Anchor Scripture: 2 Samuel 6:3,7
And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
Meditations
Triumphant greetings in the name of The Resurrection and The Life – the Lord Jesus.
We give God all the glory for the commencement of our journey back to normalcy after several days of lockdown due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, I admonish you to keep adhering strictly to directives by government and health officials. Keep clean and keep to recommended interpersonal physical distancing. Above all, continue to pray.
In our last edition we saw the real reason behind Uzzah’s death while performing what looked like a noble task for God and, the need for us to realize that nothing outside of God can please Him. We trust the Holy Spirit to show us a few other things we can still learn.
Exhortation:
I personally believe that the noblest service on earth is service to our Creator, The Almighty God. Please note that such services are not limited to the four walls of a Cathedral. As a matter of fact, it could be in government, Corporate world, in Science etc. There are prescription in the word of God for all. However, it is of utmost importance for those who serve in the sanctuary, in particular, to pay attention (in addition to what we started to discussed in the last edition) to the following things while serving God:
- God is a stickler to process: Please I want us to know that God is not given to sentiments. If He was or is, He would not have allowed Jesus Christ to go Calvary or at the worst, He would have bailed Jesus out when, at the height of His agony cried “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?…” Mark 15:34. But He did not do either of the two. You know why? The price for the redemption of humanity must be paid and it could only be done via Calvary. Brethren, when it comes to service, follow divinely ordained process. You know there are a number of incidences in the Bible you will wonder why didn’t God do otherwise. Do you remember the story of the young prophet from Judah in 1Kings 13:1-22? He died cheaply because he compromised process. That will not be your portion in Jesus name. Even the Lord Jesus told John the Baptist to comply with process on His case. Brethren, the ancient land marks are still relevant in modern times – grace is not a Licence for compromise.
- Nothing can dent the image of God. In other words, the glory of God can not be diminished by anything. While reading through this story, I was wondering why God did not wait till the next day before punishing Uzzah. After all, He was the one being honored? The answer I got is “my glory predate the creation of man.” Wow! So no man can add or reduce Him. You remember what He told Jesus when He asked Him to glorify Himself? “… I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28. He told Daddy E.A Adeboye that should he become proud for the things happening through his life then He would wipe his memory off the land of the living. Think about the devotion, commitment, sacrifice and consecration of this great man of God! You remember Israel still got to the promised land without MOSES. Please be careful. Nothing can diminish the glory of God. Therefore do not consider yourself too important and indispensable but kindly follow divine protocols.
Conclusion: Dear pilgrim and choice vessel of the living God, I admonish you to be conscious of your service to God. Nadab and Abihu died prematurely because they served God wrongly. Leviticus 10:1-2. Please acquaint yourself with God and be humble. Keep your focus and make Him your desire for pleasure. We shall not serve unto condemnation in Jesus name.
Prayer:
You shall not lose your reward of service in Jesus name.
