The holy God allows us humans to encoun\u00adter him. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre are pas\u00adsa\u00adges in the Bible whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle die becau\u00adse they came too clo\u00adse to God. This is also the case with Uzzah. He tried to save the ark of the coven\u00adant from fal\u00adling over and ended up dying hims\u00adelf. This reac\u00adtion of God is infu\u00adria\u00adting and meets with gre\u00adat incom\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adon. Howe\u00adver, this reac\u00adtion is only con\u00adsis\u00adtent. For God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss should not be met with too much levi\u00adty. But if God is met with respect and app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon, then he can be met and this does not end in death. This, in turn, is God\u2019s free decis\u00adi\u00adon and a gift that we can encoun\u00adter his holi\u00adne\u00adss and not be des\u00adtroy\u00aded by it.<\/p>\n
Dead\u00adly encoun\u00adter with the saint! \tWhat is your first reac\u00adtion to the sto\u00adry in 1 Samu\u00adel 6:1\u201315? What do you under\u00adstand? Whe\u00adre are you irritated? The holy God allows us humans to encoun\u00adter him. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre are places in the Bible whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle die becau\u00adse they came too clo\u00adse to God. This is also the case with Uzzah. He wan\u00adted to save the Ark of the Coven\u00adant from fal\u00adling over and ended up dying hims\u00adelf. This reac\u00adtion of God is infu\u00adria\u00adting and\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","wpfc-sermon-single","post-7194","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nToday we want to deal with the life-threa\u00adtening holi\u00adne\u00adss of God. Tog\u00ade\u00adther we will dive into a sto\u00adry that is quite irri\u00adta\u00adting. It is a sto\u00adry that on the one hand I am extre\u00adme\u00adly glad that it exists in the Bible, and on the other hand I was glad until now that I never had to preach about it. Today I want to take on this task. During the pre\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon I real\u00adly enjoy\u00aded this sto\u00adry. Not becau\u00adse it is harm\u00adless, but becau\u00adse it under\u00adlines once again the uncom\u00adpro\u00admi\u00adsing holi\u00adne\u00adss of God.
\nThe sto\u00adry takes place at the time of King David. He was the grea\u00adtest Israe\u00adli\u00adte king and had just secu\u00adred his power. He beca\u00adme king over all Isra\u00adel and now estab\u00adlished a poli\u00adti\u00adcal cent\u00adre in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. But he wan\u00adted to extend this even fur\u00adther and also make it a reli\u00adgious cent\u00adre. So he asked his peo\u00adp\u00adle and the lea\u00adders if they would agree to bring the Ark of God to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. They were all enthu\u00adsi\u00ada\u00adstic about it and so they put their plan into action. The Ark of God was the epi\u00adto\u00adme of God\u2019s pre\u00adsence. God hims\u00adelf gave the order to build it. It was a box in which the Ten Com\u00admandments were kept. It was ela\u00adbo\u00adra\u00adte\u00adly desi\u00adgned and at the top were two che\u00adrubs, ser\u00advants of God. At this ark of God, the reli\u00adgious lea\u00adder of the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes recon\u00adci\u00adled all the peo\u00adp\u00adle with God once a year. For this pur\u00adpo\u00adse, an ani\u00admal was slaugh\u00adte\u00adred and the blood sprink\u00adled on the cover of the ark. The ark is not just a box, but bears the name of the Lord. Whe\u00adre the Ark was, the\u00adre God was also omni\u00adpre\u00adsent. Ori\u00adgi\u00adnal\u00adly, the tent for Israe\u00adli\u00adte wor\u00adship was erec\u00adted in Shi\u00adloh. Insi\u00adde was the Ark of God, also cal\u00adled the Ark of the Coven\u00adant, becau\u00adse it was sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to remind the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel of the coven\u00adant God had made with them. But for some years the Ark was no lon\u00adger the\u00adre. It was sto\u00adlen by the Phi\u00adlis\u00adti\u00adnes and then mira\u00adcu\u00adlous\u00adly retur\u00adned to Isra\u00adel. For 20 years it had been in the house of Abi\u00adnad\u00adab. He belon\u00adged to the Levi\u00adtes, who were cho\u00adsen as the tri\u00adbe for the ser\u00advice of the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry, but he hims\u00adelf was not a priest.
\nThe Levi\u00adtes were divi\u00added into three sub-groups, each of which had their own assi\u00adgned tasks in the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry. The Koha\u00adthi\u00adtes were cho\u00adsen to trans\u00adport the ark and various objects. Howe\u00adver, the\u00adre was a spe\u00adcial requi\u00adre\u00adment for this. \u00abHe did not give the Koha\u00adthi\u00adtes a cha\u00adri\u00adot or oxen, becau\u00adse their men were to car\u00adry the sacred objects of the tent of God on their should\u00aders\u00bb (Num\u00adbers 7:9 NLB<\/span>). Alt\u00adhough they were to car\u00adry all things, they were not allo\u00adwed to pack the things them\u00adsel\u00adves. First the priests had to prepa\u00adre ever\u00ady\u00adthing for trans\u00adport. \u00abOnly when Aaron and his sons have cover\u00aded the sanc\u00adtua\u00adry and all its uten\u00adsils at the depar\u00adtu\u00adre of the camp shall the Koha\u00adthi\u00adtes come to car\u00adry them. But they must not touch the sacred objects them\u00adsel\u00adves, other\u00adwi\u00adse they will die. The Koha\u00adthi\u00adtes are to car\u00adry the\u00adse artic\u00adles of the tent of God\u00bb (Num\u00adbers 4:15 NLB<\/span>).
\nDavid the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre deci\u00added to bring the ark of God to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. He had a new cart made espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly for this pur\u00adpo\u00adse, which was pul\u00adled by catt\u00adle. They pla\u00adced the ark on this cart. The cha\u00adrio\u00adteers were Achio and Uzzah. They were both the sons of Abi\u00adnad\u00adab and had alre\u00ada\u00addy lived with the ark for twen\u00adty years. Now they were clo\u00adse to the ark again. So the pro\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon set off. David and all the peo\u00adp\u00adle danced befo\u00adre the ark and rejoi\u00adced. They play\u00aded music and were bes\u00adi\u00adde them\u00adsel\u00adves. The Hebrew word that descri\u00adbes dancing here also means play\u00ading and joking. This sug\u00adgests that the\u00adre was a lack of serious\u00adness here. It was pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly more about David now being able to show who he is ins\u00adtead of giving God the honour. So the dis\u00adas\u00adter takes on more and more shape. The wagon is tra\u00advel\u00adling along, sud\u00adden\u00adly the catt\u00adle stumb\u00adle and the load of the wagon threa\u00adtens to tip over. Uzzah does what anyo\u00adne would instinc\u00adtively do \u2013 he wants to hold on to the ark of God. He means well and wants to pre\u00advent evil. But: \u00abThen the LORD<\/span> was angry with Uzzah for what he had done, and God kil\u00adled him so that he died the\u00adre bes\u00adi\u00adde the ark of the LORD<\/span>\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 6:7 NLB<\/span>). Uzzah dies imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly, even though he only meant well!
\nAnger as a reac\u00adtion to God\u2019s holiness!
\nWhat does this reac\u00adtion of God trig\u00adger in you? I think it pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly trig\u00adgers some\u00adthing simi\u00adlar in us, as it did in David. \u00abDavid was outra\u00adged that the LORD<\/span> had torn Uzzah from his life like this. He cal\u00adled the place Perez-Usa [snat\u00adching Uzzah]. It still bears this name today\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 6:8 NLB<\/span>). Indignant is even an under\u00adstate\u00adment. David was rather angry with God. He could not under\u00adstand it. He named this place after Uzzah. But not as a memo\u00adri\u00adal, but rather to express his indi\u00adgna\u00adti\u00adon. I ima\u00adgi\u00adne the enti\u00adre pro\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon was hor\u00adri\u00adfied. Done with dancing. Finis\u00adhed making music. Done with joy. Finis\u00adhed with a fal\u00adse idea of God.
\nDavid deci\u00added to bring the Ark of God to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem hims\u00adelf. The who\u00adle pro\u00adce\u00addu\u00adre was car\u00adri\u00aded out impro\u00adper\u00adly. Com\u00admandments were deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly trans\u00adgres\u00adsed and after\u00adwards David was still angry with God. But right from the start, this under\u00adta\u00adking was approa\u00adched incor\u00adrect\u00adly. Ins\u00adtead of trans\u00adport\u00ading the ark pro\u00adper\u00adly on the should\u00aders of the Koha\u00adthi\u00adtes, a cart was cho\u00adsen. As harsh as it sounds, had the ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions for use been fol\u00adlo\u00adwed, Uzzah would still be ali\u00adve. In the life of Uzzah, a par\u00adal\u00adlel can also be drawn to the lives of Jesus\u00bb fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. Uzzah lived in the pre\u00adsence of the Ark for a num\u00adber of years. He was used to deal\u00ading with it and so it came to pass that he lost his respect for it. It was no lon\u00adger the Ark of God, which could not be touch\u00aded becau\u00adse it had the name of the Lord on it. Rather, it was sim\u00adply a box used for reli\u00adgious cere\u00admo\u00adnies. So fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus face the same dan\u00adger: at some point the rever\u00adence and respect for God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss fades. God is seen too much as a mate. The holy is con\u00adfu\u00adsed with the world\u00adly. Yes, one can also mean well with a col\u00adle\u00adague, but in the encoun\u00adter with God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, well-inten\u00adtio\u00adned is not enough. David and the other Israe\u00adli\u00adtes had to learn this pain\u00adful\u00adly on that day.
