Bringing The Ark Into Jerusalem
Before the ark of God was brought into Jerusalem, the spiritual
condition in Israel was deteriorating badly.
The war between the
house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew
stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and
weaker (2 Samuel 3:1).
After Ishbosheth the son of Saul was murdered by the sons of
Rimmon the Beerothite (2 Samuel 4), David became king over Israel (2
Samuel 5).
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We
are your own flesh and blood. In the past, while Saul was king over
us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And
the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you
will become their ruler.’”
When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron,
the king made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and
they anointed David king over Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned
forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six
months.
Then David conquered Jerusalem, and called it the City of David
(2 Samuel 5:6-7). And in Jerusalem, David reigned over all Israel
and Judah thirty-three years.
When the nation was divided between Saul and David, there were
actually two high priests. Abiathar served at Hebron, and Zadok at
Gibeon. After the capture of the ark of God by the Philistines (1
Samuel 4) and Saul's murder of the priests of Nob (1 Samuel 22:19),
there was widespread indifference and compromise of true worship to
the LORD. This brought the whole nation of Israel into a state of
disastrous ignorance of God's Word!
The unification of Israel required a central place of worship,
the coming together of the two rival priesthoods and the moving of
the ark of God into the nation's capital.
The whole chapter of 2 Samuel 6 recorded one of David’s most
important actions in bringing the whole nation of Israel together.
Returning the ark of God to His people and restoring true worship of
God!
David made two attempts to bring the ark into Jerusalem. The
first attempt was a failure but the second a success.
The First Attempt
2 Samuel 6:1-9
1 Again David gathered
all the choice men of
Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose and went with all the
people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the
ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who
dwells between the cherubim.
3 So they set the ark of God on
a new cart,
and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill;
and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
4 And they brought it out of the house of
Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and
Ahio went before the ark.
5 Then David and all the house of
Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of
fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.
6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing
floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it,
for the oxen stumbled.
7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused
against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and
he died
there by the ark of God.
8 And David became angry because of the
LORD’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place
Perez Uzzah to this day.
9 David was afraid of the
LORD that day; and
he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
In the first attempt, David gathered all choice men of Israel.
Totaling 30,000 in number! Many of them were his best and elite
soldiers. David was a great warrior. But bringing the ark into
Jerusalem was not for the purpose of warfare but for the purpose of
true worship. It was never God’s desire to use strong and mighty
soldiers and men of war to bring in His ark into His city! Never!
The ark of the covenant was the same ark that God had commanded
Moses to make more than 400 years earlier. Inside the ark were the
tablets inscribed with the 10 commandments, a jar of heavenly manna,
and Aaron's rod that was alive and budding miraculously. And the
LORD of Hosts dwelt between the cherubim.
The ark of God represented the manifest presence and glory of
God. It was placed in the house of Abinadab for 20 years after
the Philistines had returned it to Israel (1 Samuel 7).
David had a desire to bring the ark into the city of God! To make
a dwelling place for God! But in his first attempt, David employed
the ways of man to do the work of God! This was a terrible tragedy!
God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the
Tent of Meeting and how the holy articles including the ark of the
covenant were to be covered and carried, and also who were called to
cover them and who were called to carry them.
Numbers 4:15
And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary
and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to
go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but
they shall not
touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the
tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
Only the High Priest and his sons were qualified to cover the
holy articles and set them on poles so that the Kohathites could do
the carrying. Nobody was allowed to touch any holy thing. If they
did so, they would die.
The Kohathites were one of the four main divisions among the
Levites. One of their special duties was to carry the holy vessels
and objects of the sanctuary - the ark of the covenant, menorah,
table of showbread etc.
Only the Kohathites were allowed to carry the ark of the
covenant. No soldiers or men of war were allowed to do so! David’s
choice men were not God’s choice! No matter how sincere they were or
how good their intention was or how strong and mighty they were,
transporting and touching the ark was in direct violation of God’s
law. It would result in death.
Failing to follow God’s precise instructions was the same as not revering
God’s Word and not having the fear of God! It was total disobedience
to Him. It was bordering on rebellion, seeing and doing things with
a worldly or personal perspective rather than God’s!
