Helping God Out

Helping God Out

5/23/16

This concept is one that all of us tend to try and do from time to time.  In truth, this is what we are supposed to be doing because we are the only communication tools that God has in order for His Kingdom and Word to be spread to those who do not know Him.  However, we also have a tendency to try and help God out by doing things our own way even though we understand the laws that God has put into place contradict our actions.  The Bible does offer us the example and importance of obedience and what occurs when we do things in our own way instead of the way God has ordained.  This plays into the hands of our enemy and if we do not reverse our course and return to God, our actions shall become very deadly.

One of the more difficult things to understand about God is how He operates when it comes to obeying the laws and commands that He has established.  It is even more difficult is how His response is when we disobey these holy commands because we read about how some of the smallest and detailed infractions committed by humans receive the ultimate punishment while nations continue in their sin for an extended period of time without any major repercussions during that time.  What we really do not comprehend well is that the majority of our rebellious acts against God do not reflect the separation between holy and the sinner, but when the sinner directly violates or tries to violate the holy then immediate action must take place.  Sin cannot initiate holy contact for it is not in the proper order of God.

Holy contact was regularly and continually present in the Garden of Eden with daily walks and talks between God and Adam and Eve.  It is hard for us to imagine what Adam and Eve were thinking when they gave up this type of communication and living conditions but as we all know it occurred and we now are faced with the physical consequences of those actions.  When Adam and Eve fell, God could no longer communicate directly with mankind for when the ground was holy God’s presence was available at all times. 

However, since man originated from the ground the origins of mankind could no longer hold and keep that which is holy and therefore when God passed judgment on the serpent and mankind He could not longer appear in the same form and manner as He did previously.  This separation between God and mankind represents the first example of how God and sin cannot mix in any form and where divine holiness cannot be in contact with sin.  This brings into light the true concept of what is in place, at one time God and mankind were on equal and level terms but after our choice of sin was made that equality was no more.  In other words, since there is no equality between God and man then there definitely cannot be any equality between mankind and mankind.

After a number of tumultuous and disastrous settings, we have another specific example of obedience that plays a significant role in how we believe about God and His laws of conduct when it comes to His holy status and the division that was present during the Old Testament Scriptures.  Many would say that since this event occurred in the Old Testament that it has no relevance in our lives today since Jesus lived, died and was resurrected but in truth God wants us to know that even though His Son did accomplish these feats for our eternal existence, His laws are still in effect and should be continually obeyed at all costs for only through obedience grace can be proclaimed and rightfully claimed.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 6 we have an example of this type of what seems like a helpful detail for God but in reality, it is a gross violation of sin against God.  It was time for the Ark of the Covenant to be moved and according to God’s laws only certain people could actually carry the Ark and the Ark had to be carried and moved in a very specific manner.  This is a detail that God made very clear to the people of Israel and while not everyone was closely familiar with these laws they did understand them and knew that certain ways had to be followed in order for their lives to be spared.  Verse 3 of 2 Samuel Chapter 6 states that theArk had a new cart and that the sons of Abinadab drove the new cart to the place where the Ark was to be picked up and moved.

It is well noted that the sons of Abinadab, Uzzah, and Ahio, knew about the laws of the Ark and knew that every single detail needed to be followed in order that all should proceed without incident.  The Ark of the Covenant was the heart of the people ofIsrael and it represented the dwelling place of God and it is also well documented that the Ark went everywhere that the people of Israel went and served as the defining symbol of the relationship between God and Israel.  In verse 5 of the same chapter of 2 Samuel, it states that as the Ark processed from its place towards its new place the Israelites played music with all of the instruments which represented a notification that God was moving and that He was in His place serving the people as He promised.

As the procession moved and reached a certain place, the oxen began to shake and the Ark of the Covenant became unsteady and looked like it was going to fall.  For whatever reason the oxen shook and when they did shook the Ark enough for it to become unbalanced.  We all know that animals cannot be controlled at all times and that they have movements that seem natural to them – and they are – but sometimes can come at moments when these movements are not the best.  This shaking of the oxen is a prime example of one of these times but it serves as a moment when mankind has to trust in God and not rely on her / his personal beliefs.  It is at this point where it seems like Uzzah has an Adam and Eve moment.

In verse 6 of 2 Samuel Chapter 6, it states that Uzzah sees that the Ark is about to fall because of the actions of the oxen so he reaches out and holds the Ark so that it will not fall to the ground.  It is at this point that God’s anger is quickly kindled and He strikes down Uzzah immediately after he touches the Ark.  This seems hardly a reason for God to act in such a harsh manner, but when one understands the implications of what was going on and what occurred it becomes clear that mankind once again violated a boundary where they had no business in attending. 

This is the point where the sin and separation between God and mankind come into play, you know, the one that was established when Adam and Eve sinned and was established in the Garden of Eden.  For some reason, people had either ignored or had forgotten about these laws of separation and with such “forgettings” did not place the importance of following these laws into their lives.  This is really puzzling since it was still fresh in their history of how God destroyed the earth by water because of such “forgettings”.  But as we will see, this pattern of “forgettings” continues today and is one of the reasons why God must punish our human deeds or apologize for destroying mankind so long ago, and since I have not read where God has ever had to apologize for any act that He has authorized, I do not foresee one coming anytime soon.

God had put into place a detailed order for humans to follow when it was time to move the Ark.  Also, only a few families could represent God when He moved and thus carry His dwelling place.  This was representative of the separation that was in place between God and humanity and this separation could not be disturbed in any manner, especially originating from a human standpoint.  I know with all my heart that Uzzah had no ill intentions of malcontent when he touched the Ark, it seems like it was a quick reaction to make sure that the Ark would not touch the ground and to be truthful when a situation is presented in such a way most people would have done the exact same thing.  There is an underlying detail here that needs to be noted and serves as the foundation as to why God had to act in the manner in which He did.  This also explains a statement made by Job when He was sitting in the ruins of his home and possessions.

Verse 3-4 of 2 Samuel Chapter 6 states that Uzzah and Ahio were part of the team that was to carry the Ark to its destination, which means that they had been fully taught of the specifics of what was to transpire and the manner to which the Ark was to be carried.  No doubt these men were also told, shown and indoctrinated of the importance of procedure and to why it was important to adhere to the measures given to them.  In other words, they knew exactly what was going on and what was at stake through their participation with the movement of the Ark.  Therefore, they could not claim ignorance when something went wrong.  Whoever was responsible for instructing these men in their duties must have told, retold and told them again of the importance of following proper procedure for they should have known that God could not change His laws for any reason.

As stated above, on the surface it would seem like Uzzah was doing the right thing trying to keep the Ark from touching the ground, but when he touched the Ark with his hand it breached the separation that God has with mankind because of the sinful nature that rules our lives.  God cannot have anything to do with sin nor can He be around its effects and it is for this truth as to why He had to act accordingly when a human touched His dwelling place.  It is not because is pious and serves as a dictator but it is a spiritual law that is in place and He cannot violate its boundaries for any cause.  It is easy for those who do not understand the ways of God to react in an argumentative manner through this story in the Bible, and to be honest I do not believe that King David fully understood, at that time, what actually took place.

For in verse 8 of this same chapter, it states that David became angry at God for what God did to Uzzah.  It is clear that David understood what Uzzah was doing and saw the potential and kind deed of Uzzah’s action and consequently David followed human reactions and thus allowed his emotions to flood in first before the truth was revealed to him.  God’s actions were not solely based upon being angry but because He could not change His laws for any situation.  It all goes back to the rebellion of Lucifer and extends up until this very second of our lives.  God cannot change any of His laws for any reason for if He did Satan would have just cause to claim God a liar and demand his place back in heaven, thus creating himself just like God.

It is also through this example of obedience that God is warning His people of their actions when trying to change the laws of God.  It is one thing to act when one does not know about the laws that are in place but it is another when one acts against these laws when they are known about.  As Job sat in the ashes of his ruined life and stated that God would not punish him for any secret sin and that even if God took his life that he would trust completely in God.  While the circumstances are different with Job, the foundation of the laws that God must follow are not, they are intact and He must abide by them continuously. Obedience and love go congruently in Kingdom measures and it is through these principles that God had to act as He did and it is also through these principles that His Word gives us strict and detailed information about His laws and how they should be followed.

Even though God has not struck us down for trying to override His laws there will come a time that He says “enough” and must act accordingly.  What mankind is trying to do seems like a wonderful idea through worldly standards but according to God’s laws and ways, it is immoral and will lead us down a path of destruction that can never be redeemed alone.  Just as Uzzah believed that he was doing the right thing by trying to prevent the Ark from falling, we today are trying to keep people in unity but doing it from a humanly and worldly manner instead of asking God to provide holy answers for hurting people.  If God operates through the complete obedience of His own established laws He cannot expect anything else from His people either.  God is love, this is a true statement but His love operates through obedience, on both sides.

Humans have for a long time downplayed the truth of obedience and have demanded their equality even in times of long-term commitments.  We have selfishly portrayed this level of obedience as unnecessary and therefore not needed in our existence. Humanity does not realize the seriousness of these actions of ours and what potentials it shall lead us in the future.  This human belief is present in the story of Uzzah and it is even further evident in our societies today.  There is one huge difference in the story of Uzzah and in today’s standards while obedience is not portrayed in both settings, we today have no intentions to obey the Word of God in any manner.  The Church has even fallen into this pattern of disobedience and really has no designs to change this pattern either.  What does this mean?  It means certain death of our nation and the world as we know it because as God has demonstrated time and time again He cannot change His laws to suit one person over another nor can He change them for one nation over another.

So when actors and actresses go on nationally syndicated talk programs and host their own programs on cable networks claiming that mankind can change the laws of God and project themselves into the Throne of God as Creator of all things, know that they (we) have fallen into a deadly trap that our enemy has laid that will cause us to fall hard – this is NOT helping God out.  It is time for the Church to repent and to once again go forth and preach The Gospel of Christ into the world which first and foremost is that those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior need Him and at the same time leave out the gospel of the world – this IS helping God out.  God has given us the examples of Adam and Eve, and Uzzah in order for us not to make the same mistakes as they did but to live our lives according to the way God desires us, but as always God shall never force us to choose His ways and therefore when we do not, we actually prove the Bible correct anyway.

Time is short and we are heading for a cliff, on all levels of life and as the dream that God gave my father many decades ago, if we do not convince the people to stop and look towards the cross, they will voluntarily run off the ledge immediately past the cross.  This example about Uzzah should make it clear that humanity needs God in their lives on every level and that we should understand ALL of God’s laws to their full extent and that we should hear what God is saying to us through these laws for if we do not we shall surely die.

DLB