\nThe decis\u00adi\u00adon to bring the ark to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem and David\u2019s reac\u00adtion to Uzzah\u2019s death pro\u00adfound\u00adly show the natu\u00adre of us humans. We want to deci\u00adde for our\u00adsel\u00adves and then be prai\u00adsed for it. But in deal\u00ading with God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss, this ends in death. This event of Uzzah cle\u00adar\u00adly shows us that we can\u00adnot stand befo\u00adre God. What does this mes\u00adsa\u00adge do to you? But the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing quo\u00adte con\u00advicts us of our harsh opi\u00adni\u00adon of God. \u00abWas God\u2019s reac\u00adtion too harsh? We think we have the free\u00addom to judge God becau\u00adse we have no sen\u00adse of his awe-inspi\u00adring holi\u00adne\u00adss and majes\u00adty. The Ark of the Coven\u00adant was the most visi\u00adble repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon of God that peo\u00adp\u00adle could see befo\u00adre Jesus. Uzzah dis\u00adre\u00adgard\u00aded this. His death was a con\u00adstant les\u00adson for the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes to take the glo\u00adry of their God serious\u00adly. Do our lan\u00adguage or our actions show that we mean it when we pray \u00abhal\u00adlo\u00adwed be your name\u00bb?\u00bb (Dai\u00adly Notes of the Scrip\u00adtu\u00adre Union).
\nBut David was not resistant to lear\u00adning. When his anger had subs\u00adi\u00added, he beca\u00adme afraid of God. He was afraid of it and asked hims\u00adelf how the ark of the Lord could come to him at all. Here we sud\u00adden\u00adly find an exci\u00adting turn of events, which has alre\u00ada\u00addy hap\u00adpen\u00aded to me when I was spea\u00adking. Have you noti\u00adced it? So far I have always spo\u00adken of the ark of God. But now and in the fur\u00adther cour\u00adse, abo\u00adve all, I speak of the ark of the Lord. Becau\u00adse in the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal Hebrew text the\u00adre is a dif\u00adfe\u00adrence here. When God is trans\u00adla\u00adted, it says Elo\u00adhim. This means God, but it is also some\u00adti\u00admes used for other gods. But when it says LORD<\/span>, it is based on YHWH<\/span> in Hebrew. It is the name by which God reve\u00adals Hims\u00adelf to Moses. This name is so sacred and rever\u00aden\u00adti\u00adal that it is not pro\u00adno\u00adun\u00adced by the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes. This chan\u00adge in the text shows a chan\u00adge of heart. First it is about David wan\u00adting to bring the ark of God to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Then the focus is on the ark of the Lord.
\nTo meet the holy with respect leads to life!
\nDavid is so afraid that he parks the ark of the LORD<\/span> with a man cal\u00adled Obed-Edom. It remains the\u00adre and God bles\u00adses this man and his who\u00adle fami\u00adly. After three months, David the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre deci\u00addes to bring the ark back to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Howe\u00adver, the pro\u00adce\u00addu\u00adre now dif\u00adfers mas\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly from befo\u00adre. \u00abThen he orde\u00adred: \u00abNo one may car\u00adry the ark of God except the Levi\u00adtes. The LORD<\/span> has cho\u00adsen them to car\u00adry the ark of the LORD<\/span> and to ser\u00adve him fore\u00adver\u00bb \u00bb (1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 15:2 NLB<\/span>). He then gives pre\u00adcise ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions for the imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. \u00abDavid also cal\u00adled the priests Zadok and Abiat\u00adhar and the Levi\u00adtes [\u2026] to him. He said to them, \u00abYou are the heads of the Levi\u00adtes. In order that you may bring the ark of the LORD<\/span> God of Isra\u00adel with the other Levi\u00adtes to the place I have pre\u00adpared for them, you must all puri\u00adfy your\u00adsel\u00adves before\u00adhand for this ser\u00advice. You were not the\u00adre the first time, and the LORD<\/span> our God punis\u00adhed us becau\u00adse we did not honour him as we should have done.