LEAH JONES | GUEST

Have you ever worked hard to do what seems right only to be yelled at, knocked down, or met with condemnation? Life’s disruptions, while intended for refinement, can feel confusing, overwhelming us with doubt. God’s sanctifying work is always good, but it does not always feel fair. For instance, the story of Uzzah can feel like an injustice (2 Sam. 6:1-8).

Uzzah’s Encounter with God’s Holiness

If you aren’t familiar with Uzzah’s story, he attempted to stop the Ark of the Covenant from falling and hitting the threshing floor while it was being moved. He died instantly. In reading it, we may be taken aback and wonder, why would God put him to death for trying to keep the Ark from falling? Uzzah was the son of Abinadab, from the tribe of Levi. David was the king chosen by God to lead the Israelite people. Both should have known the “Do not Touch” rule (Num. 4:15). It calls into question the lack of long poles God had prescribed for transportation. However, it’s disconcerting to think about God’s response when Uzzah’s interaction with the “holy things” feels so relatable. After all, we can easily imagine we might have responded the same way.

Uzzah was obviously familiar with the uneven terrain of the threshing floor. He was also familiar with gravity, which means when objects that are elevated begin to fall, they will keep falling unless someone or something intervenes. When the ark began to tilt and become off balance, Uzzah did what came naturally to him. He intervened to make sure it would not fall to the ground. But in doing so, he revealed something about himself. Uzzah’s action, the Bible tells us, was an “irreverent act.” He did not show proper reverence for God’s presence and holiness (2 Sam. 6:7).

While Uzzah’s death is the plot twist, this story seems to be even more about David: a king, transporting holy things back to their rightful position. All was right in David’s world until the threat of the threshing floor. The imposition of gravity and grain. A packed earthen floor, likely on a steep surface littered with organic matter left behind by oxen.

The earth’s gravitational pull, commingled with a Uzzah’s well-intended hand deeply affected David’s heart. The celebratory procession is halted the moment Uzzah is “struck down” by God (2 Sam. 6:7).

The mission is paused as David’s emotions shifts from anger to fear, “David was afraid of the Lord that day” (6:9). David’s fear reminded him of a powerful God contrasted with his own vulnerability. He was convinced there was something deeply wrong about himself that made it impossible for him to dwell in God’s presence. As he states, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

Whatever David or Uzzah’s knowledge of the Pentateuch had been, they each had the responsibility of faithful attention to God’s dictated demands. And they were each justly affected by the vulnerability of their created humanity.

Opportunities in Sanctification

David’s lack of care resulted in destruction and demanded a pause in the procession. Our days are filled with similar moments that God orchestrates for our refinement, just as He knows when the combination of uneven terrain and irreverent responses will trigger tragic repercussions, resulting in deeper refinement.

In his book “You’re Only Human” Dr. Kelly Kapic says, “[s]anctification, which yields transformation, operates with a dual character; it is all dependent on and responsive to God’s work, and it never undermines the dignity of our agency or engagement (pg. 166).”

We dictate our movements and agendas. We read God’s Word and follow requests given by those in earthly authority over us. And when the threshing floor is uneven and things go sideways, it gets messy. God has excellent boundaries. He created us in His image with agency and gave us good desires and brains with neuroplasticity designed for growth.

Which is why God gives us the gift of emotion. When David felt fear, he paused his mission and “was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David” (2 Sam. 6:10). But he didn’t simply sit in Jerusalem and sulk. He did the work he should have done before he embarked on the endeavor.

He prepared a place for the Ark of God and assigned carrying duties to the Levites. David then “assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he prepared for it” (1 Chron. 15:1-4). King David donned an ephod, humbled his royal self before a Holy God, and retraced his steps.

When tragedy strikes or our sinful actions affect those we love, we can be sure sanctification is happening. We are prompted by the Holy Spirit to engage with what God is doing; to pause and take note of ways our nervous system is giving us signals. We may feel anxious. Our stomach may tighten. Our palms may sweat. We may hear our heart pounding in our ears.

These little alerts are bits of vital information. They help us recognize when we relish an earthly position, or fail to live in humility, or harbor envy in our hearts toward others, or replace good motivation with a desire to be God. It takes practice recognizing what we sense and how we are affected physically.

When we experience these things, we can pause, sense, and repent. Sanctification enables us to see our sin and live out our redemption by loving God. As Deuteronomy 6 commands and then Christ confirmed, we are to love the Lord with our full selves, “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). If we will pay attention, He is shining a light on the “hidden person of the heart” when the uneven threshing floor presents itself (1 Peter 3:4).

How might you fail to carry “the holy things” of today with wisdom and reverence (Num. 4:15)? Our path is often as uneven and potentially as messy as Uzzah’s. To abide by Christ’s command to love the Lord with your full self, you must pay attention to the emotional signals flowing through your nervous system. Be ready when the same gravitational pull of a fallen world automatically draws you toward similar piles of dung. Yield to God’s gracious intent in your life as He draws you closer to Himself and connects you more deeply with His Son. As you respond more faithfully to His Spirit’s prompts, you are all the more enabled to serve and love those He has placed in your path.

Leah Jones leads an organization called Front Porch Circle where she provides counseling for pastors’ wives through cohorts and one-on-ones. May 14th is the first of three virtual events this Summer. If you’re a pastor’s wife, register here for a guided discussion reflecting Biblical stories and how the gift of emotion provides deeper sanctification.

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash