Loving Father God vs. Uzzah: 2Sam 6: 6-7

[Luke2220]

Struggling with the obvious conflict depicted in 2Sam. 6: 6-7, where our merciful, tender, unconditionally loving Father God, strikes down Uzzah, in anger, for simply trying to prevent the ark of God, from falling on the ground.
Like David (2Sam.6: 8), I’m also feeling a little disturbed by what transpired!

It does conflict with the New Testament teaching of an unchanging, all loving, merciful, tender, steadfast loving Father.

Seeking a commentary or two to help me reflect on this ‘difficult passage’.

Peace,
Luke2220.

 

[RPRPsych]

Struggling with the obvious conflict depicted in 2Sam. 6: 6-7, where our merciful, tender, unconditionally loving Father God, strikes down Uzzah, in anger, for simply trying to prevent the ark of God, from falling on the ground.
Like David (2Sam.6: 8), I’m also feeling a little disturbed by what transpired!

It does conflict with the New Testament teaching of an unchanging, all loving, merciful, tender, steadfast loving Father.

Seeking a commentary or two to help me reflect on this ‘difficult passage’.

Peace,
Luke2220.

Because of its sacred nature, the ark could only be handled by certain select people - to wit, the Levitical priests. (Num. 3: 31, 4: 5) Uzzah was punished for violating this rule, which - as an Israelite instructed in the law - he ought to have been aware of.

This prefigures the New Covenant: to profane the Body of Christ (the Eucharist), or to receive when not in a state of grace, is a mortal sin.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

Struggling with the obvious conflict depicted in 2Sam. 6: 6-7, where our merciful, tender, unconditionally loving Father God, strikes down Uzzah, in anger, for simply trying to prevent the ark of God, from falling on the ground.
Like David (2Sam.6: 8), I’m also feeling a little disturbed by what transpired!

It does conflict with the New Testament teaching of an unchanging, all loving, merciful, tender, steadfast loving Father.

Seeking a commentary or two to help me reflect on this ‘difficult passage’.

Peace,
Luke2220.

God is loving, so much that he allowed people to choose, and they chose evil.
Until the time of Jesus, we deserved nothing but one thing: DEATH.
We are sinful, even evil, people, and to touch the ark, even for good intentions
was to suffer God’s wrath. That’s how bad WE are compared to God.
BUT God so loved the world that he sent his only son that we who believe on
him may not perish by have eternal life (John 3:16).
We must remember also that Christ descended to the dead, the abode of the
dead, Sheol, where he raised all there waiting form him to life everlasting, so
poor Uzzah is probably just fine now, don’t worry.

Keep in mind, in the Old Testament, God was very vengeful, but in the New
Testament, Jesus came to bear all that vengeance upon himself so that we
don’t have to who believe on him

Just remember, we are that bad, which is why Jesus came. Takes a lot of love there.

 

[sousley]

Observe too, that Uzzah touch the ark to prevent it from falling off the cart. Was the Ark supposed to be transported on a cart driven by Uzzah in the first place? Uzzah’s involvement in the unlawful transportation of the ark predated the just penalty.
In response to this event, David was careful to have it transported in the proper and lawful way in the future.

 

[Simca]

Because of its sacred nature, the ark could only be handled by certain select people - to wit, the Levitical priests. (Num. 3: 31, 4: 5) Uzzah was punished for violating this rule, which - as an Israelite instructed in the law - he ought to have been aware of.

Yes, the Ark was very sacred. God’s presence would rest upon the Ark, and from the Ark God would speak to Moses in the Tabernacle. Because God’s presence rested upon the Ark, the Jewish people saw it as a symbol of God’s throne. It was a symbol of entering into the very presence of God himself.

The Ark was normally transported by poles that were slipped through rings which were fitted onto each corner of the Ark. These poles could never be removed, even when the Ark was stationary. The Ark itself was not touched.

I think the Ark is a symbol of entering into God’s presence, and the poles which cannot be removed and by which the Ark is carried are a symbol of Christ. Sinful man cannot, on his own, enter into God’s presence. God is so Holy, we would be struck dead, just like Uzzah was. But we can and must approach God through Jesus.

I really don’t think this episode portrays God as vengeful, just incredibly Holy. When God’s presence was on Mount Sinai and Moses went up the mountain to receive the commandments, no one else was able to approach the mountain, lest they die. Yahweh can only be approached with wonder, reverence and veneration. Moses was told to warn people that they should remain well clear of Mount Sinai when the Lord came down upon it: “Take care not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death” (Ex 19:12). No human being can look at God and survive. Even Moses himself is warned: “You cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live” (Ex 33:20).

This prefigures the New Covenant: to profane the Body of Christ (the Eucharist), or to receive when not in a state of grace, is a mortal sin.

I agree with this also

 

[RPRPsych]

I really don’t think this episode portrays God as vengeful, just incredibly Holy. When God’s presence was on Mount Sinai and Moses went up the mountain to receive the commandments, no one else was able to approach the mountain, lest they die. Yahweh can only be approached with wonder, reverence and veneration. Moses was told to warn people that they should remain well clear of Mount Sinai when the Lord came down upon it: “Take care not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Anyone who touches the mountain will be put to death” (Ex 19:12). No human being can look at God and survive. Even Moses himself is warned: “You cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live” (Ex 33:20).

I think this is a very good explanation.

 

[TimothyH]

The Ark of God represents Mary.

No human was to ever touch her sexually. Mary was reserved to be the spouse of the Holy Spirit from which Jesus would come. God is teaching us about the purity of the Blessed Virgin, that no man would ever “put forth his hand to the Ark of God.”

Mary was to remain pure, untouched. Any man who tried to touch her would have died instantly.

-Tim-

 

[RPRPsych]

The Ark of God represents Mary.

No human was to ever touch her sexually. Mary was reserved to be the spouse of the Holy Spirit from which Jesus would come. God is teaching us about the purity of the Blessed Virgin, that no man would ever “put forth his hand to the Ark of God.”

Mary was to remain pure, untouched. Any man who tried to touch her would have died instantly.

-Tim-

Wonderful. This never occurred to me, but it makes perfect sense if we read this passage in conjunction with Revelation 11-12.

 

[TimothyH]

Wonderful. This never occurred to me, but it makes perfect sense if we read this passage in conjunction with Revelation 11-12.

Mary is all over the Bible.

Check out the tree of life in Genesis, which God guarded with the fiery revolving sword.

The tree of life is most certainly the Cross, but those with a Marian spirituality ask why it could not also be Mary. Jesus is the fruit of Mary’s womb. When we eat the fruit of Mary’s womb - Jesus in the Eucharist - we live forever. Mary could be the tree of life and Jesus is life itself, Mary’s fruit.

***…show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. ***

I’m sorry. I see the Eucharist and Mary all over the Bible.

-Tim-