“But my intentions were good – that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?” That’s what many of us believe. Romanticism teaches us to elevate our feelings above everything else, and so if something feels good to us, if our heart is in the right place, then whatever we do must be okay, right?

David certainly had the best of intentions in II Samuel chapter 6. The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant back in I Samuel 4. They soon realized that it was dangerous to them and to their gods, so they returned it to the Israelites in I Samuel 6. But the Israelites also discovered that if the Ark was not treated with appropriate reverence, it could be deadly – those who dared to look into it died (I Samuel 6:19; see also Numbers 4:19-20). As a result, the Ark was never returned to the Tabernacle from which it had been taken.

So, sure, David’s heart was in the right place. He wanted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem so that God’s people could once again worship in the way that God had prescribed to Moses. And so David did the practical thing, sending a cart to carry the Ark. And Uzzah did the practical thing as well, reaching out his hand to steady the Ark when it was in danger of falling (II Samuel 6:3-6).

But God had different ideas. After all, He had prescribed in great detail that the Ark should only be carried by Levites on foot, using long poles so that they wouldn’t get too close to it (Exodus 25:13-15; Numbers 4:15). So, it didn’t matter how good David and Uzzah’s intentions were – when Uzzah touched the ark, he was stricken dead.

Why would God do that? Remember, everything about the Tabernacle was designed to teach people truths about God’s plan of redemption. The Ark represented the presence of God among His people, but it was hidden away behind a veil. Only the High Priest could go behind the veil, and only one time a year, and only when carrying the blood of a sacrifice with him.

So, whether they understood all of this symbolism or not, and whatever their intentions may have been, for Old Testament people to approach the Ark, to touch it or look into it, was for them to say that their sin formed no barrier to entering the presence of God. To touch the Ark meant striking a blow against the whole system of prescribed sacrifices, and in a sense denying the seriousness of sin itself.

And it was the cross of Christ that fulfilled all that symbolism, for it was only the death of Jesus that tore the veil, allowing people access to the part of the Temple that contained the Ark (Mark 15:38). And that underlines an essential truth that Jesus Himself pronounced: “No one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

So, just as the Old Testament people needed to be reverent with the Ark, we must have reverence for Christ. Regardless of how sincerely we hold any contradictory beliefs, it is only the sacrifice of Christ that can restore anyone to a right relationship with God. Believing anything else, whatever our intentions or feelings may be, is simply deadly.

II Samuel 6:1-8 (NASB)

Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.
3 And they placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.
4 So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.
5 Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.
6 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it.
7 And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.
8 And David became angry because of the LORD’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.