Text: 2 Samuel 6:1-15

Topic: What God's holiness really looks like.

Introduction

The ark was a symbol of God's presence.

• What was the ark of the covenant?

• As a piece of furniture, described in detail in Exodus 25.
• But it's more than just a piece of furniture; it was a symbol of God's presence.

It stopped the Jordan, felled Jericho, and brought destruction to Philistines.

We must reverence what is sacred.

• What went wrong when Uzzah touched the ark?

• The ark was about to fall, and Uzzah steadied it; God struck him dead.
• Uzzah apparently had no deep awareness of the ark's significance.

He had become so familiar with it that he lost his sense of sacred awe.

• The ark shouldn't have been carried on a cart; it should be carried by Levites.

We humans need concrete, physical ways to set apart those things that are holy.

• An "instinct" tells us not to play poker on the Communion table, for example.
• God tells us not to take his name in vain—or to use it flippantly, carelessly.
• The holy must not be defiled; a certain reverent distance must be maintained.

If it is not, the sense of awe is lost, and how can it be restored?

• What was at stake when Uzzah touched the ark: God will not be domesticated.

The wrath of God is a fearful thing that may, from our perspective, seem irrational.

• The wrong we do may be a much greater offense to God than we know.
• In Old Testament, divine anger also indicates God's greatness and sovereignty.
• God is not a God who remains coolly untouched by human behavior.
• In the face of God's anger we learned that God is not to be trifled with.
• God's anger is transient; his lovingkindness and righteousness are permanent.

David got the point, and decided to try it again, to do it right.

• He learned that you can't have God's blessings while being apart from him.
• One must take the risk of bringing God right into the middle of one's own house.

Conclusion