God Requires Precise Obedience

The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment for disobeying a very clear command. No one except the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch the ark or even look at it unless it was covered. God’s instructions were that, “The sons of Kohath shall come to bear them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” (Numbers 4:15). The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the rods that were placed in rings on each side of the ark. They should bear the ark “on their shoulders.” (Numbers 7:9). There had been an inexcusable disregard of the Lord’s directions.BOE 356.5

David and his people had started doing a sacred work with glad and willing hearts, but they had not done it in keeping with the Lord’s directions. The Philistines, who knew nothing of God’s law, had placed the ark on a cart when they returned it to Israel. But the Israelites had a plain statement of the will of God in these matters, and their neglect of these instructions was dishonoring to God. Since God’s law had been ignored, Uzzah had a lessened sense of its sacredness. With unconfessed sins in his heart, and in the face of the divine prohibition, he had dared to touch the symbol of God’s presence. God cannot accept partial obedience or careless ways of treating His commandments. By leading the people to repentance, the death of Uzzah might prevent judgments on thousands.BOE 356.6