Moving the Ark of the Covenant

[steve]

We were having our little fellowship this afternoon and got onto the story of when the Ark was given back by the Philistines.
Two things jumped out at us:

1) David was doing everything in his understanding to honor YHWH. He had a completely new cart made and they were worshiping in song, dance and with musical instruments. His heart was totally righteous before YHWH. The only minor little problem was that the transport of the Ark was being handled by the cart instead of the original method which had been given them, staffs through the rings and carried on the priest's shoulders.
I can understand how it would seem reasonable. They were several generations past the time that they had last moved it and no one remembered that there had been specific instructions. Besides, the Philistines had moved it that way.
But they were held responsible for doing it according to the original instructions, no matter how innocent their understanding was.
If that is not a cautionary tale, I do not know what is.

2) Many times I have heard the idea being referred to that it is wrong to try to "steady to Ark". That man should not try to guide anything that someone thinks is a move of God.
The problem in this story was that the transportation process was not in accordance with YHWH's guidelines, not that an innocent priest tried to save the Ark from the damage that would have occurred had it fallen off the cart.

 

[Paul not the apostle]

IF I remember correctly, the mystery of how it was eventually removed "safely" is not recorded in the Bible.

There are other examples of doing a "proper" thing but violating the Torah at the same time...Uzziah dressed up like a priest to worship God and was stricken with leprosy. Worshipping God.....

violating Torah by mixing clean and unclean when you do it.... :arrow: leprosy?

 

[steve]

2Sa 6:13
And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

when they that bare the ark

according to Strong's, bare is nasa'
I.to lift, bear up, carry, take

A.(Qal)
i.to lift, lift up
ii.to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
iii.to take, take away, carry off, forgive

B.(Niphal)
i.to be lifted up, be exalted
ii.to lift oneself up, rise up
iii.to be borne, be carried

I think that we can safely assume that they carried it without touching it in the proscribed manner; staves through the rings.

 

[aklirich]

The problem in this story was that the transportation process was not in accordance with YHWH's guidelines, not that an innocent priest tried to save the Ark from the damage that would have occurred had it fallen off the cart.

I believe that both issues are problematic. The ark being transported wrongly and a probably unclean man trying to touch the ark.

 

[steve]

.......and a probably unclean man trying to touch the ark.

Is that an assumption or do you see something in Scripture that supports that possibility?

 

[aklirich]

Several verses in Numbers 4 mentioned the need for holiness, who shall touch/carry things and consequence of touching wrongfully. I would have given verses but it will be better that you read the whole chapter in order to get a proper context.

Furthermore, in 1 Samuel 6, 50070 people were killed for merely looking into the ark.

I believe that David was brash and too eager to get the ark back and he made a mistake in pulling it by a donkey instead of being carried by poles. I still believe that, had the proper carrying procedure had been followed and had one of the Levites carrying the ark stumbled and had Uzzah touched the ark under those circumstances, he would have been struck similarly.

 

[steve]

Several verses in Numbers 4 mentioned the need for holiness, who shall touch/carry things and consequence of touching wrongfully

We have no disagreement on this point. If anything, you are understating it.

Furthermore, in 1 Samuel 6, 50070 people were killed for merely looking into the ark.

I realized yesterday that this should have been point 3.
3) 50070 did die because the Ark was opened and looked into. As far as I can figure out, it would be physically impossible for all of them to have looked into it and been killed in punishment for their audacity, unless it something like a 30 day delayed reaction. The pile of bodies after the first few hundred died would have barricaded the Ark.
The point that I am trying to make is that thousands of innocent people died because of the sin of a relative few.

I believe that David was brash and too eager to get the ark back and he made a mistake in pulling it by a donkey instead of being carried by poles. I still believe that, had the proper carrying procedure had been followed and had one of the Levites carrying the ark stumbled and had Uzzah touched the ark under those circumstances, he would have been struck similarly.

I agree.
I would just point out that, if it had been carried in this way, any stumble by one of the priests would have left it supported by the other 3 and Uzzah's action would not have been necessary.