Palm Sunday (OTA)

2 Samuel 6:5-15
5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
12 And it was told King David, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (2 Sa 6:5–15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

I was asked once concerning this text which was holier to God, Uzzah or the Mud? Was the Mud really cleaner than the sinner Uzzah? Another interesting question would be whether Uzzah went to Heaven even though God struck him down for his error? Didn't he deserve a chance to repent of his sin?

Uzzah is a sinful human being. He was born in iniquity. He was conceived in sin. God reminds people repeatedly that they are sinful human beings. Sinful people die if they would come into the presence of that which is purely holy. Uzzah has touched something that was pure and holy. Uzzah's sin would corrupt the Ark of the Lord.

Mud, stones, dirt, rocks, grass, and the ground all do exactly what they were created to do. They do not disobey the laws that are given to them. They can be mistreated and trampled upon by others but they are some of the most pure of God's creation. So some would argue that based on creation the Mud is cleaner than Uzzah. The ground does what it was designed to do. Humans on the other hand do not do even what they are told more or less what they were designed to be.

I do not know whether God took Uzzah into heaven after he killed him. This would be beyond what scripture has told us. But we know that even though we are unclean, God does reach out to touch us. Jesus Christ reaches out to cleanse the unclean. He reaches out to heal the sick. God reaches out in wrath and God reaches out in mercy. Jesus Christ even though he is Holy, when he touches the unclean he makes them holy.

Fear the Lord as King David does. Do good whenever you take six steps. God has made you to be his holy temples. He has touched you to make you holy. Do not defile yourself and make yourself unclean. But listen to his word. Do what you were designed to do. Do what you have been called to do. And know that when you stumble, God will reach out and pick you up.