The Missing Piece: Holy Fear- Part 3

Zaressa Richardson
Nov 17
6 min read

Discovering the balance between love and reverence in our walk with God.

Part Three: Ananias and Sapphira - Love of Appearances

Without Truth When image outweighs integrity, the fear of God disappears.

Welcome back, friend. If you have been walking with me through this series, you already know we have been uncovering just how vital holy fear is in our walk with God.

In Part One, we saw how Lucifer’s pride revealed what happens when our hearts become contaminated with covetousness.

In Part Two, Nadab and Abihu showed us the danger of treating God’s presence casually.

Now, in Part Three, we are looking at a story that might hit a little closer to home. Because unlike Lucifer’s pride or Nadab and Abihu’s irreverence, Uzzah’s mistake did not come from rebellion. It came from what looked like good intentions. Yet, the outcome reminds us that love for God without holy fear is still incomplete.

Our foundational Scripture remains the lens for this entire series:

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” — 1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV

Let’s take a closer look at the fine print.

The Story of Uzzah

“When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act. Therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the Ark of God.” — 2 Samuel 6:6–7 NIV

Let’s take a few steps back to understand what is happening here.

When David and the Israelites set out to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, they did it with celebration, singing, dancing, and joy. It was a holy moment filled with excitement and unity.

But there was one critical issue, they did not follow God’s instructions.

God had already given clear commands on how the Ark was to be carried. It was never meant to be placed on a cart. It was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites using poles. You can find this in Exodus 25:14–15, Numbers 4:15, and Numbers 7:9. No one else was allowed to touch it, not even to steady it.

I repeat, only the Levites were permitted to handle the Ark.

So Uzzah knew the instructions.

To put it plainly, and in 2025 language, “Uzzah wasn’t one of ‘em.” He was not one of the priests authorized to handle the Ark.

When the oxen stumbled, his reflex took over, and he reached out to keep the Ark from falling. In that moment, he lost reverence for what was holy.

At first glance, it feels harsh. Uzzah was not mocking God, and he was not offering strange fire. He simply wanted to help. From a human point of view, it looked like compassion. But from Heaven’s perspective, it was disobedience born from presumption.

If we bring that into our world today, it is like when we step into situations God never told us to handle. We see something shaking, something out of place, and we rush in saying, “Let me fix it.”

We mean well, but we move without asking God first. Just like Uzzah, our reflex can override our reverence.

Why? Because the Ark represented the very presence and holiness of God. Touching it was not just a physical act. It was a spiritual statement. In that moment, Uzzah treated what was sacred as ordinary.

His intentions were good, but his approach lacked holy fear. That is the warning for us today.

We can have the right heart but the wrong handling.

The Posture of the Heart

While studying this story, a few questions came to mind.

One, why was he so close to the Ark if he knew how holy it was?

Two, was there something in his heart that thought, “Look, they cannot hold it right, Lord. I can do it better.” Was he trying to take someone’s position?

We are not told much about who Uzzah was, but we do know he was the son of Abinadab, the man who had kept the Ark in his home for years (2 Samuel 6:3–4). That means Uzzah had grown up near the presence of God, close enough to become familiar with it. And sometimes, familiarity can breed comfort where there should be reverence.

That is why the posture of the heart is so important.

“Lord, please forgive us for taking lightly what You have set apart as holy. Create in us a clean heart today.”

Here is a real question to think about.

If there were an X-ray showing the condition of your heart all day long, what would others see? Would they see surrender, or would they see control?

Learning from Uzzah’s Mistake

As I continued to study, I began to see myself in the story. I realized that on this journey, I am learning more and more the importance of surrendering daily to the will of the Holy Spirit. He will never lead us wrong.

I used to believe that if something was a good deed, it must be God’s will. If someone asked for help, I felt obligated to say yes because I represent Jesus, and I wanted them to know He loves them.

But the Word of God began to show me something deeper.

His will is His will. It is not defined by what I call a good deed or a nice thing to do. Asking God about everything places me in a position to operate from a place of holy fear because it shifts my focus. I begin to care more about what He thinks about the task than what others think I should or should not do.

That is the place we all must reach…. obedience without compromise. Letting go of control. Following His instructions completely. Refusing to adjust His Word to fit our comfort or culture.

When Good Intentions Are Not Enough

This story teaches us something important. God does not measure our worship by good intentions alone. He measures it by obedience.

Uzzah’s hand was steady, but his heart was casual. He valued the safety of the Ark more than the holiness of the God who made it holy.

And if we’re honest, isn’t that a tension we face too? We can be tempted to do things for God that look right on the outside but are not rooted in His instruction.

We may rush through prayer because “at least we prayed.”
We may serve out of duty, but with a distracted heart.
We may handle spiritual things with human strength instead of surrender.

It looks like good intentions, but without holy fear, it becomes presumption.

A Call to Examine Our Motives

So here is the question we must carry with us: Am I doing things for God my way, or am I truly seeking His way?

Holy fear helps us stop long enough to examine our motives. It helps us to ask:

Am I obeying, or am I assuming?
Am I treating His presence with reverence, or with convenience?
Am I letting love and holy fear walk hand in hand?

Because in the end, God does not just look at our actions. He looks at the posture of our hearts.

Takeaway: We must choose today to serve God without compromise. To experience His manifest presence, we must walk in the holy fear of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.” — Psalm 111:10

Prayer

Father, I worship Your holy name. You are a wonderful and faithful Father. Please forgive me of my sins, both known and unknown. Bring to my attention anything that grieves Your Spirit. Thank You for showing me through Your Word that good intentions are not enough without holy fear.

Forgive me for the times I have acted out of assumption instead of obedience. Teach me to pause before I act, to seek Your will, and to handle Your presence with reverence. Align my hands and my heart so that everything I do honors You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

See You Next Week

Thank you for walking through this message with me. I pray it challenged you to slow down and seek God before you move, to let reverence lead your response.

Stay rooted in His Word, sensitive to His Spirit, and aware that His presence is still holy.

See you next week, friend.