You can turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 6. Remember last week in chapter 5, David is installed or appointed or anointed king over all Israel. Back in chapter 2, he had been appointed king over Judah. And then as a result of Abner and Ish-bosheth and the northern tribes continuing to maintain a kingdom, David was only the king over the southern tribes.
But after the death of Abner and Ish-bosheth, Then the tribes of Israel, the northern tribes, came to David and said, we want you to be king over us. So in chapter 5, verses 1 to 5, David assumes control or reign over the entirety of Israel. And then they go and they conquer the city of Jerusalem. The Jebusites had inhabited that particular city.
They took the city, so now it had become the political capital of Israel. And then at the end of chapter 5, there were a couple of battles with the Philistines that David was victorious over. And in chapter 6, the ark is now brought to Jerusalem. Chapter 5 indicates the political capital being Jerusalem.
Chapter 6 indicates that Jerusalem is now the religious capital with the ark being brought to Jerusalem. So I'll begin reading in chapter 6 at verse 1. Again, David gathered all the choice men of Israel, 30,000, and David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baal 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. 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. 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. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of firwood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cistrums, and on cymbals.
And when they came to Nacon'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. 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. David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, How can the ark of the Lord come to me?
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. 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. 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. And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. Then David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen aphod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
Now as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michael, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 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. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
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. Then David returned to bless his household. Michael, 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.
So David said to Michael, 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. Therefore, Michael, the daughter of Saul, had no children to the day of her death.
Amen.
Introduction
Well, basically, there are two accounts of, or two attempts at bringing the ark to Jerusalem in chapter 6. We see it in verses 1 to 11, and then the second attempt, the successful one, is found in verses 12 to 23. I think there's three major sections that we ought to consider tonight. I think there's three major themes that this particular chapter sets forth to us.
And the first is the desire for the presence of God in verses 1 to 5. Secondly, we have the reminder of the holiness of God in verses 6 to 11. And then thirdly, the relocation of the ark of God in verses 12 to 23.
Desire for the Presence of God
But note in the first place this desire for the presence of God. No sooner does David occupy the city of Jerusalem and his first desire is to fetch the Ark of the Covenant. He wants the Ark of the Lord present in Jerusalem. He wants it nearby.
If you remember the Ark of the Covenant in 1 Samuel chapters 4 to 6, we have essentially the story of the Ark. The children of Israel trotted the ark out with them in order to battle against the Philistines. They utilized the ark as if it was some sort of a lucky charm. They thought its mere presence would bring them victory.
But God shows them that he cannot be manipulated. They lose the battle. The Philistines capture the ark. The Philistines then take the ark back to Philistia, and they bring it to the temple of Dagon.
Dagon falls before the Ark of the Covenant. Eventually, the Philistines start to see the power of the Ark, not intrinsically, but it's God demonstrating this power through that visible representation. And then God plagues the cities of Philistia. They, of course, want to get rid of the Ark, so they send it back to Israel.
It goes to Beth Shemesh, and at Beth Shemesh, they look into the Ark, and God kills a great multitude of them. And they ask the question, who can stand before this holy Lord? Well, then the ark goes to where it is here, as it's recorded in this particular chapter. It's at the house of Abinadab.
Now, while Saul was king, we don't read a whole lot about the ark. There's one reference in 1 Samuel chapter 14 at verse 18. But Saul was not concerned with, nor did he desire the presence of the ark. We see that David is just the opposite.
Note specifically the situation in verses 1 and 2. Again, David gathered all the choice men of Israel, 30,000, and David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baal, Judah. That is also known as Kiriath Jireh. We see that in Joshua chapter 15, verse 9.
As well, we see it in 1 Chronicles 13, verse 6. There are highlights that Baal-Judah is Kirjath-Jerim. That is where Abinadab's house is, and that is where the ark is locally present. If you want to compare a more expanded version of this narrative, you can go to 1 Chronicles 13, all the way to 16.
It deals with the transport of the ark to Jerusalem. But the king and the people would get the ark of the Lord from Baal Judah or Kirjath-Jerom. Notice how the ark is identified. It says they were to get the ark of God whose name is called by the name the Lord of hosts who dwells between the cherubim.
Now remember, this particular box did not contain Yahweh. This particular box was not an image of Yahweh. It was more symbolic or it was a visible representation. It was a sacrament as Calvin refers to it in terms of the fact that this was an indicator that God was indeed present with his people.
Remember that the Ark of the Covenant, or the Ark of the Lord, signified at least three things. It signified the Lord's rule. God was king. In fact, it speaks of Him putting His feet on the Ark as a footstool, which indicates His royal government.
As well, the Ark represented reconciliation, its key use in Leviticus 16 on the Day of Atonement, when that blood of sprinkling is poured out on the mercy seat. Reconciliation is something that the Ark represents. And as well, it represents revelation. For what was contained in the Ark?
It was the testimony, the law of God. So this Ark of the Covenant represented or visibly signified the Lord's rule, the Lord's redeeming power, and the Lord's revelation. And so David has this desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. And there are several reasons that we ought to appreciate as we look in this particular chapter.
And the first, to honor the Lord God. The Lord God has now brought together all of Israel. The Lord God has brought a consolidated kingdom. It is time to honor Him.
It is time to show that Israel stands with great thankfulness and gratitude to the God who has disposed of their enemies and He has brought them together as His people. He was to be the primary and key player in Israel or in this phase of Israel's history. As well, this was an opportunity to celebrate the kindness of God. In fact, in the latter half of the chapter, in 12 to 23, what's David doing?
He is celebrating. They are sacrificing. He is dancing. They are playing music.
They are singing. This is a time of great joy. It's a time of great celebration, a time of great delight. And as well, it does speak concerning the worship of the Lord God.
You see, when David wants the ark of the Lord present, what does that indicate? David wants God. David wants to worship God. David wants to bow before God.
Calvin says, we are told here that when David realized that his kingdom was at peace, He turned his attention to restoring the integrity of the worship of God. That's beautiful, isn't it? That's the first order of business. Remember chapter 5 isn't strictly chronological.
It's a kingdom collage. We don't know specifically the time frame or the... or the chronology, but we do know once they occupy the city of Jerusalem, once he has this season of peace, he doesn't think, wow, I want to build my palace, I want to do these great things, I want to build golf courses, and I want to build waterways and roadways, and I want to increase commerce, and I want to make Israel sort of the queen of economics among the nations. No, he says, get the ark. We need God, we need Yahweh, we need the presence of the Lord, so that we can indeed worship the Lord.
This is a marked contrast with King Saul. In 1 Chronicles 16.3, the people say, and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul. Again, it was at a low point, religious worship and this dependence upon the Lord God. Vannoy says that Saul's subsequent failure to provide the Ark with a visible and prominent place in Gibeah, remember Saul had quite a lengthy reign and his home base was Gibeah, why didn't Saul bring the Ark of the Lord?
Why didn't Saul make sure that this was a priority in his kingdom? Vanoy says that Saul's subsequent failure to provide the ark with a visible and prominent place in Gibeah, his capital city, was symptomatic of his failure to fully recognize the sovereignty of Yahweh as Israel's divine king. It was a mark of dishonor. It was not yielding obedience and reverence and worship and celebration before the Lord that the Lord God was indeed worthy of.
Now, notice in this attempt, this desire for the presence of God, David wants the ark of the Lord present.
A Violation Hidden in Good Intentions
Now, notice in verse 3, it says, so they set the ark of God on a new cart. Now, this should alert us. This should key us that not all is well. I mean, they have good motives and good intentions and good desires.
And this is something we'll learn tonight, that motives, intentions, and desires are always subordinate to the commandment of God. In the worship of God, intentions, motives, and desires are always to be subordinate to the commandment of God. The Ark of the Covenant was not supposed to be transported by a cart. The Philistines did that, but the Philistines were pagans.
In the book of Exodus, in chapter 25, when it talks about the construction of the Ark, they were to put these loops or these rings on the corners of the Ark so they could put poles through those rings. And then the Kohathites, no one else, The Kohathites, they were Levitical priests, the subdivision were the Kohathites, they were to pick up the cart by those poles and they were to transport it. No carts, no hands on there whatsoever. So verse 3 already alerts the careful reader so that when we get to the death of Uzzah in verse 7, we're not so surprised.
Now, we're probably still surprised because it seems a bit over the top, at least to some careless readers of Scripture. But again, breaking or transgressing the commandments of God are never something that we consider over the top. This is absolutely crucial that we obey. Our desires, our intentions, our motivations are always subordinate to the commandment of God Most High.
So notice, specifically. In verse 3, the ark was not supposed to be transported by cart but by Kohathites, Exodus 25, 12 to 14. And then in Numbers 4, 4 to 6, Numbers 4.15, Numbers 4.19 and 20, and Numbers 7 and 9, the Kohathites were not supposed to touch the ark. The Kohathites were supposed to use those poles.
The Kohathites were not supposed to get their mitts on the ark. The priests were to cover these holy articles, the priests were to cover this furniture, and then there were specific guidelines for the way that the Kohathites would transport. Now, in this particular chapter and in the parallel in 1 Chronicles, David himself seems to know this particular stipulation. Because when you get to verse 13, after they take the cart from the house of Obed-Edom, it says, then they bore the Ark of the Covenant.
The fact that they were able to do it successfully indicates that they were the authorized persons who bore the Ark of the Covenant. 1 Chronicles spells out in great detail that it was in fact the Levites at that particular time, the Kohathites. In fact, David says in this particular attempt, we're going to do it this particular way. So why they carelessly picked a cart in verse 3 and got right to it, we don't know. But it is a violation of the law of God, and as I said, our intentions, our motivations, and our desires are always to be subordinate to the worship of God, the commandment of God.
So when the Lord commands us to worship in a particular way, we don't have the right or the liberty to say, well, you know, we thought we'd do it this way. We thought we'd put our hands on the cart. We thought we would put our hands on the ark. We thought that we would do this because our motives are good.
No, it's not about your motives. It's about the commandment in the Word of God. I think we stumble with this. I think the modern church certainly stumbles with this, where God has commanded us what we are to do in worship, but we put in its place puppets, ponies, and programs.
We do all sorts of things thinking that this is the way that we can worship God. We can worship God in any old fashion we hanker after. No, we can't. Why did we think that somehow movement from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant relaxed God's commandments and that all bets are off and we're able and enabled to do whatever it is we want in the worship of God?
That has never been the case. The Lord God is the divine householder over the church of God. Paul defines in 1 Timothy chapter 3 that the church is the household of God. God makes the rules for his household the same way you make the rules in your household.
I don't have the right to come to your house and violate something that goes against your will for your house. You may want me to take my shoes off at your door. I may say, no, I just want to walk all over your carpet, and I want to put my feet up on your coffee table. And you're going to say, that's not allowed here.
And I'm going to say, but I have a hankering to do it. And I just want to do it. And my wants ought to be respected by you. That is akin to the church today in her violation of God's ordinance in terms of worship.
We do not have the prerogative, we do not have the authorization to take matters into our own hands. You've heard me say often, God does not want creative people. He does not want innovative people. He wants obedient people because He is the Lord God Most High.
He has commanded what brings Him glory and honor and He has built it in such a way so that it will ultimately be a blessing for us as well. So we see this violation in verse 3 concerning this particular card. They depart from Abinadab. We learn that it's Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, verse 3.
And then in verse 4, they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was on the hill accompanying the ark of God, and a heel went before the ark. Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of firwood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cistrums, and on cymbals. Calvin has a beautiful section here on how we are to imbibe the spirit of David's worship in terms of its substance, but under the new covenant, the form is different. We're not to utilize these instruments.
We're not to utilize the same sorts of forms that were given to the Jews in Old Covenant worship. I commend that to you. I think it's very valuable and very much worthy of our attention.
