29.歷代志上13:8,12

29. The Lesson of Uzza

And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets." (12) And David was afraid of God that day, saying, how shall I bring the ark of God home to me? (15:25) So David and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy.
I Chronicles 13:8, 12, 15:25

David loved his God and venerated the symbol of his presence. He desired to restore the Lord's appointed worship, and to place the ark where it should be, as the most sacred center of worship. But right things must be done in a right manner, or they will fail. In this case the failure was sad and signal, for Uzza died, and the ark turned aside to the house of Obed-edom.

I. THE FAILURE.

First Text: 1 Chron. 13:8.

Here were multitudes, "David and all Israel," and yet the business came to naught. Crowds do not ensure blessing.

Here was pomp — singing, harps, trumpets, etc. — yet it ended in mourning. Gorgeous ceremonial is no guarantee of grace.

Here was energy: "they played before God with all their might." This was no dull and sleepy worship, but a bright, lively service, and yet the matter fell through.

But there was no thought as to God's mind. David confessed, "we sought him not after the due order" (1 Chron. 15:13).

There was very little spiritual feeling! More music than grace.

The priests were not in their places, nor the Levites to carry the ark: oxen took the place of willing men. The worship was not sufficiently spiritual and humble.

There was no sacrifice. This was a fatal flaw; for how can we serve the Lord apart from sacrifice?

There was little reverence. We hear little of prayer, but we hear much of oxen, a cart, and the too familiar hand of Uzza.

Now, even a David must keep his place, and the Lord's command must not be supplanted by will-worship. Therefore the Lord made a breach upon Uzza, and David was greatly afraid.

May we not expect similar failures unless we are careful to act obediently, and serve the Lord with holy awe? Are all the observances and practices of our churches scriptural? Are not some of them purely will-worship?

II. THE FEAR.

Second Text: 1 Chron. 13:12.

The terrible death of Uzza caused great fear. Thus the Lord slew Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire; and the men of Beth-shemesh for looking into the ark. The Lord has said,"I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified" (Lev. 10:3).

His own sense of wrong feeling caused this fear in David, for we read, "and David was displeased" (verse 11). We are too apt to be displeased with God because he is displeased with us.
His own sense of unworthiness for such holy work made him cry, "How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?"

His feeling that he failed in that which God expected of his servants created a holy fear. "Sanctify yourselves, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God" (1 Chron. 15:12).

He meant well, but he had erred, and so he came to a pause; yet not for long. The ark of God remained with Obed-edom three months, but not more (verse 14).

Some make the holiness of God and the strictness of his rule an excuse for wicked neglect.

Others are overwhelmed with holy fear; and therefore pause a while, till they are better prepared for the holy service.

III. THE JOY.

Third Text: 1 Chron. 15:25.

1. God blessed Obed-edom.
Thus, may humble souls dwell with God and die not. Those houses which entertain the ark of the Lord shall be well rewarded.
2. Preparation was made and thought exercised by David and his people when a second time they set about moving the ark of the covenant. Read the whole of the chapter.
3. The mind of the Lord was considered: "And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders, with the staves thereof, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the Lord" (verse 15).
4. The priests were in their places: "So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves." Men and methods must both be ruled by God (verse 14).
5. Sacrifices were offered: "And it came to pass, when God helped, the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams" (verse 26). The great and perfect sacrifice must ever be to the front.

6. Now came the exceeding joy (verse 28).

Do we draw near to God in all holy exercises after this careful, spiritual, reverent fashion?

If so, we may safely exhibit our delight, and our hearts may dance before the Lord as king David did (verse 29).

For Emphasis

When after long disuse ordinances come to be revived, it is too common for even wise and good men to make some mistakes. Who would have thought that David should have made such a blunder as this, to carry the ark upon a cart (verse 7)? Because the Philistines so carried it, and a special providence drove the cart (1 Sam. 6:12), he thought they might do so too. But we must walk by rule, not by example, when it varies from the rule; no, not those examples that providence has owned. — Matthew Henry

1. The matter and right manner of performing duties are, in the command of God, linked together. He will have his service well done as well as really done. We must serve God with a perfect heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. Masters on earth challenge to themselves a power to oblige their servants, not only to do their work, but to do it so-and-so; and though they do the thing itself, yet if not in the manner required, it cannot be accepted.

2. The doing of a duty in a wrong manner alters the nature of it, and makes it sin. Hence " the ploughing of the wicked is sin" (Prov. 21:4). Hence prayer is accounted a howling upon their beds (Hos. 7:14). Unworthy communicating is not counted as eating the Lord's supper (1 Cor. 11:20). If a house be built of never so strong timber and good stones, yet if it be not well founded, and rightly built, the inhabitant may curse the day he came under the roof of it.

3. Duties not performed according to the right order are but the half of the service we owe to God, and the worst half too. — Thomas Boston

Charles Hadden Spurgeon

29．烏撒的教訓（The Lesson of Uzza）
「大衛和以色列眾人在神面前極力跳舞，唱歌，用琴、瑟、鼓、鈸、號吹奏。」（代上 13:8）
「那日大衛懼怕神，說：『我怎可將神的約櫃抬到我這裡來呢？』」（代上 13:12）
「於是，大衛和以色列的長老，並千夫長，都歡歡喜喜地將耶和華的約櫃從俄別以東的家抬上來。」（代上 15:25）
——歷代志上 13:8、12；15:25
大衛愛他的神，也敬重神同在的象徵。他渴望恢復耶和華所命定的敬拜，把約櫃安放在它該在的地方，作為敬拜最神聖的中心。然而，對的事若不用對的方式去做，終究仍會失敗。這一次的失敗既悲慘又顯著，因為烏撒死了，約櫃也轉而停留在俄別以東的家中。