David took his mighty men of war with him to carry the ark upon
a new cart! That was a great mistake!
Transporting the ark on a new cart was against God's specific
instructions. It was to be borne upon men's shoulders, and carried
by the Kohathites only, using the poles prescribed.
Exodus 25:12-14
You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four
corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other
side. And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with
gold. You shall put the poles into the
rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by
them.
Numbers 7:9
But to the sons of Kohath he gave
none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they
carried on their shoulders.
How foolish and vain man’s imaginations could be! Trying to do God’s
work without following His Word!
They thought that God would be pleased with a new cart! They
thought that the fancy new cart would be good enough to carry the
presence of God! They thought that God would love all their
razzle-dazzle and creative wild imaginations!
God is looking at the hearts and not the carts! David thought
that this new technology and luxurious invention could cover his ignorance and
disobedience. But God is not mocked by our foolish ways and wants!
How often have we tried to carry God’s presence upon our new carts? New
styles, new dances, new banners, new modes of worship, new
mechanics, new music, new disco lights, new smoke machines, new
gadgets, new equipment, new sound mixers and blasters.
How often have we tried to impress God with new things which we have
created using the energy of the flesh and human minds, and not by
His Holy Spirit? How many of our services flow from our hands, but
not from our hearts?
1 Samuel 6:10-11
Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the
cart, and shut up their calves at home. And
they set the ark of the LORD on the cart,
and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors.
The problem was that this cart method was employed before by the Philistines
to transport the ark when they returned it to Israel. The Israelites
thought that they could follow suit.
The Philistines got away with
God’s divine punishment simply because they did not have the Word of
God and His holy instructions!
But God expected more from His people. He required obedience to
His Word! Israel was to take their instructions from God's Word, and
not from the innovations of the Philistines.
The ark had stayed for a long period of time at Abinadab’s house.
More than 20 years! The sons of Abinadad, Uzzah and Ahio, had grown
too accustomed to the presence of the ark but not the presence of
the LORD!
Familiarity sometimes breeds contempt. Having the ark in his own home
for so long, Uzzah could very likely have forgotten what the
ark truly represented. Similarly today, we have failed to recognize
the holy presence of God and acknowledge His awesome Lordship after
knowing Him for many years. Becoming too familiar with Him sometimes
results in us showing irreverence and contempt, despising His ways
and His Word!
Uzzah and Ahio were designated to drive the new cart. The
meanings of their names paint a shocking picture. Uzzah means
"strength" and Ahio means "brotherly or friendly."
Likewise, many Christian ministries and church services today are
like Uzzah and Ahio. A new cart, a big production, showing
strength and portraying friendliness. Many have compromised when the
multitudes and majority agree to do so. They have diluted the gospel so that
it has become super user-friendly to suit the tastes of all. No cross. No
pain. An easy and friendly gospel! All done without inquiring God or
seeking His will.
David prayed for God's blessing on his big day of bringing His
ark into Jerusalem. 30,000 strong men were deployed to carry out this
awesome task! God should be pleased and awed by this effort! But God
wasn’t! David didn't inquire of God on how to do it! This was a good
intention of man going awfully wrong. God couldn’t bless this!
David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD.
They worshipped and praised the LORD! The ark was brought out with
great joy with musical instruments, singing and dancing! It was a
great celebration and seemingly triumphant procession. The
atmosphere was joyful, exciting and engaging. But the sad truth was
that none of these pleased God! Because they were carried out with
disobedience to His Word.
Today, worship has become a matter of how we feel and not how God
feels. We measure a worship experience by how much we enjoy and
benefit from it! But true worship is about pleasing God and not
ourselves! We can only please God when we obey Him. We can only
truly worship God when we worship Him in spirit and in truth. His Spirit is holy, and
His Truth is His Word! That’s how He desires us to worship Him.
We need to get out of our consumer-oriented culture, and
self-centredness. It isn't about what pleases us. It's about what
pleases God.
And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his
hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the
LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck
him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
The cart didn’t fall but the oxen did stumbled. The cart had no
life, and therefore could not know! But these precious
oxen knew and recognized the LORD! Sad to say, like the cart, the rebellious people of
God didn’t know or even consider the presence of God!
