No Mortal Would Dare

I Chronicles 13:9-14

“When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had.”

God is never to be trifled with in the past, today, and forever, let us always approach our Holy Father with reverence. Today’s verses offer a contrast of God’s commanding of the highest respect, the consequences of taking it casually nonchalantly, and the blessings that flood following from abiding with Him on His terms, loving Him by obeying His Fatherly authority (I John 5:3). One was Israel, the other a foreigner (although this is disputed), what difference did it make? If so it would appear that God had already shown signs of reinstating grace beyond race and bloodline boundaries given exclusively to Israel (we’d do well to remember this as Gentiles and read Rom 11:17–24, and we also “do not become proud but fear” and revere God always (Rom 11:20).”) CS Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia tells us that Aslan (God’s representation) is “not a tame lion”, and although we are His children, He loves us and is patient and longsuffering with us as our Father, He is holy and He desires that we grow in Christ-like maturity, He sets the Apostle Paul as an example too when he wrote, “when I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways (I Cor 13:11).” The words of Paul Baloche’s song reminds us, “no mortal man would dare to stand before Your throne; Before the Holy One of heaven. It's only by Your blood And it's only through Your mercy Lord, I come.” Indeed, we sing, “Jesus may You receive the honour that You’re due, O Lord I bring an offering to You.” Our Lord Jesus knows we are dust (Psa 103:14) and we may fail but we press on heavenward in our relationship with Him, and “when the perfect comes, the partial passes away (I Cor 13:10).” Be that as it may, being already saved and kept in Christ means we honour God out of thankfulness in our heart, that “therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe (Heb 12:28).” The Living Life writer prays: “Holy God, forgive me when I do not give You the respect and honor You deserve. Because of Your grace and mercy, help me to keep watch over my attitude and behavior, especially regarding those things that matter most to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”