UZZA
1 Chronicles 13:6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. 7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. 9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. 11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. 12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
The name, “Uzza,” is the same word “might” in verse eight of this chapter. It is also translated, “strength” in chapter 16 and verse eleven. He is a personal type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
The Scriptures declare Christ to be our strength! Psalm 81:1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. And to him alone is strength ascribed! Rev. 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
1. It was written that he died also due to the people’s sin! 1Chr. 15:2 Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever. 12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. 13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
You will notice that in these verses as King David communes with the Levites concerning the ‘breach’ of wrath God made, Uzza’s name is nowhere mentioned! In fact David said, “our God made a breach upon US!” Even so, the death of Christ, our Strength, was due to OUR sin! He was wounded for OUR transgressions! He was bruised for OUR iniquity! (Isa. 53:5).
John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
One of the reasons we do not understand the event of God’s killing Uzza is due to the fact that we do not understand what sin is! Sin is a coming short of the glory of God! (Rom. 3:23). All Israel agreed to leave the ark uncovered, and to transport it on a new cart as the Philistines had done! (1 Sam. 6:7). They came short of the glory and sanctity of the ark’s meaning and purpose.
Listen to what God commanded concerning the ark’s handling. Num. 4:15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. The Kohathites were not even to look upon the uncovered ark, let alone touch it before Aaron and his sons covered it!
The sin was David’s and all Israel’s, but God in his mercy only killed Uzza for his part in the matter. He was guilty, but He whom his life was but the shadow and type, had to be “made” sin for us! For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corin. 5:2).
2. And nowhere in the Scriptures does it state that Uzza’s soul was cut off from before the Lord! He was not reprobated and consigned to eternal darkness. He was physically killed and brought on home to be with the Lord!
Christ died in the stead of spiritual Israel, and not for his own sin! Heb. 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Uzza got out of bed that morning delighted to have been chosen by the king to be one of the cart’s drivers! He had no intention of tempting God! But he fell to his death that day being encased in an erroneous religious system!
The Lord Jesus Christ came to do his Father’s will, in which he delighted. But as he involved himself in our sinful state before God, it took his life! Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Unlike Christ, Uzza was not innocent. Nor was his death in any way redemptive. But you must agree that his life, like all else “written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets,” concerned Christ!
3. Uzza died at a threshing floor! 1Chron. 13:9
The threshingfloor was a place of great mourning for the death of one of God’s servants. – Genesis 50:7-11. Christ is mourned for by his believers for his death on Mt. Calvary, which is Mt. Moriah in the Old Testament, the site of Ornan’s threshingfloor!
2 Chron. 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. It was the place on Mount Moriah where Solomon built the temple. This is the place where Christ, the most glorious Servant of God died!
The threshingfloor was also the place where a maiden, (Ruth), representing Christ’s Bride came into oneness with one who was in the lineage of Messiah (Boaz)! (Ruth 3:1-4).
To prepare for this union Ruth was instructed to wash herself – We must remain under the spiritually preached gospel – the washing of water by the Word! (Eph. 5:26).
She was told to anoint herself. We must have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, for none can call Christ Lord except by the Spirit! (1Cor 12:3).
And she was told to put on her proper raiment! The only raiment the saint has is the imputed righteousness of Christ! (Rev. 19:8). We must divest ourselves of all works righteousness! We must never think ourselves right before God due to any self accomplishment!
Then she was told to await the finishing of his eating and drinking before presenting herself unto him. (Ruth 3:3). The communion of the Bride of Christ with Christ is afforded to us only after he drank his bitter cup! (Matt. 20:22). Now he drinks it new with us, as one with him in the kingdom! (Matt. 26:22).
And lastly, Christ, with his threshingfloor fan, is now dealing with both chaff and wheat, separating them according to their relationship to his Lordship! Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
4. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: This is not as correct a rendering by the King James translators as the text reveals. For the words, “And … was displeased,” in verse 11, are the exact same Greek word translated in verse ten as, “And … was kindled!” So David was more than “displeased!”
The Literal Bible reads, “And it burned to David!” This was a personal experience with David! He did not die physically! But he felt himself under the breach as well!
And the wrath of God falling on the dear Savior at Calvary has to be a personal experience to us today! For those who only know Calvary as a historical matter, have not salvation. For the fact of Christ’s crucifixion is well known by the demons in hell! But that bare knowledge also does them no good in any redemptive experience!
The Apostle states that our experience in Christ’s death must be like being buried with him. It is like being planted in the likeness of his death! We must experience the death of our former selves, and walk in newness of spiritual life! Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The experience of the cross is so vivid in the life of the believer, it is like his own crucifixion! Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
5. There was a stumbling associated with his death! In 1 Chronicles 13:9, listed above it states, “for the oxen stumbled.” And of the Jews relation to the Lord Jesus Christ we read, Romans 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Those are still stumbling today who attempt to approach Christ by the practice of religious traditions, and by works of self justification!
Then there was the sanctified stumbling which God ordained to bring individual Jews back to God as they saw the Gentiles going into the kingdom before them. Rom. 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
For it appears to be David’s jealousy of God’s blessing the house of Obededom, a Gittite like the giant Goliath (2 Sam. 21:19), that caused him to renew his intent to bring the ark into Jerusalem! For it was written, And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had. (1 Chron. 13:14).
Pastor Gene Breed
