Their actions reveal that there was a lack of respect for the laws of God on the part of the Israelites, and especially on the part of Uzzah. Also, there is no mention of it being covered or having the poles used at all. They are carrying the ark on a cart, the same way the Philistines had returned the ark after they had seized it. As we read within the text, the Israelites are giving no attention to these rules. There was also a strict rule about how the ark was to be transported by the Levities, using poles placed through rings on the sides of the ark (Exodus 24.14-15 & Numbers 4.15 7.9). These laws enforced the concept of God’s holiness sinful people couldn’t be in his presence, not even the high priest. When the ark was moved, it was covered with at least 3 layers of cloth by the priests to protect others from seeing it ( Numbers 4:5-6, 15, 18-20 ) the priests/Levites carried it and everyone else had to stay about a thousand yards away ( Josh 3:4 ). Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and then only after he had undergone ceremonial cleansing, made sacrifices to atone for his sins and the nation’s sins, and burned incense to conceal the atonement cover ( Lev 16 ). It was to be kept in the Most Holy Place in the temple, hidden from view by a curtain ( Ex 26:33 ). For this reason, God had given the Israelites many rules concerning the Ark of the Covenant. If someone approached the ark, they would effectively be in God’s presence – a sinner standing before a holy God who does not tolerate evil ( Ps 5:4-6 ) – and would die as a result of their sins. It was also the place where God met Moses and gave him commands ( Exodus 25:22 ). The Ark of the Covenant was an embodiment of God’s presence with the Israelites (Leviticus 16.2). Before one can make a statement like that they have to make sure they hear the other sides of the story. On the surface it looks as though Uzzah is only trying to do a good deed but gets punished for seeking to help. In 2 Samuel 6, Uzzah reaches out his hand to stabilize the ark and keep it from falling and being damaged and then is struck down dead by God for an act of disobedience. The meaning of this ancient proverb is that under many circumstances a good deed often goes under appreciated or is met with a degree of hostility. But I've decided that my reputation and my (perhaps excessive) desire to do good deeds are not mutually exclusive, so I'm much more hesitant to raise my hand than I used to be.There is an old saying that says “no good deed goes unpunished”. And if I'm really confident about the people and personalities involved, I'll still put my name behind a referral. I still love the idea of putting people and companies together, and I still want to help people in any way I can. I choose to believe that nice guys don't finish last, but find myself wondering if there are, as those earlier-mentioned people have told me, limits to being a nice guy. Maybe "cosmically" we still did the right thing, but in the end it sure didn't feel like it. But the kid whose car that troubled co-worker stole on lunch break probably didn't appreciate our special efforts and good intentions. Like the one about the drug-addicted veteran my family sent to rehab (at our expense, along with some rent money to keep a roof over his family's head) with the promise of a good factory job if he came out clean (everyone deserves a chance). After all, you are putting your good name behind that introduction, and if things get ugly, it can be embarrassing, offensive, or even infuriating.Īnd there are far worse stories. My problem is when people don't have the good sense to handle things with the tact that a personal introduction demands. Sure, professionals and other grown-ups should be mature enough not to hold the matchmaker responsible for the outcome we all know that not all connections pan out.
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