YosefHayim
Member
This is an admonishment to Christians and even non-believers alike.
Recently in a sermon, the pastor was making a point. He made this analogy. You know when you begin to read a book, and you just don't understand the first few pages? You don't grasp it and you sit the book aside? I had comprehension issues in school, which is why this analogy felt amplified for me. The thing is: we don't understand because we didn't go through with the book. We're not going to get it until the end.
Likewise, we should not try and understand God and the things that he does. Does this mean can't have an understanding? No. Let me elaborate. One thing I love about our God and his word is he tells us that we are destroyed for lack of knowledge¹, that we should study to shew ourselves to be approved2, and that we should prove all things and hold fast to that which is true.³ Meanwhile, in Isaiah, word is given by God that says “my ways are above your ways, and my thoughts are above your thoughts”⁴ . In the book of Job, God rebukes Job saying “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding”⁵.
This is the point: Trust in God.
Trust in God, and then understanding will be given through revelation. While Elihu rebukes Job saying “Wisdom comes from the Almighty,”⁶ we look up and tell God “stand back, we got this”. I think a problem with us as Christians is that we try to encapsulate our understanding of God, our experiences, and our revelation in a simple explanation, when really what we come to know transcends what can be explained. When really we should be walking testimonies of Jesus Christ and a vessel used by God.⁷, ⁸
Recently I was reading 1 Chronicles 13.
In this Chapter, David was on his way to becoming king. King Saul, the first king of Israel, died. Kingship was being handed over to David according to the word of God. David was pumped, and said to the people that if it seemed good that they should go and retrieve the ark from Kirjath-jearim. The people thought it was good, so they went and got the Ark of the Covenant. They had it on a cart, and it was being carried by oxen. When one of the oxen stumbled, Uzza put his hand on the ark to keep it from falling. God struck Uzza dead for touching the Ark. David was displeased. They went aside, and put the Ark in Obed-Edom's house. God blessed Obed-edom and all that he had.
When I read the Bible, I sometimes read it as how a skeptic would look at the text while not being the skeptic. That way if a skeptic ever has that question, I have an answer. Typically I write down questions and ask God for understanding. However, this can be risky. And Uzza's actions relate to this in some ways. The risk of thinking this way, is the risk of actually becoming the skeptic. This happens when you yourself try to understand God, and think you need to defend God. God doesn't need you to defend him. And while he doesn't need you to do this, I believe at the same time that God will humble you by giving you an understanding that will plant seeds into others.
One question that came up in this text was: Why would a loving God strike down a person. Does this contradict scriptures which say “God is slow to anger”⁹ and “God is willing that none should perish”¹⁰? Well when you try to understand God rather than trusting in him that what he says is true, you will begin to doubt the promises of God. Whether you're saved, or not, this thinking will cause doubt. And since you can't lose salvation once you're a Christian¹¹, it will obviously be a worse situation for the skeptic. This will only turn them off. They have no trust to begin with! Scripture says that when you don't have Christ, that Scripture only appears as foolishness to you.¹²
Trust in God. Trust that he is Good. Otherwise you'll be like the satanically influenced 33rd degree Mason, Albert Pike. Albert Pike is an example of trying to understanding God instead of trusting God. Pike trusted himself. That is why he was wrapped up in the occult religion of Freemasonry. Occult means “hidden or secret knowledge”. As Albert Pike ventured to understand what he thought was God, he said this about the true and living God of Israel:
Pike knew not God. He trusted not God. Pike tried to understand God with his selfish understanding. And ended up not understanding God. He gained a false paradigm of God's true intentions.
Scripture contains an example of this. However, unlike Albert Pike, Job was a man of God. Job said: “He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me... God has delivered me to the ungodly... He breaketh me with breach upon breach”¹³. Job was trying to understand God. In essence he was saying “Does God hate me? Has he set me to be afflicted without cause?” Eventually God came out and said “Surely you were there when I set the foundations!”¹⁴ . God was strengthening Job, and ended up blessing him more in the latter part of his life.
