When Good Intentions Aren't Enough

What Uzzah’s death teaches us about God’s holiness, obedience, and grace

The account of Uzzah is a tough passage, but it is a necessary one. David wanted the Ark of the Covenant—the visible sign of God’s presence—back in Jerusalem among God’s people. God was their King. David needed His guidance and presence, and he wanted the people to recognize that. That was a good desire. The problem was how they carried it out.

They placed the Ark on a new cart pulled by oxen instead of transporting it as God had commanded. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark. The anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and God struck him dead beside it (2 Samuel 6:6–7).

The passage confronts us with the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin, and the danger of assuming that good intentions can excuse disobedience.

This Was No Ordinary Box

The Ark of the Covenant was one of the holiest objects in the tabernacle. It was a chest made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. Inside it were the tablets of the law, and on top was the atonement cover, or mercy seat. Two golden cherubim overshadowed it with their wings (Exodus 25:10–22). The Ark was more than a religious object. It was where God manifested His visible presence between the cherubim on the mercy seat. It represented the throne and visible presence of the holy God among His people. Second Samuel 6:2 describes the Lord of hosts as the One “who sits enthroned on the cherubim.” This was His Ark. It was His throne. It was to be treated according to His commands.

God gave clear instructions for transporting it. Aaron and his sons were to cover the Ark, and the sons of Kohath were to carry it using poles inserted through rings on its sides. They were not to touch the holy things, lest they die (Numbers 4:1–6, 15). Other Levites received wagons and oxen for their service, but the Kohathites did not. The holy things entrusted to them had to be carried on their shoulders (Numbers 7:6–9).

God’s instructions communicated His great holiness. He is separate from us. He is other than us. He is holy, holy, holy—worthy of reverence, respect, fear, and humility.

Good Intentions Can Be Irreverent Disobedience

Instead of carrying the Ark as God commanded, the Israelites placed it on a new ox cart. We are not told why. Perhaps they wanted to move it more quickly or make the task less strenuous. First Samuel 6 may give us a clue: when the pagan Philistines returned the Ark to Israel, they transported it on a new cart.

Were God’s people mimicking the ways of the world at the expense of God’s commands? Had the way they treated the holy God been influenced by the pagan world around them?

They may have believed that using a new cart demonstrated honor. They could have said, “God, this cart is only for You. We made it just for You.” But the Philistines had also used a new cart. Their intentions may have been good, but their good intentions were really irreverent disobedience to the holy God and His holy command. They were treating God as they thought He should be treated instead of obeying how He said He must be treated.

We face the same danger.

We may think, “I am doing this for God,” but are we doing it disobediently? Are our actions toward God shaped by His Word, or are they influenced by tradition, the world, and what we have decided is logical, reasonable, or comfortable? Have we made God a figment of our thinking rather than seeing Him as He has revealed Himself and responding to Him as He instructs?

We do not worship God in our own way. We do not treat Him as we deem right, acceptable, comfortable, or reasonable—no matter how good our intentions may appear. We regard Him and His Word as holy. We yield to Him and obey Him even when His commands confront our thoughts and preferences.

Celebrating God While Disobeying God

David and all Israel celebrated before the Lord with songs and instruments (2 Samuel 6:5). The visible sign of God’s presence was returning to Jerusalem, and that was worth celebrating. Yet they were tragically oblivious. They were celebrating the Lord while disobeying Him.

That danger still exists.

Many people disregard God’s holiness and His holy Word so they can live as they please, all while celebrating Him and presenting themselves as spiritual people. There is no humility, conviction, or sense of woe over their disregard for His holiness.

God, spare us from such oblivious irreverence and disobedience. Celebrating God is good, but it must come from a heart of holy reverence—one that yields its will to His and obeys Him His way. God deserves more than empty words. He deserves our lives.

Uzzah Assumed His Hands Were Cleaner Than the Dirt

When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark. His impulse was to keep it from falling, but his response revealed the position of his heart toward the holiness of God. God had already warned that anyone who touched the holy things would die (Numbers 4:15). The threat of death was intended to produce an awareness of God’s holiness. Sinners do not approach His presence haphazardly or touch His holy throne with polluted hands. Uzzah acted as though the dirt would defile the Ark more than his own sinful hand. R.C. Sproul: "The presumptuous sin of Uzzah was this: He assumed that his hands were less polluted than the dirt."

