History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 8
Ʋzzah and the Arke remoued.
THe houſe of Saul is quiet, the Philiſtims beaten, victory cannot end better then in deuotion; Dauid is no ſooner ſetled in his houſe at Ieruſalem, then hee fetcheth God to be his gueſt there; the thouſands of Iſrael goe now in an holy march, to bring vp the Ark of God, to the place of his reſt: The tumults of warre afforded no oportunity of this ſeruice; only peace is a frend to religion, neither is peace euer our frend, but when it is a ſeruant of piety: The vſe of warre is not more pernicious to the body, then the abuſe of peace is to the Soule; Alas, the ryot bred of our long eaſe, rather driues the Ark of God from vsus; ſo the ſtill ſedentary life, is ſubiect to diſeaſes, and ſtanding waters putrifie. It may bee iuſt with God, to take away the bleſſing which wee doe ſo much abuſe, and to ſcoure off our ruſt with bloody warre, &c.
The Ark of God had now many yeares, reſted in the obſcure lodge of Abinadab, without the honor of a Tabernacle. Dauid will not indure himſelfe glorious, and the Ark of God contemptible, his firſt care is to prouide a fit roome for God; in the head of the Tribes, in his owne city; The chiefe care of good Princes, muſt be the aduancement of religion; What ſhould the deputies of God rather do, then honor him whom they repreſent? It was no good that Iſrael could learne of Philiſtims; Thoſe Pagans had ſent the Ark backe in a new cart; the Iſraelites ſaw God bleſſed that conduct, and now they practiſe it at home: But that which God will take from Philiſtims, he will not brook from Iſrael; Aliens from God are no fit patternes for children: Diuine inſtitution had made this a cariage for the Leuites, not for Oxen: Neither ſhould thoſe Sons of Abinadab hauehave driuen the cart, but caryed that ſacred burden. Gods buſineſſes muſt be done after his owne formes, which if we doe with the beſt intentions alter, wee preſume:
It is long, ſince Iſrael ſaw ſo faire a day as this, wherein they went in this holy triumph to fetch the Ark of God; Now their warlike trumpets are turned into Harpes and Timbrils; and their hands in ſteed of weilding the Sword and Speare, ſtrike vponupon thoſe muſicall ſtrings whereby they might expreſſe the ioy of their hearts; heere was no noyſe but of mirth, no motion but pleaſant: oh happy Iſrael that had a God to reioyce in, that had this occaſion of reioycing in their God, and an hart that embraced this occaſion. There is nothing but this wherein wee may not ioy immoderately, vnſeaſonably; this ſpirituall ioy can neuer be either out of time, or out of meaſure▪ let him that reioyceth, reioyce in the Lord. But now when the Iſraelites were in the midſt of this Angel-like iolity, their hearts lifted vp, their hands playing, their feete mouing, their tongues ſinging and ſhouting, God ſees good to ſtrike them into a ſudden dumpe by the death of Vzzah: They are ſcarce ſet into the tune when God mars their Muſicke, by a fearefull iudgement; and changes their mirth into aſtoniſhment, and confuſion; There could not bee more excellent worke then this they were about; there could not be more cheerefull hearts in the performing of it, yet will the moſt holy God rather daſh all this ſolemne ſeruice, then indure an act of preſumption or infidelity. Abinadab had bene the faithfull hoſt of Gods Ark, for the ſpace of twenty yeares: euen in the midſt of the terrors of Iſrael, who were iuſtly affrighted with the vengance inflicted vponupon Beth-ſhemeſh, did he giuegive harbour vntounto it; Yet euen the Son of Abinadab is ſtriken dead, in the firſt departing of that bleſſed gueſt: The Sanctity of the Parent cannot beare out the ſinne of his Sonne: The holy one of Iſrael will bee ſanctified in all that come neare him: He will be ſerued like himſelfe.
What then was the ſinne of Vzzah? What was the capitall crime, for which he ſo fearefully periſhed? That the Arke of God was cōmitted to the Cart, it was not his deuice only, but the common act of many, That it was not caryed on the ſhoulders of Leuites, was no leſſe the fault of Ahio, and the reſt of their brethren; only Vzzah is ſtriken: The reſt ſinned in negligence, he in preſumption; the Ark God ſhakes with the agitation of that cariage; he puts forth his hand to hold it ſteddy; Humane iudgement would hauehave found heerein nothing haynous: God ſees not with the eyes of men; None but the Prieſts ſhould hauehave dared to touch the Ark; It was enough for the Leuites to touch the bars that carryed it; An vnwarranted hand cannot ſo lightly touch the Ark, but hee ſtrikes the God that dwels in it: No maruell if God ſtrike that man with death, that ſtrikes him with preſumption; There was wel-neare the ſame quarell againſt the thouſands of Bethſhemeſh, and againſt Vzzah; They dyed for looking into the Ark, he for touching it; leaſt Iſrael ſhould grow into a contemptuous familiarity with this Teſtimony of Gods preſence, he will hold them in awe with iudgements: The reuenging hand of the Almighty, that vponupon the returne of the Ark ſtayed at the houſe of Ahinadab, vponupon the remoue of the Ark begins there againe: Where are thoſe that thinke God will take vp with a careleſſe and ſlubbred ſeruice? He whoſe infinite mercy vſes to paſſe by our ſinnes of infirmity, puniſheth yet ſeuerely our bold faults: If wee cannot doe any thing in the degrees that he requireth, yet wee muſt learne to doe all things in the forme that he requireth; Doubtleſſe Vzzah meant no otherwiſe then well in putting forth his hand to ſtay the Ark; He knew the ſacred vtenſills that were in it, the pot of Manna, the Tables of the Law, the rod of Aaron, which might bee wronged by that ouer-rough motion: to theſe hee offers his ayd, and is ſtriken dead; The beſt intentions cannot excuſe; much leſſe warrant vsus in vnlawfull actions; where wee doe ought in faith, it pleaſeth our good God to wink at, and pitty our weakneſſes; but if we dare to preſent God with the well-meant ſeruices of our owne making, wee runne into the indignation of God; There is nothing more dangerous, then to be our owne caruers in matter of deuotion.