Now let's return to Chapter 13 of Chronicles.
There is a key phrase in verse 4 that will shed some light on the situation.
“And all the congregation said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.”¹⁵
The proverbs say that there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the way thereof is death.¹⁶
Uzza thought that it was in his authority to protect the Ark of the Covenant. His understanding of the situation was not God's. He thought he had to defend God. The oxen merely stumbled. The Ark wasn't falling. In a sense he was saying “Here. Let me intervene for you God.”
Likewise when we get wrapped up in theology, or debate, or apologetics, or even any situation we should hand to God; we act as if unbelievers are bullies and God is this little guy that we need to defend. It's the other way around. God wants us to trust him, so that he may speak through us in our defense, that the Gospel may be told and that God may be glorified. It is not by our effort, it is by his¹⁷.
But still. Uzza had some good intentions. What gives? Well, we tend to think so. However, it wasn't that God was quick to anger. Rather God was quick to act on something that he had already decreed and established: if the Ark is touched, the person must die¹⁸. The Ark of the Covenant was holy. Our sinful flesh is not. Dirt cannot sin. If dirt got on the Ark, it would not have been defiled as it would have been by man.
There were specific guidelines to the Ark of the Covenant. It had to be carried on poles, not by oxen. Koathites were not even supposed to look at the Ark.¹⁹
Clearly scripture remains true: God is slow to anger, but quick to act on that which he has decreed.
Recently in a sermon, the pastor was making a point. He made this analogy. You know when you begin to read a book, and you just don't understand the first few pages? You don't grasp it and you sit the book aside? I had comprehension issues in school, which is why this analogy felt amplified for me. The thing is: we don't understand because we didn't go through with the book. We're not going to get it until the end.
Likewise, we should not try and understand God and the things that he does. Does this mean can't have an understanding? No. Let me elaborate. One thing I love about our God and his word is he tells us that we are destroyed for lack of knowledge¹, that we should study to shew ourselves to be approved2, and that we should prove all things and hold fast to that which is true.³ Meanwhile, in Isaiah, word is given by God that says “my ways are above your ways, and my thoughts are above your thoughts”⁴ . In the book of Job, God rebukes Job saying “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding”⁵.
This is the point: Trust in God.
Trust in God, and then understanding will be given through revelation. While Elihu rebukes Job saying “Wisdom comes from the Almighty,”⁶ we look up and tell God “stand back, we got this”. I think a problem with us as Christians is that we try to encapsulate our understanding of God, our experiences, and our revelation in a simple explanation, when really what we come to know transcends what can be explained. When really we should be walking testimonies of Jesus Christ and a vessel used by God.⁷, ⁸
Recently I was reading 1 Chronicles 13.
In this Chapter, David was on his way to becoming king. King Saul, the first king of Israel, died. Kingship was being handed over to David according to the word of God. David was pumped, and said to the people that if it seemed good that they should go and retrieve the ark from Kirjath-jearim. The people thought it was good, so they went and got the Ark of the Covenant. They had it on a cart, and it was being carried by oxen. When one of the oxen stumbled, Uzza put his hand on the ark to keep it from falling. God struck Uzza dead for touching the Ark. David was displeased. They went aside, and put the Ark in Obed-Edom's house. God blessed Obed-edom and all that he had.
When I read the Bible, I sometimes read it as how a skeptic would look at the text while not being the skeptic. That way if a skeptic ever has that question, I have an answer. Typically I write down questions and ask God for understanding. However, this can be risky. And Uzza's actions relate to this in some ways. The risk of thinking this way, is the risk of actually becoming the skeptic. This happens when you yourself try to understand God, and think you need to defend God. God doesn't need you to defend him. And while he doesn't need you to do this, I believe at the same time that God will humble you by giving you an understanding that will plant seeds into others.
One question that came up in this text was: Why would a loving God strike down a person. Does this contradict scriptures which say “God is slow to anger”⁹ and “God is willing that none should perish”¹⁰? Well when you try to understand God rather than trusting in him that what he says is true, you will begin to doubt the promises of God. Whether you're saved, or not, this thinking will cause doubt. And since you can't lose salvation once you're a Christian¹¹, it will obviously be a worse situation for the skeptic. This will only turn them off. They have no trust to begin with! Scripture says that when you don't have Christ, that Scripture only appears as foolishness to you.¹²
Trust in God. Trust that he is Good. Otherwise you'll be like the satanically influenced 33rd degree Mason, Albert Pike. Albert Pike is an example of trying to understanding God instead of trusting God. Pike trusted himself. That is why he was wrapped up in the occult religion of Freemasonry. Occult means “hidden or secret knowledge”. As Albert Pike ventured to understand what he thought was God, he said this about the true and living God of Israel:
“If our conceptions of god are those of the ignorant, narrow minded, and vindictive Israelite, we feel that it is an affront and an indignity to god."
- Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma (god capitalized in original. Made lowercase in respect to the true God)
Pike knew not God. He trusted not God. Pike tried to understand God with his selfish understanding. And ended up not understanding God. He gained a false paradigm of God's true intentions.
Scripture contains an example of this. However, unlike Albert Pike, Job was a man of God. Job said: “He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me... God has delivered me to the ungodly... He breaketh me with breach upon breach”¹³. Job was trying to understand God. In essence he was saying “Does God hate me? Has he set me to be afflicted without cause?” Eventually God came out and said “Surely you were there when I set the foundations!”¹⁴ . God was strengthening Job, and ended up blessing him more in the latter part of his life.
Now let's return to Chapter 13 of Chronicles.
There is a key phrase in verse 4 that will shed some light on the situation.
“And all the congregation said that they would do so; for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.”¹⁵
The proverbs say that there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the way thereof is death.¹⁶
Uzza thought that it was in his authority to protect the Ark of the Covenant. His understanding of the situation was not God's. He thought he had to defend God. The oxen merely stumbled. The Ark wasn't falling. In a sense he was saying “Here. Let me intervene for you God.”
Likewise when we get wrapped up in theology, or debate, or apologetics, or even any situation we should hand to God; we act as if unbelievers are bullies and God is this little guy that we need to defend. It's the other way around. God wants us to trust him, so that he may speak through us in our defense, that the Gospel may be told and that God may be glorified. It is not by our effort, it is by his¹⁷.
And nothing can escape Jesus’ sovereign rule
From the farthest galaxy to the smallest molecule
So who deserves to gain fame?
By the word of His power the universe is maintained
In other words, put the cosmos back on the shelf
Without Christ, reality would collapse on itself
Jesus, the marvelous Author of all consciousness
Beyond what the sharpest biologist acknowledges
He needs no archeologists or smart apologists
He sees all hearts: Omnipresent Cardiologist
Master of Logic, Macrocosmic Novelist
Following any other god is just preposterous!
From the farthest galaxy to the smallest molecule
So who deserves to gain fame?
By the word of His power the universe is maintained
In other words, put the cosmos back on the shelf
Without Christ, reality would collapse on itself
Jesus, the marvelous Author of all consciousness
Beyond what the sharpest biologist acknowledges
He needs no archeologists or smart apologists
He sees all hearts: Omnipresent Cardiologist
Master of Logic, Macrocosmic Novelist
Following any other god is just preposterous!
-From Hypostatic Union by Shai Linne
But still. Uzza had some good intentions. What gives? Well, we tend to think so. However, it wasn't that God was quick to anger. Rather God was quick to act on something that he had already decreed and established: if the Ark is touched, the person must die¹⁸. The Ark of the Covenant was holy. Our sinful flesh is not. Dirt cannot sin. If dirt got on the Ark, it would not have been defiled as it would have been by man.
There were specific guidelines to the Ark of the Covenant. It had to be carried on poles, not by oxen. Koathites were not even supposed to look at the Ark.¹⁹
Clearly scripture remains true: God is slow to anger, but quick to act on that which he has decreed.
