Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
2 Samuel 6:12–15, NLT
Three months after the Uzzah incident, David moved the ark again. This letter from Nathan the Prophet was instrumental in what happened above
Dear King David, Anointed of the Lord,
Your letter has reached me, and I have pondered deeply on the matters you’ve raised. I understand the turmoil that grips your heart, the holy dread that has settled upon you. Yet, let me offer you a perspective that might bring some clarity and, God willing, peace.
Firstly, it’s crucial to recognize that God’s judgment, though severe, was a call from His mercy [1]. Our actions leading up to that moment were fraught with irreverence. We mimicked the Philistines by placing the Ark on a cart, a practice foreign to the instructions God gave to our forefathers[2]. We treated the Ark as if it were a mere commodity, casually transporting it without due consideration for its sanctity [3]. These grave mistakes led to God’s smiting of Uzzah as a public reminder of His holiness, sparing the nation from further self-destruction because of spiritual degeneration [4]. His judgment upon one man is a merciful act to awaken an entire nation to the gravity of approaching Him carelessly.
Secondly, as for your question about how sinful man can approach a holy God, the Law provides us with a way. The burnt offerings and sacrifices serve as a temporary means of atonement, allowing sinful man to approach a Holy God without being consumed. These temporal rituals are divine provisions that reflect God’s grace and mercy [5]. They remind us that our best efforts are insufficient, and we are wholly dependent on God’s grace for our standing before Him. We must remember that God is not just a consuming fire but also a merciful Father, and approaching Him requires more than good intentions; it requires both spirit and truth [6].
Lastly, I bring you tidings of joy. The Ark has not been a curse but a blessing to the house of Obed-edom. God has prospered him and his entire household. This is a clear sign, my king, that God’s intent is not to harm but to bless. He desires to dwell among us, to bless us, but it must be done in a manner according to His way.
I encourage you to move the Ark again, let us do so with the utmost care, consulting the Levites to have them carry the Ark and adhering strictly to the Law. Let us prepare not just physically but spiritually, examining our hearts and motives, that our worship may be acceptable to Him.
In the service of the Most High,
Nathan the Prophet
Share with your friends “What do you do to worship God with both spirit and truth, with both love and reverence today?”
[1] In Revelation 3:19 God says “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
[2] In Numbers 7:6-9, Moses didn’t provide cart to the Kohathite since these special Levite were supposed to carry the ark on their shoulder
[3] Numbers 4 gave details of how to move the Ark, include prohibitions to touch it or look in side the Ark in Numbers 4:15, 20 or they will die
[4] The demise of the nation of Israel later in 500 BC and 70 AD is a testament to the reality of this danger
[5] All of these point to the permanent mean of approaching God through the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins according to Hebrews 10:4–10
[6] In John 4:23-24 Jesus said that we must worship God with spirit and truth
(from Steve)
As Uzzah was struck down from Gods aroused anger it has taught me and reminded me that I need to remember how holy God is and not that him as a commodity. At first reading these daily devotional I thought it was unjust and didn’t understand why God would strike him down, but as we continue on these studies Im starting to see the mercy he has granted the nation by striking one man down. I’m beginning to learn and understand little by little how my way of thinking needs to me changed, I think I’m starting to worship whole heartedly these days and it opens my heart to see the truth in God’s teaching, I know that God is changing my mind body and soul every minute. I think reading scripture and applying it in my daily life as well as opening up completely in worship will feed me spiritually and God will guide me to see truth. I know loves first, so we should love others as well,
We are called to worship God in spirit and in truth, which requires both our minds and our hearts. To worship God in truth is acknowledging and revering Him-His sovereignty and sacrificial love for us. One way we can worship Him in truth is spending quiet, quality time in His Word. It reminds us of who God is and what He has done for us. To worship God in spirit we can sing praise songs, spend time in nature to admire His creation, and reflect on what He is teaching us. Worshipping God in spirit and in truth helps us to show Him love and reverence.
To worship God in spirit and truth today, I want to humbly come before Him with a heart of gratitude, thanking and praising Him for being an amazing God. He has blessed be mightily, and I want to express my thankfulness towards Him. I also want to acknowledge His sovereignty and how He has everything in control, while reminding myself of His sacrificial love for me.
Tough question for me to be honest as I reflect, on true worship to Him in spirit and truth. For me, entering that quiet time with Him is one way but what I struggle with is giving that rawness and genuineness to God. Being transparent and releasing all of myself to Him, my brokeness instead of only the good parts. When I am able to open myself fully to Him I believe is when true worship with spirit and truth is there. Lord please soften and open more of my heart to You. To give all of me and my sinfulness to You in order to have a stronger relationship and approach You. Thank you for the reading and question.
-John
To worship God with both spirit and truth, I have to be in His word and draw near to Him by prayer. Reading His word allows me to learn more about Him and to strengthen a relationship with Him. It helps me know more of who God is, His character, and what He has done. It’s our best way to spend time with Him. I also spend time with Him in prayer. Just like we spend time talking to our friends, we must spend time in prayer to hear from Him. These two things will help remind me of His love, mercy, and grace daily.
From Rose:
To worship God in both spirit and truth takes knowing Him, time with Him and understanding why we worship Him. Like Uzzah and David, if we worship without carefully knowing Gods love, his wrath and His holiness we too could die; although not struck to death but death in our faith, in our disobedience. Just like Uzzah and David who carried the ark in the cart in which was not the way in which the ark was to be handled, we can sometimes forget who God is and His expectation of us. We can become complacent, make our own interpretation of His rules upon our life or even follow Only the commandments that are convenient to us.
And so to worship God in both spirit and truth to me would be have a relationship with Him, obedient to Him, understand His love and knowing that love also means discipline and in all of that we would love Him and be in reverence to Him.
“We treated the Ark as if it were a mere commodity, casually transporting it without due consideration for its sanctity” . This reflection forces me to confront how lightly I have been treating Sunday services, lacking the reverence God deserves. Every Sunday, I come to church tired cuz i cook all day then I preoccupied with concerns like food. It’s been a challenge for me to focus and wholeheartedly devote myself to worship. I need to repent and take my relationship with God more seriously.
The purpose of worship is to encounter God. Just like any journey, I must make adequate preparations to truly experience God instead of merely enduring worship. I approach ‘doing church’ much like I approach a casual lunch, without the profound reverence God deserves. my hearts and minds often lack deep awe and respect. I fail to anticipate God’s presence and His voice. Consequently, I miss out on experiencing His presence, which has the power to stir my soul and transform my life.
One thing I learned is that worshipping God is not simply just singing but also spending time in His words. That’s how I can worship God with both spirit and truth. I think spending quiet time with Him has actually given me rest despite my busyness. I feel refreshed when ministry can get overwhelming. But at the same time, I also need to come in front of Him with humility and reverence that He is God and He sovereign over everything. I also need to start praising Him for the blessings that He has given in my life. I pray that God will continue to remind me of His love, His truth, and His grace and that He deserves all of our praise.