Reminder of the Holiness of God
That brings us secondly to the reminder of the holiness of God, verses 6 to 11. It says, and when they came to Nakon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. If you've ever heard R.C. Sproul on this particular passage, he says that essentially what we have is that the oxen were traveling and, you know, they hit mud or they hit something and they stumbled and the ark was about to fall into the mud.
And so what does Uzzah do? Again, he's got good desires, he's got good motivation, he's got, you know, right intentions, but he puts his hand onto the ark to steady it so that it doesn't fall into the mud. Sproul says, what was Uzzah thinking? Was he thinking he was going to hear a voice from heaven saying, thank you, Uzzah.
And essentially what Sproul develops is that if that ark of the covenant had fallen in the mud, that wouldn't have defiled it. What defiles the ark of the covenant isn't mud, it isn't dirt. Now, we shouldn't throw dirt and we shouldn't throw mud on there. What defiles the ark of the covenant is man.
It's our filthy, grimy hands being laid upon it. When we violate the law of God given to the Levites, specifically the Kohathites, that they alone are supposed to pick this furniture up, and even then they're not supposed to touch it. They're to use those poles through the rings after the priests have already covered those things. You see?
The Lord God stipulates how things are supposed to be done. The texts that I mentioned above concerning the new cart apply equally to Uzzah's action here. He is forbidden from touching the Ark of the Lord. Exodus 25, Numbers 4, Numbers 7, this very passage, chapter 6, verse 13, and then the parallel in 1 Chronicles, several places there.
Notice, he put out his hand to the ark of God, he took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. Again, I just think that we ought to ponder this, because if we didn't know the story, we would read this, or just imagine if there were unbelievers in here. Or just imagine if there were delicate, sensitive Christians who had never read the Old Testament before. They would probably think, and perhaps a man could preach it in such a way without, you know, giving any regard whatsoever to verse 7, that we ought to dare to be an azzah.
I mean, here he is. nobly trying to keep the Ark of the Covenant from falling into this mud patch. I mean, we ought to commend Uzzah, we ought to be for Uzzah, we ought to promote Uzzah, we ought to be Uzzahs in our respective lives. Notice verse 7, then the anger of Yahweh was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error or his irreverence, and he died there by the Ark of God. It's a pretty powerful statement, isn't it?
Isn't it? This is a reminder of God's holiness. I've already said, when the ark comes to Beth Shemesh in 1 Samuel chapter 6, the men look upon it, look into it, and they die in mass, and they ask the question, Who is able to look upon or stand before this Holy Lord? This is the holiness of God.
It is a burning holiness. We are not to trifle with God. We are not to try and manipulate God or control God or tame God. put God in a box or think that we don't have to do what God says. 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.
Turn to Numbers for just a moment. Just so you see, this is not arbitrary. Persons would say, oh that just seems so bad. It seems so over the top.
It is consistent with what God had commanded. Notice in Numbers 4 at verse 4. This is the service of the sons of Coath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things. When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his son shall come and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the testimony with it.
Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue and they shall insert its poles. Why? So they don't put their mitts on it. So they don't touch it.
That's wrong. It's bad. It's sin. It is condemned by God.
Notice in verses 19 and 20. But do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things. Aaron and his son shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task, but they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die. Look at verse 15.
I missed that. I skipped that. Verse 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 Coath shall come to carry them. But they shall not touch any holy thing, notice, lest they die.
You see, this wasn't unadvertised, this wasn't unknown, this wasn't a mystery. This is what the Word of the Lord commands, and notice that God is about the detail here. So we may think our desires, our motivations, our longings, our intentions are good, but they must always be subordinate to the commandment of the living God. Notice number 7 in verse 9.
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. Not with their hands, not to steady it, don't put it on a cart, don't put it with oxen, but rather the Kohathites are supposed to do what Kohathites do, and they pick these things up and they transport it from point A to point B. So God struck him there for his error or irreverence, and he died there by the ark of God. Now doesn't the Bible do this over and over again?