\u00bb So the priests and Levi\u00adtes puri\u00adfied them\u00adsel\u00adves so that they could bring the ark of the LORD<\/span> God of Isra\u00adel to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Then the Levi\u00adtes car\u00adri\u00aded the ark of God on their should\u00aders using the car\u00adry\u00ading poles, as the LORD<\/span> had ins\u00adtruc\u00adted Moses\u00bb (1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 15:13\u201315 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe life-threa\u00adtening encoun\u00adter with God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss chan\u00adged David\u2019s heart. This can be seen at two points in par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar. The first is a stran\u00adge action. \u00abWhen the bea\u00adrers of the ark of the LORD<\/span> had gone six paces, they stop\u00adped and David sacri\u00adfi\u00adced an ox and a fat\u00adted calf\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 6:13 NLB<\/span>). Six steps is not\u00adhing. You won\u2019t get any\u00adwhe\u00adre in six steps. It\u2019s not even worth get\u00adting up for that many steps. If you had alre\u00ada\u00addy come to terms with the six steps, why is the\u00adre such a long pau\u00adse fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by the sacri\u00adfice of ani\u00admals? This stran\u00adge action shows a chan\u00adge of heart. It is not a ques\u00adti\u00adon of speed, but of respect for what is hap\u00adpe\u00adning. Car\u00adry\u00ading the Ark of the Coven\u00adant empha\u00adsi\u00ads\u00ades ano\u00adther aspect. God is abo\u00adve man, so it is only good and right to car\u00adry the ark. David\u2019s chan\u00adged atti\u00adtu\u00adde is also reflec\u00adted in the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing ver\u00adse: \u00abAnd David danced enthu\u00adsi\u00ada\u00adsti\u00adcal\u00adly befo\u00adre the LORD<\/span>, wea\u00adring only a linen priestly robe\u00bb (2 Samu\u00adel 6:14 NLB<\/span>). David hum\u00adbles hims\u00adelf. He renoun\u00adces his roy\u00adal sple\u00adndour and puts on a priestly apron. This was a migh\u00adty down\u00adgra\u00adde. He also expres\u00adses his joy by dancing. But the\u00adre is a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent word here than the first time. Here the empha\u00adsis is on the fact that it is a type of dance per\u00adfor\u00admed by a ritu\u00adal ser\u00advant in a pro\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adon. David, the gre\u00adat king, appears as a hum\u00adble man who sub\u00ador\u00addi\u00adna\u00adtes hims\u00adelf to God.
\nIt is basi\u00adcal\u00adly God\u2019s free decis\u00adi\u00adon and his gift to us humans that we can encoun\u00adter his holi\u00adne\u00adss and not be bro\u00adken by it. It is pure grace. The decisi\u00adve dif\u00adfe\u00adrence in the two sto\u00adries is the atti\u00adtu\u00adde of the heart. The hand\u00adling of the ark of the LORD<\/span> deci\u00added bet\u00adween life and death. For this ark bears the name of the LORD<\/span> and thus beco\u00admes holy, and this holi\u00adne\u00adss can be life-threa\u00adtening. For the ark is set apart for God. The fact that it bears the name of God makes it clear that it belongs to God. The\u00adre is also a par\u00adal\u00adlel here to the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ. For a chan\u00adge also took place the\u00adre, which beco\u00admes clear in bap\u00adtism. Jesus Christ ins\u00adtructs his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers: \u00abGo the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre and teach all nati\u00adons, bap\u00adti\u00adsing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spi\u00adrit, tea\u00adching them to obser\u00adve all that I have com\u00adman\u00added you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u00bb (Matthew 28: 19\u201320 LUT<\/span>). Bap\u00adtism makes it clear that the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus Christ are set apart. Just as the ark of the coven\u00adant could mean life and death at the same time, the same appli\u00ades to the life of the fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. \u00abFor tho\u00adse who peri\u00adsh, we are the ter\u00adri\u00adble stench of death and dam\u00adna\u00adti\u00adon. But for tho\u00adse who are saved, we are a life-giving fra\u00adgrance. Who can ful\u00adfil such a task?\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 2:16 NLB<\/span>). Just like the ark of God, we are not this on our own. But becau\u00adse of the name that is upon us, we are set apart and live for the glo\u00adry of God and his plan. Even if we don\u2019t under\u00adstand ever\u00ady\u00adthing and are per\u00adhaps even angry with God at times.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: 2 Samu\u00adel 6:1\u201315 (sup\u00adple\u00adment 1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 15:11\u201315)<\/p>\n
\n\tCan you match the action of God with your idea of God? Why not?
\n\tHave you been angry with God? Why?
\n\tWas the anger jus\u00adti\u00adfied or did you feel like David, that you came to God with a fal\u00adse assumption?
\n\tHow do you meet God?
\n\tDo you belie\u00adve in Jesus Christ? Have you alre\u00ada\u00addy been bap\u00adti\u00adsed? If not, could it be time to express your faith and trust?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"