A Man After God's Own Heart

In 1 Samuel 13 the prophet Samuel explains to King Saul that his rule was coming to an end because he had made sacrifices to God outside of God's instructions. He told Saul, "But now your kingdom shall not continue. YHWH has sought out a man after His own heart, and YHWH has commanded him to be prince over His people, because you have not kept what YHWH commanded you" (1 Sa 13:14). Before David took the throne, God called him a man after His own heart. So when we read of a time when this "man after God's own heart" is angry with God, perhaps it's worth looking at.

The event was the return of the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines. It had been stored for years at the house of Abinadab, and David, seeking to please God (1 Chron 13:2), was getting it back to Jerusalem. So he gathered 30,000 troops (2 Sam 6:1) and prepared a new cart (2 Sam 6:3) and went to get it. Two sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio, managed the cart (2 Sam 6:3; 1 Chron 13:7) while David and his people celebrated (2 Sam 6:5; 1 Chron 13:8). At one point in the journey, the oxen stumbled (2 Sam 6:6) and Uzzah put his hand up to steady the ark to keep it from falling (2 Sam 6:6; 1 Chron 13:9). For this atrocity, "the anger of YHWH was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God" (2 Sam 6:7; 1 Chron 13:10). Wait ... what?? Dead on the spot? For keeping God's ark from falling in the mud?? The text says, "And David was angry because YHWH had broken out against Uzzah" (2 Sam 6:8; 1 Chron 13:11). There you have it. The man after God's own heart was angry with God for killing Uzzah who only acted in God's best interest.

Of course, the term, "a man after God's own heart," when used of a human being, cannot be taken as absolute or constant. David, after all, did lots of wrong things before and after this. No, the phrase refers to a generality that was sometimes full and sometimes ... not. In this case, it was one of those "not" times, we can be sure, because if at this moment David had been after God's own heart, he would have concurred with God. If Uzzah had actually been working in God's best interests, he never would have touched the ark. In fact, he never could have since God had prescribed the correct way to transport the ark, and it was not on a cart, new or otherwise, but on poles permanently in place for the ark to be carried (Exo 25:10-15; Num 14:4-6). David failed when he supplied a "new cart" (like the Philistines did when they sent it packing in the first place (1 Sam 6:7)). Uzzah failed when he touched that which God commanded never be touched (Num 4:15). The heart of God was obedience for His name sake and neither David nor Uzzah heeded that ... in order to glorify God.

Isn't that too typical? We believers seek to please God. We sing songs to Him and try to do things that He would like, as we ought to do. The question is, do we consult with God? Do we ask God what would please Him? How often do we seek to please Him in ways He has already said don't please Him? When we embrace what He rejects and call it "glorifying God," can we be considered glorifying God? When we ask "WWJD?" -- "What would Jesus do?" -- and then opt for things specifically contrary to God's Word, are we actually doing what Jesus would do? It's admirable to seek to do what pleases God, but far too often we do it by doing what pleases us without regard for what God has said. That didn't work out for either David or Uzzah. Don't expect it to go better for you or me.