Sometimes people will hear about Bible stories, or maybe even read a Bible story without full context, and they will make God out to be some kind of monster. An example of this is the account of Uzzah, who “took hold” of the ark of covenant when “the oxen stumbled,” and “God struck him there for his error” (2 Sam. 6:6-7). Why would God do such a thing?
The trouble is that many folks do not put Biblical passages into their Biblical context. There is more to the story, for those who are willing to study it. The record in 1 Chronicles 15 explains, “God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order” (15:13). The NIV says, “We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”
Why was Uzzah punished in such a manner for his error? They had NOT checked God’s prescription for how to transport the ark (Ex. 25:12-15; Num. 4:1-20). When God writes a “prescribed manner,” man should be expected to “consult” it and obey it. That’s not difficult to understand!