It gives us these reminders of his holiness. Because we can sort of fall prey to this idea that, you know, God is good. Not fall prey. We ought to embrace fully that idea.
God is good. He is kind. He is merciful. He is gracious.
He is long-suffering. But we have a tendency to forget his holiness. We have a tendency to forget his majesty. We have a tendency to sort of pull him down to our ranks.
We have a tendency to try and domesticate him and make him like a little kitty cat that is only there for our amusement and for our pleasure. We need to be reminded of His holiness, and that is precisely what we have here in 2 Samuel chapter 6. You need to be mindful of the fact that this God does not play games when it comes to the commandments of God, and that when He demands that Koathites carry the Ark of the Covenant, He means business. We have a reminder of His holiness in Isaiah the prophet, chapter 6.
Pastor Porter preached on that recently. I saw the Lord, lofty, high, exalted, the train of His robe filled the temple. What were the angels saying? They were saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of His glory. We get to the New Testament. It's not like this is simply confined to the Old Testament. What happens in the book of Acts when Ananias and Sapphira lie to God?
God says, well, you know, that's just your way. No, God kills them. The Lord Most High is holy. Is there something that needs to be recovered in the church today?
It is this view of the holiness and the majesty and the awesomeness and the grandeur and the glory of God. Yes, He is good to us. Yes, He is merciful. Yes, He is kind.
Yes, He is long-suffering. But He is not our equal. He is not on our level. He is the enthroned one on high, and when we come into church, there is that recognition of His holiness that ought to promote in us a righteous fear before the Lord God Most High.
That is one of the blessed things that jumps out of this passage, an understanding of who God is ought to promote fear. Fear in the hearts of the worshipers. And I know when we say that, at least in the modern church, well, fear, that's not what Jesus saved us for. Fear is not something pleasant and good.
Fear is not something that we embrace. It's interesting, in Psalm 211, serve the Lord with fear. Rejoice with trembling before the Lord God Most High. Rejoicing and trembling go hand-to-hand in the life of the Christian.
Rejoicing and trembling ought to be what happens when we come to worship God on the Lord's Day. There ought to be that gamut within the heart of the believer. There is that righteous recognition of God, and it produces fear, and there is that righteous recognition of God that produces joy. that He is now my God, that He is now my Father, that I am reconciled to Him by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The implications of this particular action, Calvin develops, as I think does Davis, that this judgment was temporal.
It doesn't necessarily mean that Uzzah went to hell. It's not necessarily the case that he touched the ark, God struck him by the ark, and he ended up in hell. Uzzah could very well have been a believer who was chastised. You see this in the book of Corinthians.
Again, a reminder of his holiness. Look at the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11, in case we need a reminder of his holiness when we come to the supper, Paul the Apostle says, when you take on worthy, this is the reason why there are many that are sick. and many that are weak, and many that sleep among you. You see, the apostle tells us that God chastens his people so that they will not be condemned with the world.
There is an instance there where divine chastening may mean the removal of a saint from this world, but he's not condemned with the world. And that could have been the case with Uzzah. As well, the judgment was righteous. God had declared the penalty for violating his law.
Again, brethren, you might meet people and you might have it in your own heart to say, wow, that just seems a bit severe. That just seems a bit over the top. That seems, you know, kind of, you know, like an overreaction. No, it's not whatsoever.
The fact that God's not killing us every single day is really what ought to blow our minds. These reminders of holiness come along, but it is the case that what is displayed here is just, legitimate, and righteous. Calvin says, let us therefore carefully remember that the death of Uzzah was not cruelty on the part of God, but a just chastisement. For it was the duty of the Levites, and specifically the Kohathites, to be in charge of carrying the Ark.
You see, how in the world could we say that's not fair? In light of the fact that Numbers 4 and Numbers 7, and the parallel in 1 Chronicles, and even in our own text, it seems to indicate that David knew good and well that Kohathites should have been transporting the Ark. How could we ever suggest that this is not fair? Let me just tell you, if you break the law of God, you deserve whatever penalty or sanction is due for you.