Perhaps the years the Ark had spent at his family’s house had made him too familiar with it. He may no longer have appreciated the reverence due to the holy God whose presence it represented. Are we too familiar with God? Has familiarity caused us to lose sight of His holiness? Has it produced an irreverence that is comfortable with presumptuous disobedience and sin? Have we made God so casual that our sin no longer makes us uncomfortable in His presence? Our perspective of God’s holiness determines how we respond to Him.

Good Intentions Never Justify a Bad Action

After Uzzah died, David became angry and afraid. He asked, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:8–9). Isaiah was afraid in the presence of God (Isaiah 6:1-8). Peter was afraid when he realized who was in his boat (Luke 5:1-11). Now King David was afraid of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is a reverent fear that holds Him in awe and high esteem. It recognizes that God would be just to strike us dead in our sin. For those who are forgiven in Christ, that fear is not terror of eternal judgment but reverence, respect, and awe.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10)."

Some look at Uzzah’s death and say the punishment was too extreme. His intentions were good. He was serving God and trying to keep the Ark from touching the ground. But good intentions are never an excuse for minimizing God’s holiness and disobeying His commands. Matthew Henry: "God would hereby teach us that a good intention will not justify a bad action."

We often assume that we can circumvent God’s commands if we mean well. We act as if God will set aside His righteous demands because our sinful, self-centered hearts had good intentions. That is arrogance. It minimizes God’s holiness, diminishes His Word, and exalts our judgment over His.

God Cannot Be Unjust

God’s punishment of Uzzah was not unjust because God cannot be unjust. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne (Psalm 89:14)." All His ways are justice. He is faithful, without iniquity, just, and upright (Deuteronomy 32:3–4). God is holy in His justice. He does no wrong. Whatever He judges is right.

That truth may confront our sinful, self-centered understanding of justice. But if our definition of justice differs from God’s, His definition wins. To accuse God of injustice is to assume that we understand justice better than He does.

The account of Uzzah is not the only place in Scripture where God immediately judged someone who dismissed His holiness. Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, and fire consumed them (Leviticus 10:1–3). Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and died (Acts 5:1–11). Achan disobeyed God’s command and came under judgment (Joshua 6-7). Some in Corinth became sick and died because they treated the Lord’s Supper unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:27–32).

These events are few and far between when we consider the whole counsel of Scripture, but they are there. God is serious about being regarded as holy. He is holy, and His holiness matters.

The Story of Uzzah Teaches Us About Ourselves

Uzzah’s story teaches us about the holiness of God, but it also teaches us about the sinfulness of man. When we understand God’s transcendent holiness, we recognize that His judgment of Uzzah was just. If we believe the punishment was too severe, we do not understand how holy God is or how sinful we are. God is so holy that sinful man could not touch His throne. We are so sinful that we cannot come into His presence or enjoy fellowship with Him on our own.

Christian, what you will enjoy in the presence of God forever is not something you deserve. Our sin separates us from God. It makes us worthy of death and judgment. Any rebellion against the infinitely holy and righteous God who created us and has authority over us is worthy of death.

R.C. Sproul: "Sin is cosmic treason...Even the slightest sin says to our Creator, 'Your law is not good. My judgment is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to do.'" Sin is rebellion against the authority of the holy God, and it is worthy of death. Romans 5:12: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death."

Grace Must Never Be Assumed

We lose sight of what our sin deserves because God’s predominant disposition in all of Scripture (and even now) toward sinners has been patience, longsuffering, and forbearance. God warned Adam and Eve that if they ate from the forbidden tree, "in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17)." They rebelled, yet God was patient with them. They didn't immediately die. He covered their shame with animal skins, foreshadowing the cross.

The occasions when God immediately judged someone for violating His holiness are rare compared with all the times He has not done so. Because of His patience, we begin to presume upon His grace. We expect God to forgive us. We assume we can live as we please because grace will always be available. We begin to think we deserve His patience when we actually deserve physical and spiritual death.

Grace must never be assumed.

God’s patience is not evidence that our sin is small. His kindness is intended to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Though we deserve immediate judgment, He has given us time to repent. That is not something we deserve. It is grace.

Look at the Cross

If we want to understand how serious our sin is, we must look at the cross. All people are under sin. None is righteous—not one. No one does good, and the whole world is accountable to God (Romans 3:9–12, 19). We will remain accountable for our sin unless Christ has taken its punishment in our place. Every sin is an affront to God’s holiness.

You want to know how serious your sin is against God? Look at the cross. Look at what had to happen so your sin could be forgiven. Look at the bloody cross. Look at the agony, the terror, and the horror of the cross. That is what our sin deserves. The holy Son of God bore our sin and received its punishment. Our ugly, wretched, serious sin had to be dealt with through the death of the Son of God.

Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and He rose victoriously on the third day. The price was paid. The righteousness of God is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, yet sinners can be justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God put Christ forward as a propitiation by His blood so that He might be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21–26). Jesus took the death we deserve.

When we see God in His holiness and recognize the ugliness of our sin, we must look to what Christ has done and say, “I can rely only on the work of Christ. I turn from my sin. I trust in Christ alone.” In Him, sinners can be forgiven and made right with God. The unrighteous can be declared righteous. Those who could not touch His holy throne can draw near and reign with Him forever. Praise His holy, glorious, gracious name.

Gospel Connection

Our sin deserves death—full stop. But Jesus took the just punishment of death in our place.

God’s justice toward everyone who trusts in Christ was carried out at the cross. Because Christ became our propitiation, we receive mercy rather than the eternal judgment we deserve.

God’s patience gives sinners time to repent. If you are not forgiven and right with God, do not presume upon that patience. Repent and trust in Christ.

Believers are unworthy to approach God’s holy throne, yet in Christ, God has declared us worthy. He has made us His holy people (1 Peter 2:9) and given us the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). One day, He will present us blameless before the glory of His presence (Jude 24-25).

May we never lose sight of the holiness of the One into whose fellowship we have been called forever. May we see our sin for what it is—a great offense to our holy God—and flee from it in holy fear and reverence.

May we not become accustomed to our sin. May we become accustomed to God’s holiness.

We who deserve immediate death have been given eternal grace. May our gratitude for Christ overflow in increasing measure now and forever.

Key Takeaways

• The Ark represented the throne and visible presence of the holy God.
• God gave clear instructions for how the Ark was to be carried.
• Good intentions never excuse disobedience to God’s commands.
• We must not allow the world, tradition, or personal preference to determine how we approach God.
• Celebrating God does not excuse living in disobedience to Him.
• Familiarity with God must never produce casualness toward His holiness.
• God cannot be unjust; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
• Sin is rebellion against the authority of the holy God and is worthy of death.
• God’s patience and grace must never be presumed upon.
• The cross reveals both the seriousness of our sin and the greatness of God’s grace.
• Jesus took the death sinners deserve so that all who trust in Him can be forgiven and declared righteous.
• God’s holy people should flee sin and live with reverence, gratitude, and devoted obedience.
  
  

Questions for Reflection

1. Are your beliefs about God shaped by His Word or by what seems reasonable and comfortable to you?
2. Have you ever used good intentions to excuse something God calls disobedience?
3. Are you celebrating God outwardly while disregarding His commands in some area of your life?
4. Has familiarity with God caused you to treat Him or His holiness casually?
5. Do you recognize God’s patience as grace, or have you begun to presume upon it?
6. How does the cross help you understand the seriousness of your sin?
7. Have you turned from your sin and trusted only in the work of Christ?
8. Where is God calling you to respond with devoted obedience?
9. Are you becoming accustomed to your sin or increasingly aware of God’s holiness?
   
   

Watch the Full Sermon

We invite you to watch the full worship service above and hear Pastor Ken’s complete message, “Good Intentions Don’t Excuse Disobedience,” from 2 Samuel 6:1–9.

As you listen, ask God to remind you of His holiness, the justice your sin deserves, and the mercy provided through the cross of Christ. May we not trample upon His holiness or presume upon His grace. May we respond as the holy people Christ died to make us.