Ark in a Cart

Soap on a rope was a novel idea. While soap gets you clean in the shower, the rope made it convenient to grab and then hang up to dry so there isn’t that messy soap scum in the soap dish. 

While it was practical, it never caught on and is now more of a novelty item sold in gift shops. 

This is the story of David’s desire to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He had a good idea, and it seemed like the logical and most spiritual thing to do, but He went about it the wrong way. 

After capturing the Ark in battle, God struck the Philistines with one plague after another. Soon they put the Ark on a cart and returned it to Israel. 

Seeing the Ark returned, the people of Beth-shemesh celebrated offering sacrifices to God, but some of the men looked inside, maybe out of curiosity or to see if everything was there, but they handled God in an unworthy manner and God struck down over 50,000. 

After becoming King, David wanted to honor God, so he went to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, but he never consulted God’s word, so he place the Ark on a cart to bring to transport it. 

But on the way, one of the drivers, Uzzah, put forth his hand to steady the Ark, and God struck him dead. 

The problem was that they were treating God, handling Him if you would, in a way not prescribed by God in His Word (Exodus 25:10-13; Deuteronomy 31:25). 

Just as soap was never meant to go with a rope, the Ark was never meant to be transported on a cart. God was not to be worshiped in ways not prescribed in His word. 

When we come before God, let’s stop handling God, worshiping Him in ways contrary to His Word. Let’s stop the gimmicks and worship the Lord as He prescribed, in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).