That is fair. That is legit. That is righteous. As well, this judgment was paradigmatic.
That means it was a pattern we should learn and we should fear. We should learn and we should fear, just like when we read or we see that reminder of God's holiness in the book of Leviticus. Remember in Leviticus chapters 1 to 9, God spells out in great detail what sacrifice ought to be. I mean detail after detail after detail after detail concerning sacrifice.
How many of you read those first nine chapters of Leviticus and almost say to yourself, okay, I get it. I understand this is the method for sacrifice. And then they offer up sacrifice legitimately, righteously, and according to truth in chapter 9. And it says that fire comes down from the presence of God and consumes their sacrifice.
And the people shout. They yell. It's a shout of joy. God manifests His presence in the consumption of their sacrifice.
And then in chapter 10, Nadab and Abihu offer up strange fire to the Lord. You see, chapter after chapter and detail after detail still does not get into the heads of God's people. So they offer up strange fire before the Lord and what happens? Now God sends fire down, but instead of consuming their sacrifice, He consumes the sacrificers.
He kills Nadab and Abihu. And what is the take-home lesson? God tells Moses very clearly. He says, by those who come to me, I must be regarded as what? as nice, as tame, as your equal, as your buddy, as holy.
You see, these reminders of holiness that we view throughout the Scriptures are for our example, for our encouragement. So we don't come to church on the Lord's Day thinking about everything else other than the truth of God. so that we don't come and make a mockery out of the worship of the living God by not approaching Him with the reverence and the joy that He demands, and by worshiping Him in spirit and in truth, in a triune manner, respecting Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These things are for our encouragement, Calvin says, because he wanted everyone to be admonished not to play lightly with his worship. Wow, what an indictment that would be on our generation, because that's what's happening.
We're playing lightly with His worship. We are playing lightly, we are trifling with it. You know what the root of holy is? Or glory, rather?
Kabbad, with reference to the glory of God. The idea of that glory means something that is heavy. We value God and prize God because He's heavy. We don't trifle with Him.
We don't treat Him as if He's light, as if He is insignificant. Calvin says he wanted everyone to be admonished not to play lightly with his worship, but rather to engage in it with the fear commanded in his law. Gil says, and this shows concerning the death of Uzzah, and this shows that it is dangerous in matters of worship to act contrary to the command of God. Do we ever in our thoughts consider the danger of falsely approaching God?
Do we ever contemplate that if I come as a hypocrite to the house of God on the Sabbath day, and I care not one bit about the things that are going on, there's a danger involved? Again, it's not confined to old covenant worship. Do you think when Ananias and Sapphira showed up at church that one day, they were fearful that they had a thought of danger? Do you think that they were thinking that, wow, we've lied against the Holy Spirit, and we've stolen and kept back these things, and God may just judge us." No, they didn't think that.
God killed them. There's a danger involved in approaching the Holy One of Israel. And that's good. That danger, that fear produces joy and thanksgiving.
We don't want a God that we can domesticate. We don't want a God that we can tame. We don't want a God that we put up in the temple and if he falls down we put his hand back on him and set him up again. That's the last sort of God you and I ever want, is something we can tame, we can domesticate, or we can prop up.
We want God to be the one who is in absolute control. So Gill says, this shows that it is dangerous in matters of worship to act contrary to the command of God. Why do we need to be reminded of this? I submit to you that the Reformed churches have it right when it comes to what's called the regulative principle of worship.
We do nothing more, we do nothing less, and we do nothing else than what God has commanded. We sing the Bible, we pray the Bible, we preach the Bible, we pray the Bible, and we see the Bible in the sacraments. That's what worship is supposed to be. Gil goes on, even in things that may seem small and trivial, and though what may be done may be done with a good intention as this was, yet that will not excuse the sin, nor are those who are the most forward and zealous in religious matters exempted from marks of God's displeasure when they go wrong.
You see, it's not the case. It was, Lord, I had a good intent. No, you need to obey. I don't want creativity.
