this, David wasn’t paying any attention to the clock. His goal wasn’t to “just get there” but instead was to “be here”. He chose God’s presence over his plans, God’s Words over his own ways, God’s call over his own calendar. He didn’t care how long it took to get the Ark back to Jerusalem as long as He could dance in God’s presence all the way there. This was a steady series of surrenders every six steps. For David, surrender was synonymous with slowing down.
Application
The Big Decision I have to make: My planning or His presence? My timing or simply trusting? God’s heart is not in this Pandemic but His hand is using it to slow us down and remember what matters most: His people walking in His presence with His purpose and at His pace. I think I’ve had to make the same transition David did- from anger to awe, from fast to slow, from my plans to His presence as my priority. I have been angry at how many of my plans, my timing, my dreams have seemingly died like Uzzah simply because I was trying to do good things for God. Uzzah reached out a hand to steady the Ark. Now Jesus reaches out his hand to steady me, slow me, speak to me. I do not do well with slow, with quiet, with surrender and yet that is exactly what this season is about. I can feel my engines revving at the talk of America slowly returning to “business as usual” and yet I also feel the Holy Spirit saying “don’t rush past this season because you won’t have it again.” Then, I received a word from a friend confirming this warning, “1. This is a HOLY moment. 2. This is NOT a time to be BUSY. 3. There is VERY significant impartation containing a DETAILED revelation from the Lord's heart of what's to come and His wisdom. This is a time to draw close to the Lord, and not 'fill the space' with busyness, but this is a time to truly seek His heart and those that are, are entering into a place of the deepest revelation and INTRICATE DETAILS contained in His wisdom of building with Him in this new era. This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ (Jeremiah 6:16)” Just like this response in Jeremiah I have told the Lord many times during the past 40 days of quarantine, “this is not what I want”. God is calling me to see this interruption as an invitation to receive fresh instructions of the Lord about this next season. If I try to speed past this season and ignore His very obvious signs to slow down then I’m not going to be ready for what’s next. So, instead of jumping right into the next season, I’m reading the signs and I’m purposefully slowing down. Last night was my final services as campus pastor of New Hope Oahu. We were loved on and prayed for and I barely held it together. We love these people so much. I went up on our roof and watched the moonlit clouds roll by while the Trade Winds blew and I just cried before the Lord. It was good. I will be doing this many more times before we move to San Diego on May 15th. The best way forward in this season for my soul is to surrender and slow down.
Prayer
Thank You Jesus for your grace that enables me to live my life in Your presence. Thank You for steadying my soul, slowing me down, and speaking to me in whispers that shake me to my core. I want to move from anger to awe, from simply being busy for You, to actually being with You! There’s only ONE way forward- low and slow and worshipping every step of the way! It’s a steady series of surrenders every step of the way.
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