I maruell not if the countenance of Dauid were ſuddenly changed, to ſee the pale face of death in one of the cheefe actors in this holy proceſſion: Hee that had found God ſo fauourable to him in actions of leſſe worth, is troubled to ſee this ſucceſſe of a buſineſſe ſo heartily directed vntounto his God; and now he begins to look thorow Vzzah at himſelfe, and to ſay, (How ſhall the Arke of the Lord come to mee?) Then onelyonly ſhall we make a right vſe of the judgments of God vponupon others, when we ſhall feare them in our ſelues, and finding our ſins at leaſt equall, ſhall tremble at the expectation of the ſame deſerued puniſhments. God intends not onelyonly reuenge in his executions, but reformation; As good Princes regard not ſo much the ſmart of the euill paſt, as the preuention of the future; which is neuer attained, but when wee make applications of Gods hand; and draw common caſes out of Gods particular proceedings.
I doe not heare Dauid ſay; Surely, this man is guilty of ſome ſecret ſin, that the world knowes not; God hath met with him; there is no danger to vsus; why ſhould I bee diſcouraged to ſee God iuſt? Wee may goe on ſafely and proſper; but here his foot ſtaies, and his hand fals from his inſtrument, and his tongue is ready to tax his owne vnworthineſſe, (How ſhall the Arke of the Lord come vntounto mee?) That heart is carnall and proud, that thinkes any man worſe then himſelfe; Dauids feare ſtayes his progreſſe; Perhaps, he might hauehave proceeded with good ſucceſſe, but hee dares not venture, where hee ſees ſuch a deadly checke: It is better to bee too fearefull, then too forward in thoſe affaires, which do immediately concerne God; As it is not good to refrain from holy buſineſſes, ſo it is worſe to doe them ill; Awfulneſſe is a ſafe interpreter of Gods ſecret actions, and a wiſe guide of ours.
This euent hath holpen Obed-Edom to a gueſt he lookt not for, God ſhall now ſoiourne in the houſe of him, in whoſe heart he dwelt before by a ſtrong faith; elſe the man durſt not hauehave vndertaken, to receiue that dreadfull Arke, which Dauid himſelfe feared to harbour; Oh the courage of an honeſt and faithfull heart; Obed-Edom knew well enough what ſlaughter the Arke had made among the Philiſtims, and after that amongſt the Beth ſhemites, and now hee ſaw Vzzah lye dead before him, yet doth hee not make any ſcruple of entertaining it, neither doth he ſay, My neigbour Abinadab was a carefull and religious hoſt to the Ark, and is now payed with the bloud of his ſon; how ſhall I hope to ſpeede better; but he opens his doores with a bold cheerefulneſſe, and notwithſtanding all thoſe terrors, bids God welcome: Nothing can make God not amiable to his owne; Euen his very Iuſtice is louely: Holy men know how to reioyce in the Lord with trembling, and can feare without diſcouragement.