I don't want innovation. I want obedience, is what God says. Let's get that in our heads and commit to being obedient to the divine command when it comes to the worship of the living God. So that's the situation of Uzzah with reference to the reminder of the holiness of God.
David's Anger and Fear
Notice the response of David, his anger. Verse 8, David became angry because of the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah. This anger, perplexes me. Gil and Calvin say he was angry against the Lord.
Carl and Dalich say that he was angry with himself. I kind of could go either way. I tend to think that it's a tough passage. I don't like to think David got angry at God, especially as the text goes on.
David did know what was required, so the thought that David got angry with himself and the situation does make sense to me. I don't think that that's something that we could discount or write off. I don't know that that's out of whack in terms of interpretation. He became angry, not at God, but because of this situation that David did have a hand in.
He's upset, he's angry at the reality that, man, we didn't do this right. Notice it is intriguing. He calls the place the Lord's outbreak against Uzzah. He called the name of the place Perez-Uzzah to this day.
Same sort of word that's used in verse 20 of chapter 5. So David went to Baal-perazim and David defeated them there and he said, the Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breakthrough of water or like an outbreak of water. So God the Lord breaks through or pours out this vengeance and wrath upon pagan and churchmen, according to Davis. We see his breakthrough or outbreak with reference to the Philistines in chapter 5.
We see his outbreak with reference to the churchmen, Uzzah, in verse 8. And then notice his fear. David was afraid of the Lord that day. That's good, brethren.
He was reminded of God's holiness, and it had the good effect upon him. Let's learn from this. Instead of violating the commandments of God, instead of ending up dead because we offer strange fire before the Lord, or we put out our hands, our filthy hands, to study the ark of the Lord, or instead of dying because we lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back that which we said we gave, Let us learn with David to fear God. I love that.
Verse 9, this is the effect. David was afraid of the Lord that day and he said, how can the ark of the Lord come to me? And David says, and Calvin really lays into him here, he takes it to the house of Obed-Edom. Which if you think about it, if the Ark is dangerous, don't take it to Obed-Edom.
If I'm Obed-Edom and David's afraid, I'm going to say, well, don't bring it here. Remember, that's what happened with the Philistines. The Ark was going around and wherever it went, people got hemorrhoids and pain and sickness and death and all sorts of things. And Philistine said, send it to Gath.
Send it to Ekron. Get it out of here. We don't want it here. At any rate, whether Calvin is right or not, the sermons are available.
You can read it. David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the city of David, verse 10, but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. Some say this was a Philistine, others say, no, it's the Obed-Edom that's identified in 1 Chronicles that was a Levite. Most likely that was the case.
This Obed-Edom was a Levite. Verse 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. So basically, when this ark was with Obed-Edom, things went well at Obed-Edom's house. I don't know what all that means.
I doubt it meant that gold was falling on them and they had bountiful, plenty food, but things happened that were good. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.
Relocation of the Ark of God
Now that brings us thirdly and finally to the relocation of the Ark of God. Notice verses 12 and 13. David got wind of the fact that Obed-Edom had been blessed, so David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with gladness. You see fear and gladness go hand in hand.
Fear and gladness are consistent. Now notice the great celebration and the joy that had occurred with David and all Israel. Verses 13 to 15. Essentially what we have is sacrifice.
We have singing, we have praising, we have dancing. Again, those particular forms are not New Covenant worship, but the substance is the same, reverence and adoration and praise and glory given to the living and true God. Now
David's Worship Before the Lord
notice in verse 14, then David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen aphod. What does that mean, he's wearing a linen aphod? Some have seen something of the fact that this is a kingly-priestly function on David's part. It could sort of foreshadow his greater son, who would be a king-priest.
This in accordance with Psalm 110, that Jesus would be like Melchizedek, a king priest, and David with this linen aphod sort of symbolizes that at this particular juncture. Or it might also mean, and it can also mean, that David divested himself of his royal robes. In other words, when David took off his royal robes, David now was one of Israel. He was not functioning or he was not at least seen as the king.
