Worshiping in spirit and in truth - August 13, 2023

NewLife Christian Fellowship's Podcast

This morning, I am continuing in my summer sermon series “The power of one life,” looking at minor Biblical characters whose lives can be preached on in one Sunday. This morning, we’ll be looking at the life of a man named Uzzah, who shows up during the life of David in 2 Samuel 6 but, unfortunately for him, does not last very long. Nevertheless, his life has a lot to teach us about worship and our relationship with God.

The context of 2 Samuel 6 is that David has recently become the king of Israel, after King Saul has been killed in battle. David is 30 years old, and he establishes Jerusalem as his capital city. And the first thing he wants to do is to get the ark of the covenant to bring it back to Israel:

2 Samuel 6:1-2 - David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2 He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.

The ark was a wooden box overlaid with gold, 4 feet long, 2 ½ feet high & wide. It had rings on the sides with poles that would go through it so that it could be carried. On the top was a slab of pure gold called the mercy seat, with 2 golden angels facing each other. And in the box were the 10 Commandments, and Aaron’s staff, and a golden pot with manna. But more importantly than what was inside, the ark was where the presence of God met with His people. It was the central piece of furniture in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, the portable temple in Israel, and over the ark appeared the shekinah, the kabod, the glory of God, the presence of God. As God said to Moses in Exodus 25:22 - There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would go in and offer sacrifice for the sins of the people, sprinkling the blood of slain bulls and goats on the mercy seat. Leviticus 16:14-15 - He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. 15 "He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it.