How many of us have this same experience with the beauty of grace. God graciously gives us freedom from the bondage of sin. It’s grace that is beyond human description. But God continues to pour upon our salvation gifts like Scripture, prayer, the church, our families, friends, jobs, and possessions. And these are just a few of the many we could count. But over time, what happens to each of these grace-filled gifts? Over and over again, we take them for ourselves and slowly begin to live as if they are merely common. No longer are they experienced with the splendor intended by their Giver. Instead, they become a normal, ho-hum, lackluster part of our lives.
There are many Scripture passages that illustrate this point well. But none more than what we read in 2 Samuel 6. It’s the story about Uzzah’s death when he touched the ark of the covenant. Whenever I read this passage, it stops me in my tracks. It’s a story that if you were reading for the first time, you think you know where it’s going but then shock and awe comes over you. The unexpected happens. It leaves me scratching my head, asking, “What in the world was God thinking?”
BIG IDEA: GRACE BECOMES AN IDOL WHEN WE CEASE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AS HOLY
- If you were reading this for the first time…you think you know where it’s going…but then shock and awe…What?...What in the world is going on passages? This passage as always hit me as odd…intrigued me…why did Uzzah have to die?
Saul had died at the hand of the Philistines…and David who had already been anointed king now became king.
David Defeats the Philistines…notice 5:17ff This may be David’s biggest lesson
The Children of Israel still lacked something…the ark of the covenant
- Wasn’t enough to have a geographical center to the nation…but God’s presence
The word Ark means “chest or box.” 3 ¾ (45”) feet long and 2 ¼ (27”) feet wide…Acacai wood. This box was overlaid in pure gold. It was topped by a golden grate called the Mercy Seat. One either side of the Mercy Seat, were two golden cherubim.
Inside the Ark were a golden pot of manna; Aaron’s rod that budded and the two tables of the Law that were given to Moses at Mount Sinai.
So why the ark? Ex. 25 – There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. Exodus 25:22 It was here that God promised to meet with His people.
Not more historical box…
Most significant physical representation of God’s presence…symbol of presence, holiness, grace and lamb yet to come…
Very clear instructions about how to treat it…Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) – High Priest – sprinkled blood of the lamb… They collapsed the tent over the ark
- It was holy… Raiders of the Lost Ark – Nazi’s look inside the Ark – Flesh melts
- That was the overall senses…Numbers 4:15 NO TOUCH, NO LOOK, CARRIED BY CERTAIN MEN
But what happened?
Slowly it became a Rabbit’s Foot (good luck charm)… You see, way back in the days of Eli, some 75 years earlier, sons of Eli (evil men) take the ark into battle to assure victory…
Captured by Philistines – put in temple of gods (Dagon) and it messed with them and they loaded on cart and took it to Israel and eventually forgotten…However, the God punished the Philistines all the time the Ark was in their possession, 1 Sam. 5-6. Took back to Israel to the house of Abinadab…for 20 years he had the ark…
- So, after 75 years, David is about to take Israel and lead them to go after God.
6:3 – New Cart (ways of the pagans)
vs. 5 – David threw a party…fanfare…marching band…crazy celebration…God is coming home baby…
But then the unexpected happens…
Vs. 6 – threshing floor… A small but significant fact: The oxen stumbled on the THRESHING FLOOR – the most level part of the trip
Vs. 8 – David was angry at the Lord…this didn’t make sense…didn’t seem fair…
Uzzah was doing God a favor… Nothing wrong intention… Good intention is not to be equated with proper approach to God….
Yet at least David takes 90 days to ponder his mistake. (at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite)….
Notice the contrasts of this story…
- David goes from anger to fear…(one misplaced one appropriate)
- They carried the ark (vs. 13)…He copied the philistine plan…
…2nd attempt was scary ***Pole bearers called in sick
- Every 6 steps they sacrificed (1 Chronicles 15)
***To kill an ox and fillet it would NOT be a quick method and easy thing to do
- David danced in a linen Ephod (an adult onsiey)
At the first parade, David was dressed as king because to acknowledge his military exploits. By the time of the second attempt, Instead he wore the same linen ephod as a common priest. The second journey was all about God.
Psalm 24 provides a brief snapshot of this truth. - Scholars believe this psalm was sung as the ark was being brought into the city. The psalm asks the question, "Who is the king of glory?"
Why these two different ways? What changed his posture?
Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule." 1 Chronicles 15:13
WHERE GRACE AND HOLINESS MEET
Case study in the holiness of God…Realization of God’s holiness
What is holiness?
Holiness gets a bad rap in our culture… “Holier than thou” almost a like a moral nerd and holiness has become more of a vice than virtue
The Old Testament Hebrew word for holiness, kadesh, hagios, means “separate or set apart, unique…uncommon.” in a category all its own, to elevate out of the sphere of what is ordinary.
Holiness is that quality about God describing His absolute purity, glory, power, and absence of sin. It’s like a whole different world than the one we live in.
Grace and holiness are uniquely intertwined all throughout the Scripture. Much like grace and truth, grace and holiness seem to provide a necessary balance to the Christian journey. They motivate and protect each other from losing effectiveness in our lives. Second Samuel 6 gives us a good picture of this balance, as it shows us David and Israel basking in the grace of God (upon leading them to victory) while at the same time reminding them that holiness matters.
I believe we find ourselves in a similar hinge-point in modern Christianity. While we see a strong movement centered on the concept of grace, there seems to be a growing weakness and hesitation when it comes to the area of holiness. We almost treat them as competing forces tugging against each other instead of enhancing each other. If you listen to conversations about grace, you almost sense a fear to approach the topic of holiness. Because…how could holiness be gracious?
1 Peter 1
1. GRACE BEGINS WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET
Prepare your minds – set your hope…why? ***Gird up the loins of your mind…we’ve never done that…explain
Behavior is based upon belief
vs. 17-18 - Here’s the question we should ask: Question: What, or who, is holy in those verses?
Who is without blemish or spot? Jesus. His blood was spilled to ransom us: If my unholiness looked upon God I would die; Jesus took my unholiness upon Himself, looked into the face of God and died in my place.
The greatest display of God’s holiness was not in His separating Himself from us, but in His entering into our sin and corruption and taking it upon Himself and putting it away forever. God’s holiness did not destroy us but healed us…
Peter tells us to live with an awareness of the preciousness and value of what Christ has done for us. That will give you the motive for holiness.
Motive comes from the word “motor.” The drive…Behavior is based upon belief…If I get it…I live differently…gladly live differently
2. THE HOW AND WHY OF GRACE ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE WHAT
Sometimes we can get to thinking that all God cares about is that things get done, that perhaps He doesn’t really care about how we do things. Not so.
God cares about how we do things
Notice one final thing in the text. Verse 15 says, “Be holy in all you do.” Holiness begins with the trivial details. Most of life is made up of small things.
When it comes to obeying God, it’s often the details, the rings & poles that snag us.
- We either don’t want to go to the trouble of getting the poles, or we don’t want to carry them on our shoulders… So we grab a cart, rewrite the rules, & do it our own way. It’s only rings & poles!
3. DON'T MISS THE SMALL GRACE-FILLED MOMENTS INTHE HERE AND NOW
Future over the here and now…
When we lose our awe of God we become the God…and everything else becomes common…
We must not get too familiar with holiness, to take it casually.
- Spiritual walk
- Relationship with Christ
- Bible
- Parents
- Friends