一、失敗（THE FAILURE）

第一處經文：歷代志上 13:8
這裡有許多人——「大衛和全以色列」——但事情仍然歸於徒然。人多並不能保證蒙福。
這裡有盛大的場面——歌唱、琴、號等等——結果卻以哀痛收場。華麗的儀式並不保證有恩典。
這裡有熱心與力量——「在神面前極力跳舞」。這不是冷淡、昏睡的敬拜，而是明亮、活潑的事奉，然而事情仍然失敗了。
但其中並沒有思想神的心意。大衛後來承認說：「我們沒有按規矩求問祂。」（代上 15:13）
屬靈的感受極其缺乏！音樂多於恩典。
祭司沒有站在他們該站的位置上，利未人也沒有抬約櫃；牛取代了甘心樂意的人。這樣的敬拜不夠屬靈，也不夠謙卑。
沒有獻祭。這是一個致命的缺失；因為若沒有祭，我們怎能事奉耶和華呢？
缺乏敬畏。我們幾乎聽不到禱告，卻聽到許多關於牛、車，以及烏撒那過於隨便的手。
即便是大衛，也必須守住自己的本分；主的命令不可被人為的敬拜（隨己意的敬拜）所取代。因此，耶和華向烏撒發怒，大衛就甚是懼怕。
若我們不謹慎順服行事，不以聖潔的敬畏事奉主，豈不也會遭遇類似的失敗嗎？我們教會的一切儀式與實行，是否都合乎聖經？其中是否有些只是人的隨意敬拜呢？

二、懼怕（THE FEAR）

第二處經文：歷代志上 13:12
烏撒可怕的死亡引起了極大的懼怕。正如耶和華因獻凡火擊殺拿答和亞比戶，又因觀看約櫃擊殺伯示麥人。耶和華曾說：「在親近我的人中，我要顯為聖；在眾民面前，我要得榮耀。」（利 10:3）
大衛內心對錯誤的自覺，使他產生這種懼怕，因為經上說：「大衛心裡不悅。」（第11節）我們常常因神不悅納我們，反倒對神不悅。
他感到自己不配從事如此聖潔的工作，便呼喊說：「我怎可將神的約櫃抬到我這裡來呢？」
他深知自己未能達到神對僕人的期望，因此產生了聖潔的敬畏：「你們要自潔，好將耶和華—以色列神的約櫃抬上來。」（代上 15:12）
他的動機是好的，卻犯了錯，因此他暫停了一下；但並沒有停太久。神的約櫃在俄別以東家中停留了三個月，僅此而已（第14節）。
有些人以神的聖潔和律法的嚴格，作為怠惰忽略的藉口。
另一些人則被聖潔的敬畏所充滿，因此暫時停下來，等到自己更合適、更預備好，再投入神聖的事奉。

三、喜樂（THE JOY）

第三處經文：歷代志上 15:25

1. 神賜福給俄別以東。
   謙卑的心靈可以與神同住而不致死亡。凡接待耶和華約櫃的家庭，必得美好的報償。
2. 第二次抬約櫃之前，大衛和百姓作了充分的預備與思考。
   可通讀整章以了解。
3. 留意了耶和華的心意：
   「利未子孫用杠肩抬神的約櫃，是照摩西所吩咐的，按耶和華的話。」（第15節）
4. 祭司站在他們該站的位置上：
   「於是祭司和利未人自潔。」人與方法都必須受神的管治（第14節）。
5. 獻上祭物：
   「神幫助抬耶和華約櫃的利未人，他們就獻上七隻公牛、七隻公羊。」（第26節）那至大、完全的祭，永遠必須居首位。
6. 於是有了極大的喜樂。（第28節）

我們是否也是以這樣謹慎、屬靈、敬畏的態度，在一切聖潔的操練中親近神呢？
若是如此，我們就可以放心地表達我們的喜樂，我們的心也可以像大衛王一樣，在耶和華面前歡騰跳躍（第29節）。

重點強調（For Emphasis）

當一些長久未行的聖禮重新被恢復時，即便是智慧良善的人，也很容易犯錯。誰會想到大衛竟會犯下這樣的錯誤，用車來抬約櫃呢？（第7節）因為非利士人曾這樣做過，而且還有特別的護理引導那車（撒上 6:12），他便以為他們也可以如此行。但當榜樣偏離規範時，我們必須按規範行事，而不是按榜樣行事——即便那榜樣曾蒙神的護理使用。
——馬太·亨利（Matthew Henry）

1. 事奉的內容與方式，在神的命令中是連結在一起的。
   神不但要人事奉祂，也要人把事奉做得合宜。我們必須以完全的心和甘心的意志事奉神，因為耶和華鑒察萬心，洞悉一切意念。地上的主人尚且要求僕人不僅要做事，還要照著指定的方式做；即使事情本身做了，若方式不對，也不能被接納。
2. 用錯誤的方式履行本分，會改變其本質，使之成為罪。
   因此，「惡人的耕種也是罪」（箴 21:4）；禱告被算為「在床上呼號」（何 7:14）；不合宜的領聖餐，也不算是吃主的晚餐（林前 11:20）。房屋即使使用最堅固的木料與上好的石頭，若根基不正、建造不當，住在其中的人仍可能咒詛自己進入那屋子的日子。
3. 不按正確次序完成的本分，只是我們欠神事奉的一半，而且是最糟的一半。
   ——湯瑪斯·波士頓（Thomas Boston）

查爾斯·哈登·司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon）