“For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Chronicles 15:13 Mean?
"For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order." David explains why the first attempt to transport the ark failed (Uzzah's death): they didn't follow the prescribed method. "The due order" refers to Numbers 4 — the ark was to be carried by Levites with poles, not transported on a cart. The "breach" (perets — a breaking forth, a violent rupture) was God's response to careless handling of holy things.
David's analysis is theologically precise: the problem wasn't bad intentions. It was wrong methods. The first attempt was enthusiastic, joyful, and musically glorious — and methodologically wrong. Good worship with wrong methodology produced a breach. David corrects the method for the second attempt, and this time the ark arrives safely.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where are you approaching God with genuine enthusiasm but wrong methodology?
- 2.What 'due order' have you been ignoring because the shortcut seemed to work?
- 3.How do you balance passion for God with precision about his instructions?
- 4.When has copying someone else's method (like the Philistine cart) produced a breach in your life?
Devotional
We didn't do it right the first time. That's David's honest assessment after Uzzah's death. The worship was genuine. The joy was real. The music was excellent. And the method was wrong. They put the ark on a cart instead of carrying it on poles. And someone died for the shortcut.
David doesn't blame God for the breach. He takes responsibility: we didn't seek him after the due order. We were enthusiastic but careless. We were passionate but sloppy. And passion without precision, in the context of holy things, is dangerous.
The lesson isn't that God punishes enthusiasm. It's that God's holiness requires attention to how, not just whether, you approach him. The Philistines used a cart to return the ark — and nothing happened to them. They didn't know better. Israel did. The Levitical instructions were available. David just didn't consult them. He copied the Philistine method instead of following God's method.
This applies to every area where God has prescribed a way of doing things. You can approach worship, ministry, relationships, and service with genuine passion and still get the method wrong. And wrong methods — even with right hearts — produce breaches. Not because God is cruel, but because holiness has an order. And seeking God without seeking his order is incomplete obedience.
The second attempt succeeds because David does the research. He discovers the due order, assigns the Levites, and transports the ark according to God's instructions. Same destination. Different method. Different outcome.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For because ye did it not at the first,.... Did not sanctify themselves, as the supplement in our version directs; but…
The “due order” was that the ark should be borne on the shoulders of Kohathite Levites - not that it should be placed…
Preparation is here made for the bringing of the ark home to the city of David from the house of Obed-edom. It is here…
yedid it not R.V. ye bare it not.
made a breach 1Ch 13:11 (cp. R.V.); 1Ch 14:11 (cp. R.V. mg.).
we sought him not…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture