Under Gods Command
2nd Samuel 6:1-23
2 Samuel 6 The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
1David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2He and all his men went to Baalah a in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. 3They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
6When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7The 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.
8Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
9David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?” 10He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.
12Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, 15while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
The ark of God was Israel’s national treasure and was ordinarily kept in the tabernacle. When the ark was returned to Israel after a brief Philistine captivity (1 Samuel 4:1–7:2), it was kept in Abinadab’s home for 20 years. David saw how God blessed Abinadab, and he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem to ensure God’s blessing on the entire nation.
Uzzah was only trying to protect the ark, so was God’s anger against Uzzah just? According to Numbers 4:5-15, the ark was to be moved only by the Levites, who were to carry it using the carrying poles—they were never to touch the ark itself. To touch it was a capital offense under Hebrew law (Numbers 4:15). God’s action was directed against both David and Uzzah. David placed the ark on a cart, following the Philistines’ example (1 Samuel 6:7-8) rather than God’s commands. Uzzah, though sincere in his desire to protect the ark, had to face the consequences of the sin of touching it. Also, Uzzah may not have been a Levite. As David sought to bring Israel back into a relationship with God, God had to remind the nation dramatically that enthusiasm must be accompanied by obedience to his laws. The next time David tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem, he was careful to handle it correctly (1 Chronicles 15:1-15).
David was angry that a well-meaning man had been killed and that his plans for a joyous return of the ark had been spoiled (6:8). He undoubtedly knew that the fault was his own for transporting the ark carelessly. After cooling down, he had the ark put into temporary storage while he waited to see if the Lord would allow him to bring it to Jerusalem. This also gave David time to consider the right way to transport the ark. The fact that God blessed the home of Obed-Edom was a sign to David that he could try once again to move the ark to Jerusalem.
David wore a linen ephod, the priest’s apron, possibly because it was a religious celebration. 6:16-23 Michal was David’s first wife, but here she is called the “daughter of Saul,” possibly to show how similar her attitude was to her father’s. Her contempt for David probably did not start with David’s grand entrance into the city. Perhaps she thought it was undignified to be so concerned with public worship at a time when it was so unimportant in the kingdom. Or maybe she thought it was not fitting for a king to display such emotion. She may have resented David’s taking her from Paltiel (see the note on 3:13-14). Whatever the reason, this contempt she felt toward her husband escalated into a difficult confrontation, and Michal ended up childless for life. Feelings of bitterness and resentment that go unchecked will destroy a relationship. Deal with your feelings before they escalate into open warfare.
Only a priest could place the sacrifices on the altar. Leviticus 1:2-13 indicates that anyone who was ceremonially clean could assist a priest in offering the sacrifice (1 Samuel 20:26). So David probably offered these sacrifices to God with the aid of a priest. Solomon did the same (1 Kings 8:62-65).
Michal was disgusted with David as he led the ark’s procession into Jerusalem. She was concerned only about his outward appearance while David focused on the inward condition of his heart before God. He was willing to look foolish in the eyes of some in order to worship God fully and honestly.
Lets Bring it Home: We have learned that disobedience towards Gods Word can lead to an instant death. It don’t matter how much of a good guy or stand up citizen you are. The consequence of sin is DEATH.
People may worship God in ways that look foolish to us because they have a different culture or tradition. We should accept their heartfelt expressions of worship. We should not be afraid to express our feelings toward God, even when others are present.
Under Gods command 