Question: "Why did God strike Uzzah dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant?"

Question: "Why did God strike Uzzah dead for
touching the Ark of the Covenant?"
Answer: The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the
Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1
Chronicles 13:9-12 . As the ark was being
transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled,
and a Levite named Uzzah took hold of the ark.
God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He
struck him down and he died. Uzzah’s
punishment does appear to be extreme for what
we might consider to be a good deed. However,
there are the reasons why God took such
severe action.
First, God had given Moses and Aaron specific
instructions about the Tent of Meeting and the
movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "After
Aaron and his sons have finished covering the
holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and
when the camp is ready to move, the
Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But
they must not touch the holy things or they will
die. The Kohathites are to carry those things
that are in the Tent of Meeting” ( Numbers
4:15 ). No matter how innocently it was done,
touching the ark was in direct violation of God’s
law and was to result in death. This was a
means of preserving the sense of God’s
holiness and the fear of drawing near to Him
without appropriate preparation.
Notice how David took men with him to collect
the ark, rather than allowing Abinadab and his
sons to bring it to him. That was a great
mistake, since it ought never to have been put
upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon
men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only,
and those of the family of Kohath ( Exodus
25:12-14 ; Numbers 7:9 ), using the poles
prescribed. Failing to follow God’s precise
instructions would be seen as (a) not revering
God’s words when He spoke them through those
such as Moses, whom He had appointed; (b)
having an independent attitude that might
border on rebellion, i.e., seeing and acting on
things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual,
perspective; or (c) disobedience.
Second, the ark had stayed for a period of time
at Abinadab’s house ( 2 Samuel 6:3 ), where his
sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become
accustomed to its presence. There’s an old
saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” that could
apply in this case. Uzzah, having been around
the ark in his own home, could very likely forget
the holiness that it represented. There are
times when we, too, fail to recognize the
holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him
with an irreverent attitude.
Third, the account tells us the oxen stumbled.
The cart didn’t fall and neither did the Ark, just
as the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples
rocked fiercely in the storm, though it wasn’t
necessarily in danger of sinking ( Matthew
8:24-27 ). And yet, just as with the disciples who
failed to put their faith in their Master, Uzzah,
for a moment, felt it was his responsibility to
save the integrity of God, and that our almighty
God somehow needed Uzzah’s assistance. He
presumed that, without his intervention, God’s
presence would be dealt a blow. As Job asks,
“Can you fathom the mysteries of God?” ( Job
11:7 ). “His greatness no-one can
fathom” ( Psalm 145:3 ). “His understanding no-
one can fathom” ( Isaiah 40:28 ). Moses lost his
right to enter the promised land because he felt
his intervention was needed when he struck the
rock, instead of speaking to it as God had
commanded ( Numbers 20:7-12 ). We need to
listen carefully to what God has to say to us,
and in obedience strive to do all He commands.
Yes, God is loving and merciful, but He is also
holy and He defends His holiness with His
power, and affronts to His holiness sometimes
bring about His holy wrath. “It is a dreadful
thing to fall into the hands of the living
God” ( Hebrews 10:31 ).
Something of God’s presence in the Ark of the
Covenant seems to be lost in the church today.
In the time of Moses, the people knew the
awesomeness of God’s absolute holiness. They
had witnessed great miracles when the ark was
with them. They respected that God’s ways and
thoughts are much higher than ours ( Isaiah
55:8-9 ). In truth, the more we try to bring God
down to our worldly way of thinking or
reasoning, the further away He will seem to us.
Those who would draw near to God and have
Him draw near to them are those who approach
Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot
that lesson, and the consequences were tragic.