Uzzah’s Zeal

Uzzah’s Zeal

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.” 2 Sam. 6:6-7.

Just as the Lord was mighty to lead His holy ark past Nachon’s threshing floor without Uzzah’s support, He is also mighty to advance His work through all kinds of difficulties without any support from carnal people. God does not need their money, songs, music, oratorical gifts, or anything else in order to advance His cause until the victory has been gained. Every ministry must be a ministry of the Spirit, whether it be little or great, for whatever the flesh can produce is cursed.

The Lord had given strict instructions that no unauthorized person was allowed to touch anything that belonged to the sanctuary, which is why Uzzah was struck down. The name of the Lord is still “Holy and Terrible,” and every carnal person is an intruder when it concerns anything that has to do with the ministry in the new covenant.

We can be sure that Uzzah had good intentions when he put out his hand. He thought that everything would go awry if he did not intervene. Likewise, when something unexpected comes up, unbelieving and anxious Uzzah-Christians immediately want to correct matters in their carnal zeal. For example, a little silence during a testimony meeting is unbearable for them. They look around restlessly; then they start quenching the Spirit with their sermon, afraid that the entire meeting might stop if they do not intervene. This is how they act wherever they are, and they usually have an opinion about everything and everyone when something happens that is out of the ordinary. They are carnal and cannot please God.

You hear God’s voice in quietness and in God’s peaceful rest. This is where God’s co-workers mature.

Just as it was dangerous in the old covenant to touch anything that pertained to the sanctuary, so it is exceedingly dangerous in our days to touch any of the saints of the Lord who have entered the sanctuary with their whole life in order to perform their ministry there. They have always been exposed to opposition and persecution, because the more spiritual a person becomes, the greater will be the contrast to everything that is carnal and human. But woe to him who does the persecuting.

We can read about how it went with those who opposed the saints in the old covenant and how it went with the Jews who crucified Jesus, the Lord of glory, and we can also take note of how it goes with everyone who resists, persecutes, or despises a God-fearing person. “But are we not supposed to work against false teaching?” people say. To this we can answer that there is not a single truly God-fearing person who is a false teacher. If a person has gone astray in the doctrine, he has also gone astray in his life. However, those who have truly been devoted to God in their time have pressed into a deeper understanding of the life of Christ. Those who do not want to follow them into this deeper life with God have also called them false teachers. Hans Nilsen Hauge’s opposers have no excuse because they believed that he was a false teacher; neither does Pilate, Caiphas, or those who opposed Luther; neither does any opposer in our days. The reason behind all this opposition is envy, and the punishment for living in this sin is that they have to live without peace on the earth.