Isaiah 1:2-3
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel does not know,
My people do not consider.”
Nachon's threshing floor was a place where stalks of
wheat were gathered and threshed, and the chaff was separated from
the wheat. There was a lot of chaff in this folly of man. How God
would desire to blow away all the chaff in our lives at His
threshing floor.
As the oxen stumbled, Uzzah put out his hand and took hold of the
ark of God. This was strictly forbidden by God. Touching any holy
thing would guarantee death.
This all happened in just a few split seconds. Just a short
moment in time! Sometimes we are called to make decisions in very
short time durations. How we make those decisions in those critical
moments is the result of how we make decisions in our daily lives.
If we disregard God's Word in our daily living, we will also
disregard Him in those critical moments. If we obey God in our daily
living, we will also obey Him in those critical moments. Remember
Lot’s wife. She disobeyed God and she died. And remember the
three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace in Babylon. They obeyed
God and they lived!
God struck Uzzah dead at the threshing floor of Nachon! That must
have surprised everyone especially David!
Uzzah erred in thinking that he was qualified to carry the ark.
He erred even more to carry it using his own way or the way of the
Philistines! He became presumptuous thinking that he knew everything
about the ark since it was in his father's house for so long. He
disregarded God’s Word for man’s ways! He thought that he could lend
God a helping hand to stop the ark from falling away! He failed to
see and acknowledge that God’s presence was at Nachon's threshing
floor. He was standing on holy ground! God was able to do what He
was pleased to do! God could keep the ark from falling if He so desired.
Uzzah had no regard or respect for what was holy and what was
not. His intention to help was right, but he did something that even
the Levites were forbidden to do. He laid his hands on the ark!
Today, many Christians have disregarded the awesome presence and
holiness of God in their lives! Many have become presumptuous! Many have not drawn near to God on a
daily basis, approaching Him with reverence and holy fear. But on
Sundays and in churches, they think that they can just worship and
do God’s work without living in righteousness and walking with
God in His light on a daily basis! No consecration is needed. Just plain showmanship and
prideful arrogance! We have compromised in bringing worldly ways of
thinking or reasoning into His holy sanctuary! We have forgotten
that tragic lesson of Uzzah, and now we are facing the consequences.
When Uzzah was struck dead, David reacted with anger and fear. He
became angry because of the LORD's outbreak against Uzzah. And he
called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.
David’s anger was based in confusion. He couldn't understand why
his good intentions weren't good enough. Why was God so strict and
severe towards his noble actions?
David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the
ark of the LORD come to me?" Because of what happened to Uzzah,
David now realized that he was not able to bring the ark of God into
Jerusalem using his own methods and ways! He had come to the full
realization that he couldn't do it alone! That’s good news! When we
come to the end of ourselves, we need to make a U-turn back to God,
seeking Him and doing His will His way! Back to His Word!
The Second Attempt
2 Samuel 6:10-23
10 So David would not move the ark of the
LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into
the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house
of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the
LORD blessed
Obed-Edom and all his household.
12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The
LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him,
because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of
God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David
with gladness.
13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark
of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted
sheep.
14 Then David danced before the LORD with all
his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel
brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of
the trumpet.
16 Now as the ark of the LORD came into the
City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and
saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she
despised him in her heart.
17 So they brought the ark of the
LORD, and
set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had
erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the LORD.
18 And when David had finished offering burnt
offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of
the LORD of hosts.
19 Then he distributed among all the people,
among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to
everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So
all the people departed, everyone to his house.
20 Then David returned to bless his
household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David,
and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering
himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of
the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”
21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to
appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore
I will play music before the LORD.
22 And I will be even
more undignified than
this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the
maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in
honor.”
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had
no children to the day of her death.
As David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the
City of David, he placed it into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite
for three months.
David now did this in accordance to God's word. Obed-Edom was
from the family of Kohath (1 Chronicles 26:1-6). The Kohathites were
from the tribe of Levi. They were called by God to take care of the
ark and to carry it on poles when it was transported.
And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. When God's
Word was obeyed and the fear of God was present, God’s blessings
would eventually flow. God desired His ark to be a blessing for
Israel, not a curse. The curse didn't come from God's desire but
from man's disobedience.
