And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. “These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.” (Numbers 4:15)

Why Did Uzzah Die?

God’s word is full of promise and warning. Sin came into the world because Adam and Eve thought they could trifle with God’s word. The mistake of human wisdom is to look upon the words of God as suggestions rather than commandments. Noah was told to build an ark to a specific design and specification. Any deviation from the divinely revealed word would have been a disaster to Noah and his family. Noah did everything God commanded and lived. Moses told Pharaoh what God was going to do, and every word came true. On the night of the death of the firstborn, God instructed the Hebrews on what they must do to be saved, and they obeyed every word.

At Mount Sinai, God gave the law to the Hebrews through Moses, His prophet. The Law of Moses was complete, thorough, and unambiguous. Nadab and Abihu ignored the word of the Lord and paid for their rebellion with their deaths. Moses was prohibited from entering the promised land because he failed to give God glory when the Lord demanded it. God’s word was not respected. In giving the Law, the Lord gave specific instructions for the creation of the place of worship. The Tabernacle would serve as the place of worship for many generations. During the forty years of wilderness wanderings, the people of Israel moved from place to place, carrying with them the Tabernacle and all the articles, including the Ark of the Covenant.

The Ark of the Covenant was housed in the Most Holy of Holies when the Tabernacle was settled in a place prescribed by God. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy of Holies except the High Priest, and he was allowed only once a year. Whenever it was time for the nation to move to another location, the priests and Levites would pack up the Tabernacle and carry it there. The Lord gave very specific instructions for the care of the Ark of the Covenant. Men would have to pack up the Ark and move it from place to place, but great care was required to carry out the word of the Lord. The sons of Kohath were chosen to care for and move the Ark of the Covenant. God was very specific about how to move the place where He met with the people of Israel.

When the time came to move, the sons of Kohath would take down the covering veil and cover the Ark of the Covenant (Testimony) with it. Then they were to put on it a covering of badger skins and, over that, a cloth entirely of blue; and to insert its poles. The Ark was ready for travel. When it came time to move the Ark, no one was allowed to touch it. The sons of Kohath would pick up the Ark of the Covenant by its poles and carry it before the congregation as instructed by the Lord. No one was allowed to touch the Ark of the Covenant. This law remained in place for the duration of the time the Ark of the Covenant existed.

During the final days of the Judges, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines and returned after seven months. On the return of the Ark, it was placed at the house of Abinadab in Kirjath Jearim, where it remained until the reign of David. David desired to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem. The Ark was brought on a new cart instead of the manner prescribed by the Lord in the Law. Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. When they came to the house of Abinadab, which was on a hill, the oxen stumbled and Uzza put out his hand to hold the Ark. God struck Uzza dead. He had put his hand upon the Ark of the Covenant, and God struck him dead immediately.

Uzzah may have had good intentions, but the Lord clearly stated in the Law of Moses that no one was to touch the Ark. The sons of Kohath were not to touch the Ark of God. Uzzah disobeyed the requirements of the Lord God when he ignored the penalty for touching the Ark. He paid for his mistake with his life. God demonstrated to David and the nation of Israel the sanctity of His word. The word of God is truth. There is no other truth. Tampering with the word of God will bring destruction. Ignoring the word of God will bring death. The word of the Lord is settled in Heaven, where no man has the authority to change it. Since the days when the church was first established in Jerusalem, men have tried to pervert, change, modify, and recreate the word of God. Many books establish the doctrines of men who seek to change the nature of the church, including the plan of salvation.

God demonstrated to David the penalty for trying to change God’s word. This same penalty will be exacted upon all those who ignore the law of God. There is no other way to God but Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that there was only one church, one faith, and one Lord. All the ideas of men are nothing before the word of God. Every book of human wisdom will perish, but the word of the Lord will endure forever. His word remains true. God’s word rules.