The God of Heauen will not receiue any thing from men on free coſt; hee will pay liberally for his lodging, a plentifull bleſſing vponupon Obed-Edom, and all his houſhold. It was an honour to that zealous Gittite, that the Arke would come vnderunder his roofe; yet God rewards that honour with benediction: Neuer man was a loſer by true godlineſſe; The houſe of Obed-Edom cannot this while want obſeruation; the eyes of Dauid, and all Iſrael are neuer off from it, to ſee how it fared with this entertainment. And now, when they finde nothing, but a gracious acceptation and ſenſible bleſſing, the good King of Iſrael takes new heart, and haſtens to fetch the Arke into his royall City. The view of Gods fauours vponupon the godly, is no ſmall encouragement to confidence and obedience; Doubtleſſe, Obed-Edom was not free from ſome weakneſſes; If the Lord ſhould hauehave taken the aduantage of judgement againſt him, what Iſraelites had not been diſhartned from attending the Arke? Now Dauid & Iſrael was not more affrighted with the vengeance vponupon Vzzah, then encouraged by the bleſſing of Obed-Edom; The wiſe God doth ſo order his iuſt and mercifull proceedings, that the awefulneſſe of men may be tempered with louelove. Now the ſweet ſinger of Iſrael reuiues his holy Muſicke; and addes both more ſpirit and more pompe to ſo deuout a buſineſſe▪ I did not before heare of trumpets, nor dancing, nor ſhouting, nor ſacrifices, nor the linnen Ephod; The ſenſe of Gods paſſed diſpleaſure, doubles our care to pleaſe him, and our ioy in his recouered approbation; wee neuer make ſo much of our health, as after ſickneſſe, nor neuer are ſo officious to our frend, as after an vnkindneſſe. In the firſt ſetting out of the Ark, Dauids feare was at leaſt an equall match to his ioy; therefore after the firſt ſixe paces hee offred a ſacrifice, both to pacifie God, and thank him: but now when they ſaw no ſigne of diſlike, they did more freely let themſelues looſe to a feareleſſe ioy; and the body ſtroue to expreſſe the holy affection of the Soule; there was no limme, no part that did not profeſſe their mirth by motion, no noyſe of voyce, or inſtrument wanted to aſſiſt their ſpirituall iollity; Dauid led the way, dauncing with all his might in his linnen Ephod; Vzzah was ſtill in his eye; he durſt not vſurpe vponupon a garment of Prieſts; but hee will borrow their colour to grace the ſolemnity, though he dare not the faſhion; White was euer the colour of ioy, and linnen was light for vſe; therfore he couers his Princely robes with white linnin, and meanes to honor himſelfe by his conformity to Gods miniſters. Thoſe that thinke there is diſgrace in the Ephod, are farre from the Spirit of the man after Gods owne hart; Neither can there bee a greater argument of a foule Soule, then a diſlike of the glorious calling of God: Barren Mical hath too many Sons that ſcorne the holy habit and exerciſes: ſhee lookes through her window, and ſeeing the attyre and geſtures of her deuout husband, deſpiſeth him in her hart, neither can ſhee conceale her contempt, but like Sauls daughter caſt it proudly in his face (Oh how glorious was the King of Iſrael this day; which was vncouered to day in the eyes of the Maidens of his ſeruants, as a foole vncouereth himſelfe.) Worldly harts can ſee nothing in actions of zeale, but folly and madneſſe: Piety hath no reliſh to their palate but diſtaſtfull.
Dauids hart did neuer ſwell ſo much at any reproch, as this of his wife; his louelove was for the time loſt in his anger; and as a man impatient of no affront ſo much as in the way of his deuotion, hee returnes a bitter checke to his Micall; (It was before the Lord, which choſe me rather then thy Father, & all his houſe, &c.) Had not Mical twitted her husband with the ſhame of his zeale, ſhe had not heard of the ſhamefull reiection of her Father; now ſince ſhee will be forrgetting, whoſe wife ſhe was, ſhe ſhall be put in minde whoſe daughter ſhe was. Contumelyes that are caſt vponupon vsus in the cauſes of God, may ſafely bee repayed: If we be meal-mouthed in the ſcornes of religion, wee are not patient, but zeale-leſſe: Heere we may not forbeare her, that lies in our boſome. If Dauid had not loued Mical dearely, he had neuer ſtood vponupon thoſe points with Abner; Hee knew that if Abner came to him, the Kingdome of Iſrael would accompany him, and yet he ſends him the charge of not ſeeing his face, except he brought Mical, Sauls daughter with him; as if he would not regard the Crowne of Iſrael, whiles hee wanted that wife of his; Yet heere hee takes her vp roundly, as if ſhe had bene an enimy, not a partener of his bed; All relations are a loofe off, in compariſon of that betwixt God, and the Soule; He that loues Father, or Mother, or wife, or childe, better then me (ſaith our Sauiour) is not worthy of me. Euen the higheſt delights of our harts muſt be trampled vponupon, when they will ſtand out in riuality with God. Oh happy reſolution of the royall Prophet, and propheticall King of Iſrael, (I will bee yet more vile then thus, and will bee low in mine owne ſight) he knew this very abaſement heroycall; and that the only way to true glory, is not to be aſhamed of our loweſt humiliation vntounto God: Well might he promiſe himſelfe honor from thoſe, whoſe contempt ſhee had threatned; The hearts of men are not their owne, hee that made them, ouer-rules them, and inclines them to an honorable conceit of thoſe that honor their maker; So as holy men hauehave oft-times inward reuerence, euen where they hauehave outward indignities. Dauid came to bleſſe his houſe, Mical brings a curſe vponupon her ſelfe; Her ſcornes ſhall make her childeleſſe to the day of her death; Barrenneſſe was held in thoſe times, none of the leaſt iudgements; God doth ſo reuenge Dauids quarrell vponupon Mical, that her ſudden diſgrace, ſhall bee recompenced with perpetuall: Shee ſhall not bee held worthy to beare a Sonne, to him whom ſhe vniuſtly contemned; How iuſt is it with God to prouide whips for the back ſcorners? It is no maruell if thoſe that mocke at goodneſſe, bee plagued with continuall fruitleſneſſe.