Before the ark was successfully brought into Jerusalem, David
explained to the priests why God struck out against them in their
first attempt, and he also assembled the children of Aaron and the
Levites asking them to do the awesome task. David couldn’t do it
himself. He needed the high priest, the priests and Levites! This
time, the ark must be properly carried into Jerusalem according to
God’s instructions!
1 Chronicles 15:1-28
1 David built houses for himself in the City
of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a
tent for it.
2 Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites,
for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister
before Him forever.”
3 And David gathered all Israel together at
Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he
had prepared for it.
4 Then David assembled the children of Aaron
and the Levites:
5 of the sons of
Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his
brethren;
6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief,
and two hundred and twenty of his brethren;
7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and
one hundred and thirty of his brethren;
8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the
chief, and two hundred of his brethren;
9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and
eighty of his brethren;
10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the
chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren.
11 And David called for
Zadok and Abiathar
the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah,
Eliel, and Amminadab.
12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the
Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may
bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place I have
prepared for it.
13 For because you
did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us,
because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
14 So the priests
and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of
the LORD God of Israel.
15 And the
children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by
its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the
LORD.
16 Then David spoke to the leaders of the
Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by
instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by
raising the voice with resounding joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of
Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of their
brethren, the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
18 and with them their brethren of the second
rank: Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab,
Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and
Jeiel, the gatekeepers;
19 the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were
to sound the cymbals of bronze;
20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel,
Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with strings according to
Alamoth;
21 Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah,
Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, to direct with harps on the
Sheminith;
22 Chenaniah, leader of the Levites, was
instructor in charge of the music, because he was skillful;
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were
doorkeepers for the ark;
24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai,
Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, were to blow the
trumpets before the ark of God; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah,
doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the
captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of
the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
26 And so it was, when God helped the Levites
who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered
seven bulls and seven rams.
27 David was
clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore
the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the music master with the
singers. David also wore a linen ephod.
28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the
covenant of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn,
with trumpets and with cymbals, making music with stringed
instruments and harps.
When worship is done properly in the way ordered by God, it will
be filled with gladness and joy. God is not a God of disorder but of
peace (1 Corinthians 14:33)!
When those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, David
sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. This was elaborately and properly
carried out. Not haphazardly! Not hurriedly! But with great reverence and
awe! Seeking atonement, desiring consecration, and longing for sweet
fellowship and communion with God.
The priestly function of King David was clearly seen here. He wore a linen robe like the other
Levites. The king offered sacrifices, and blessed the people. These
dual functions of the royal priesthood of King David were a type of
the Messiah to come. No other king of Israel had ever served God's
people in this dual capacity of priest and king. King Saul had
committed sin in offering an unlawful sacrifice before the arrival
of Samuel (1 Samuel 13), but David did so rightfully with the
assistance and presence of the high priest, priests and Levites.
During the ceremony of transporting the ark from the house of
Obed-Edom into the Tabernacle of David, David sacrificed an ox and a
fattened calf every six paces. The journey may be about 6 miles
(31680 feet). If each step were approximately 2 feet, 6 paces would
be 12 feet. David could have stopped 2,640 times during the journey
to offer 2,640 oxen and 2,640 calves. The whole journey may run into
days or weeks. But it could be done in one day as there were prior
preparation, cooperation, unity and division of labour. If 6 paces
take 6 seconds and the sacrifice of the two animals takes another 24
seconds, the whole trip would be 30 seconds times 2,640, about 22
hours. Again, this is just my guesswork.
David now specifically instructed the Kohathites to carry the ark
on their shoulders. No more new carts by mighty and strong men of
war! God still desires His presence and glory to be carried upon the
shoulders of consecrated and obedient people.
David danced before the LORD with all his might. He didn't hold
back anything! His worship was heartfelt and not out of obligation!
He was exceedingly glad to bring the ark of the LORD into Jerusalem
the right way according to God's word.
David was able to fully express his heart of thanksgiving and
love, praising and worshipping God without any reservations or
hindrances! David was wearing a linen robe. He was neither immodest
nor indecent. He was dressed just like all the other Levites who
bore the ark. David also wore a linen ephod. This was not the same
elaborate ephod worn by the high priest. David was under authority,
and he recognized the spiritual authority and leadership God had
established over Israel. He dared not do his own thing!
