Question: Dear Greg,

My question concerns obedience. In the Old Testament Uzzah died because he touched the Ark of the Covenant, while in mark’s gospel 1:40-45, the leper that Jesus cleansed was explicitly told not to publicize his cure. He disobeyed Christ’s instruction, and, seemingly was not chastised. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

One of his,

Dave

Both passages you cite are of course true – but what do we conclude – or better, what can and should we conclude? Can we conclude that every time we disobey God we are in danger of immediate death? No, for other examples of disobedience exist, in both Testaments, without immediate death resulting. Further, we have our own experience – we know that we are not killed immediately when we disobey God.

Can we conclude, since one passage is in the Old Testament, and one in the New that death for disobedience only applied under the New Testament? No – for we have, among other examples – Acts 5.

No absolute conclusions about an immediate penalty can be drawn from comparing these two passages. But rather both examples and the people involved must be understood from the immediate context in which we read them.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht