There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

1 Chronicles 13:1-14 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. ² David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; ³ and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” ⁴ Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. ⁶ David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. ⁷ They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. ⁸ David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets.

⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. ¹⁰ The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. ¹¹ Then David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day. ¹² David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”¹³ So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the Lord blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 says:  There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.   Perhaps we can see this no more clearly than in today’s text. They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals and with trumpets.  When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it.  The anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.  David thought he was doing right by moving the ark on a new cart. Uzza certainly was trying to do a good thing by steadying the ark, yet the end of this was death. Under the law there were very specific instructions regarding how the ark was to be moved. It wasn’t enough that they tried to do good. Obedience to God is more important than the good intentions of a person. Many times people will dismiss and down play sin and disobedience to God saying God knows my heart. But if our hearts are truly after God, we will not justify or excuse our sin. We will confess and repent of it. Some will say; but we are no longer under the law. We are under grace. It is true, as Ephesians 2:8-10 says:  By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. We are not saved from death, from the consequences of disobedience, by our works, but rather through faith in Christ, by the grace of His sacrifice for us. But being saved, we are also recreated in Christ to obediently do the good works God prepared fore us; to walk in them. Jesus Himself in Matthew 7:21-23 says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  So obedience outweighs not only good intentions, but good works as well.

Look at the conclusion of the text:  Then David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”  So David did not take the ark with him to the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.  Thus the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months; and the Lord blessed the family of Obed-edom with all that he had.  Many people today, like David,  also become angry at and afraid of God because of the consequences of disobedience. There is though nothing to fear in the presence of God. God blessed the household that abided in His presence. Walking away from God does not exempt us from the consequences of disobedience to God. It only removes us from His blessing.  In Psalm 23:4, the psalmist says:  I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  Abiding in God’s presence there is protection and provision; there is also direction and correction. These should be a comfort to us, not something we fear. The psalmist also says: He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.(verse 3) And in verse 6: Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.   In 1 Samuel 15:22-23 we see what Samuel said to king Saul regarding his disobedience to God:  “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected you from being king.”  Because people were and are unable to be obedient to God, Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. Still, because of His sacrifice, we should be obedient. In John 14:15;21   Jesus says:  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments… He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”   Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 says:  There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.  For the way to life, in John 14:6 Jesus says:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  Jesus is the way to life; to righteousness and to obedience; to all the blessings of abiding with God.

May the words of the psalmist be our prayer:  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen. Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit. Amen.