SOAP 1 Chronicles 13: Misplaced Burning Anger

Misplaced Burning Anger

1 Chronicles 13

The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.

1 Chronicles 13:10-11 NIV

We learn that the people were clearly told they shouldn’t touch the ark under any condition. As Uzzah walks alongside the ark, an oxen trips and he reaches out to brace himself on the arc. And just like that he dies before God. David was angry with God because there was a consequence for sin, but he seemed to feel it was too harsh.

When I was reading this chapter, I immediately thought “well, I agree with David! He didn’t seem to do it on purpose!” But I think that is the point. We become too casual with our sin. We sort of write off the presence of God and his commands. And we can easily point to numerous reasons to justify why we sin.

This story tells of people living with little to no awe of God. When we adopt a casual approach to God and a casual approach to God’s commands… things can get messy in a hurry. There are consequences for our sin (like we saw in the story). Which can lead us to feel angry with God. The consequences feel harsh or unjust. But if we get to that point- our anger is misguided.

Can you think of a time you felt anger towards God? Yes, I’m sure you can. If you dig deeper- Is there any sense in which you may have grown casual with the presence of God? Might those two examples be related?

It got me thinking about things in nature, too. Like a volcano. It erupts and the lava destroys everything in its path. The destruction is a consequence of the power of the lava. We can get mad at the volcano for its power but it's misplaced. If we are going to be angry at anyone...maybe it would make the most sense to ourselves for not being prepared. We have to plan accordingly, live wisely and be respectful of the sheer power it has. Living in a world created by God is sort of like that, isn't it?

Prayer: God, I pray that you’d forgive me for not always fearing you and forgetting there is so much to be in awe of. Sometimes I can be so casual with your presence and commands. I can be flippant with sin and temptation- feeling justified to explain it away. Today I pray that I keep my eyes on you and know that there is so much to revere, praise and love about you! In your name I pray, Amen.

*note- the image was captured by my brother at an active volcano in Iceland. He is a nature enthusiast and advocate and a photographer/tour guide in Yellowstone National Park.