When “Right in Our Eyes” Becomes Wrong Before God

I Chronicles 13:3–4
“Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

On December 8, 2025, I wrote an article titled When Good Intentions Meet a Holy God. I hoped that lesson—drawn from II Samuel 6—would be sufficient. I was wrong. Now, standing in I Chronicles 13, a parallel account of the same event, I find myself confronted again by a truth I would rather not revisit. Evidently, God is not finished teaching me here.

Chapter 12 celebrates momentum. Mighty men stream in from every corner of Israel. David is established as king. Unity is high. Success is visible. Then, in chapter 13, David does what we would applaud instinctively—he turns his attention toward God. He calls the people to seek the presence of the Lord, admitting that this had been neglected during Saul’s reign. The leaders agree. The priests agree. The soldiers agree. Scripture tells us the plan was right in the eyes of all the people.

That should give us pause.

What followed looked spiritual, felt righteous, and sounded faithful. The ark of God—long stored in the house of Abinadab—would be brought to Jerusalem. There was celebration, music, enthusiasm, and national unity. Everything about it appeared godly. And yet, nearly everything about it was wrong.

In their eagerness to honor God, David and the people repeatedly disregarded God’s clearly revealed will. The Law of Moses left no ambiguity: the ark was not to be transported on an ox cart, not to be handled casually, not to be touched at all. It was to be covered and carried on the shoulders of the priests. These were not obscure regulations buried in fine print. They were well known.

When the ark shifted and Uzzah instinctively reached out to steady it, God struck him dead.

This is no easier to write about now than it was months ago. But the issue here is not primarily Uzzah—it is God. The people sought His presence, and that is commendable. But God will not be sought on our terms. He will not be honored according to what feels right, works efficiently, or enjoys broad approval.

We have seen that God extends grace when people are genuinely ignorant of His will—Naaman in II Kings 5 comes to mind. But ignorance is not the issue here. David and the people had the Law. They could have consulted it. They may have known it and decided it did not matter. Either way, this was not a technical failure. It was a failure of reverence.

This is not legalism. It is about respect.

Jesus said, “He who has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). The implication is unavoidable: if we possess His commands and choose not to obey them, what are we communicating about our love for Him?

That leaves me—and perhaps you—with an uncomfortable question. In my relationship with God, am I allowing Him to be God? Or am I informing Him how I intend to worship, serve, and approach Him?

One of those postures honors Him. The other insults Him.