There are times in Scripture when God’s reaction to the disobedience of his people seems incredibly harsh. There are three narratives from the Old Testament that come to mind as examples of this.

The first is found in Leviticus 10 in the narrative of Nadab and Abihu. On the heels of Israel constructing the tabernacle and beginning the service of God in this new system, we read of these two sons of Aaron.

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2 ESV)

That leaves us with several questions such as: what exactly is meant by “unauthorized fire,” or why these two who had seen God on Mount Sinai would do such a thing? It may seem to us to be a very strong reaction by God to what might be looked at as a rather minor offense.

The next narrative to examine is found in the book of Joshua and is the narrative of a man named Achan. God had brought Israel safely into the Promised Land and had given them victory over the city of Jericho. Prior to the battle God had commanded that everything in Jericho be devoted to destruction (Joshua 6:16-19). After the battle we read this about Achan:

“But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.” (Joshua 7:1 ESV)

Achan took some of the things that were not to be taken and he hid them under his tent. When this was discovered Achan and his entire family were stoned to death, burned, and then covered with stones.

Considering all that God had put up with in regard to Israel’s rebellion to that point, and all the rebellion that God would endure from Israel in the generations to come, this seems a rather harsh punishment.

The final one for us to examine happens during the reign of David. After the death of Saul, David as a new king moves the capital to Jerusalem. As a part of this process, he moves the Ark of the Covenant into the city on an oxcart. During the trip, the oxen stumbled and a man named Uzzah reached up to steady the ark.
“And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.” (2 Samuel 6:6-7 ESV)

As Bible students we know the significance of the Ark of the Covenant. This was where God would meet with the people of Israel. It was kept in an area that was only accessible to the High Priest one day per year. We also remember that it was not meant to be transported on a cart, but rather it was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites. But, all Uzzah did was touch it to steady it and he was killed. That may seem a bit harsh.

When we stop and look at these narratives together, there are some important things to notice.

Obedience is very important. Nadab and Abihu had been instructed on what to do in regards to the fire that was to be used. It seems they decided that they knew best how to carry out the commands of God. They were wrong. Achan, like the rest of the Israelites, knew that he was not to take things from the city of Jericho. It appears that he thought God would be fine with him asserting his own view of right and wrong. God was not ok with it. Uzzah’s actions seem completely harmless if not even somewhat noble. Surely him steadying the ark even if it was being transported in a way that God did not want wouldn’t offend God.

Obedience is important to God.  It is not because God is some sort of tyrant. It is not because God wants to see what he can get us to do. It is an expression of our trust in him. God’s commands are for our good and for his glory. He wants us to trust him enough to obey, even if we think we have a better idea or a better way. Obedience demonstrates our trust in and love for God.

It is also worth noting that our being obedient (or failing to) affects others around us. This is especially evident in the case of Uzzah. The text doesn’t tell us, but it seems reasonable that it wasn’t his idea to transport the ark on a cart. That decision probably came from someone else, yet it is Uzzah who suffers.

We are a relational people. Our lives intersect with others and our actions affect them as well as ourselves. The way others see us respond to the commands of God communicates to them the importance that we place on obedience. It can have far-reaching effects.

The next thing we need to notice is the timing of these various events. Each of these occurs at the beginning of a new time, new situation in the life of Israel. Nadab and Abihu are ministering in this new thing called a tabernacle. This is shortly after Israel’s release from Egypt and they are learning more and more about the God of their fathers. Achan’s sin occurs just as Israel enters this new land, the one that had been promised to Abraham. This is a new place and they are under new leadership with Joshua. The incident with Uzzah and the ark happens as Israel has a new king and his administration is moving to a new location.

I think what we are meant to see is that the circumstances may change for God’s people, but God is still the same. He is just as holy. He is just as powerful. He is just as worthy of honor and respect and awe as ever.

My prayer is that we remember this as we begin this new year. 2023 will bring changes. It will bring its own set of challenges and successes. Our contexts may change, the culture around us may change, leadership may change, but God remains the same. That is good news! The God who has seen us thru in the past is the same God who walks with us in the present. He is the same God with whom we exist in a covenant relationship. He is just as holy, just as gracious, and just as desirous to be with us as ever before. The same God who leads and shepherds us as his people has not changed. Our response to him, his holiness and graciousness, should not change either.