David's linen robe showed that he had laid aside his royal robes
of majesty and glory, and dressed just like everyone else in the
procession. His dance wasn't a solo performance. He danced with
simple rhythmic steps together in harmony and unity with other men
just in the same way we may see how some Jewish men dance today.
David's dancing was appropriate and proper. No showing off.
Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal,
Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping
and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
Why did she despised her husband in her heart?
Firstly, King David was wearing what the other Levites were wearing.
Just a linen robe. He didn’t wear a royal robe which would clearly
distinguish the king from the commoners. But David chose to wear the
same attire with His people in public as they worshipped God
together. God looked at
the hearts and not the clothes! The inside and not the outside!
Secondly, David's wife couldn't understand the extent of David's
exuberant worship. She felt that it wasn't dignified for the King of
Israel to be whirling and playing music, praising and worshipping
God! From her window, with arrogant superiority and foolish pride,
she looked down on the king and all the people of Israel!
So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in
the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. After so
many years since the ark was lost in battle with the Philistines,
the ark was finally returned and placed inside the tabernacle. The presence and glory of God returned back to Israel.
Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the
LORD. The burnt offerings were for consecration, and the peace
offerings for restoring fellowship. This was truly a day of great consecration
and communion with God.
After David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace
offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude
of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread,
a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed,
everyone to his house. They were all blessed and filled with
exceedingly great joy and thanksgiving!
Then David returned to bless his household. After this day of
great victory, David came home to bring a blessing to his own
family.
But his wife, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David,
and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering
himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of
the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!"
David never had expected such a cruel attack from his own
household after such a remarkable day of victory. And definitely not
from his own wife!
His wife didn't seem to object to David's dancing. But she was
objecting to what David wore. He had put away his royal robes and
danced like the other men. David acted as if he were just another
worshipper in Israel.
With biting sarcasm, Michal's criticism could have ruined this
whole day for David. But David did not allow her to continue to do
so. David didn't let Michal's sarcastic criticism ruin his day. He
simply explained the truth: "I did it for God, not for you." David
rebuked her and put his own house in order!
So David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me
instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over
the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music
before the LORD. And I will be even more undignified than this, and
will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom
you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor."
It was before the LORD. This is not a justification for
everything we do in worship. David’s conscience was clear and his
dancing wasn't inappropriate. If need be, he would be even more
undignified than this, and would be even more humble than this.
David
knew that he was just a sinner before the LORD! Whatever Michal's
opinion of him might be, his own view of himself was even more
humbling. He was worse than what she thought him to be! Poor and
wretched. Once lost but now am found! Was blind but now see! All
because of God’s amazing grace, he was lifted up to be the
king of Israel! He was what God had made him to be! Without God, he
was nothing and he was nobody!
David didn't dance to show others how spiritual he was or how
good he was. He did it before the LORD! However, this is not an
excuse for someone who acts or dances inappropriately to the setting
or context of a meeting and simply justifies it by saying, "It was
before the LORD."
Because of what she did, Michal the daughter of Saul had no
children to the day of her death. Her barrenness was not necessarily
the result of divine judgment. It might be that David never had
marital relations with her again. How to love her and have close
relationships when she was full of bitter sarcasm and harsh
criticism!
Today, we have a multitude of ministries and churches. Many claim that they have the presence and glory of the
Lord. But many are not doing it right according to the Word of God.
Many are not seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. They measure success by how friendly and
how strong they have become.
They have new carts for carrying the presence of God. Many are
facing some bad consequences now. Church splits, burnouts,
leadership faults, integrity issues, lack of accountability and lawsuits. Worst
of all, many
disappointed and distressed Christians have left the faith!
If King David, the man after God's own heart, could make an error
by employing man's methods in worship, we too are vulnerable to do
the same. But thank God for a second chance to make another attempt!
Thus we need to return to the Lord and to His Word!
The Work of God
done according to God’s Way written in God’s Word will be backed by
God’s divine Warranty of blessings, goodness and mercy all the way to
glory!
Sources:
http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/1006.htm
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=2sa&chapter=006
Written on 6 April 2013