Do you think God’s immediate judgment was perhaps too severe? Why or why not?
How might this tragedy have been prevented? (For one suggestion, see Exodus 37:1–5.)
Previously, seventy people had died from looking into the ark (1 Samuel 6:19–20 NIV). Even though Uzzah tried to keep it from falling, he died the moment he touched it. Yet when David had the ark sheltered within a nearby home, the household experienced God’s blessing as long as the ark was there. What do these stories suggest about the ark (or about God Himself)?
Do you think this story is more about Uzzah, or about God? Why?
When was the last time you or someone close to you asked, “Why would God allow this to happen?” Can you detect anything from this story that might apply to such situations?