He was still king, still functioning as king, but basically because he is before the living and the true God, he takes off these royal robes and he is celebrating and he is praising. This is what upsets Michael. As far as Michael is concerned, this is undignified for the king to take off his royal robes. In fact, the sermon on this passage concerning David and Michael, Calvin calls it humble David and proud Michael.
See, that's the issue. Michael does not think it dignified that the king of Israel Join the rabble, join the rest of Israel and engage in these sorts of things. That's what's in play here. So David dances before Yahweh with all his might.
He was wearing a linen aphod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
Michal's Contempt
Now notice in verse 16, the disdain of Michael. Now, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michael, notice Saul's daughter. Look at verse 20, and Michael the daughter of Saul. Notice verse 23, Michael the daughter of Saul.
Not David's wife, not David's helpmate, but Saul's daughter. A remnant, a vestige, a reminder of the old regime, right? In Saul's day, we didn't dance before the ark. In Saul's day, we didn't sing praises to God.
In Saul's day, this wasn't the rigmarole that you have made it to be. Kyle and Dalich say Michael has intentionally designated the daughter of Saul here instead of the wife of David, because on this occasion, she manifested her father's disposition rather than her husband's. In Saul's time, people did not trouble themselves about the Ark of the Covenant. Public worship was neglected, and the soul for vital religion had died out in the family of the king.
Michael possessed teraphim. Remember that? She had household idols. That instance where she hid David, or David escaped rather, and then she puts the idols, the dummies, in her bed so that the men will see and think that David is sleeping there.
She has teraphim, and in David she only loved the brave hero and exalted king. She therefore took offense at the humility with which the king, in his pious enthusiasm, placed himself on an equality with all the rest of the nation before the Lord." So essentially what you have is an externalist a false professor, someone who does not have the root of the matter in them, being embarrassed by the religious display of a man who's in love with his God. You see, the same sort of thing happens today. You know, if you lose yourself in the worship of God, and you actually cry, or you actually rejoice, or you actually show something that you're affected, persons will look at you like you're nuts.
What's the deal with him? Why is he carrying on like that? Why is it the case that the Word of God comes to you and you seem genuinely humbled under it? Don't you know that dignified people don't do that?
Don't you know that this is a scientific age? Don't you know that this is a sign of enthusiasm on your part? That was a word that was applied to men engaged in revival in the 18th century, 19th and 18th centuries. They called them enthusiasts.
No, they were Christians. They were believers. You see, David has the Spirit of the Lord. David is whirling and dancing about because he's in love with the Lord.
Certainly the Michaels of this world take offense to that. They don't think it's proper. They don't think it's right. They don't think it's dignified.
Robert Alter makes this comment concerning, he refers to a Jewish interpreter, Shaman Bar Efrat, neatly observes that at the beginning of their story, the David and Michael story, a loving Michael helped David escape through the window from her father's henchmen while she now looks at him from a distance through the window in seething contempt. It's a big turn in the tables here. And I think it is the case that the only time, or the first time at least, in the scripture that it says a woman loved a man was Michael loved David. And now she despises him in her heart.
It's religious in nature. It's because he's a believer and she's not. It's because he's in love with God and she isn't. This upsets the unconverted.
This upset Michael. She's proud and arrogant and rebellion against God. So essentially, in verses 17 to 19, we have continued celebration. Before we get to the situation concerning Michael and David, we're going to just create the tension more.
This is great storytelling. I mean, you'd think we'd go right from 16 to 20, wouldn't you? Michael despises David. We get right to the confrontation between 17, 18, and 19.
We're going to rejoice some more before the presence of God, because God's that great. We'll let you wait until we resolve this tension with David and Michael, because we want you to see how great God is, 17, 18, 19. sacrifice, worship, praise, adoration. It has all the marks of a covenant renewal ceremony before the Lord God Most High. Now
Confrontation: David and Michal
notice this confrontation in verses 20 to 23. Time seems to be going especially fast tonight. We will not keep you over, but I will speak quicker. Notice verse 20, then David returned to bless his household.
What a good man. He blesses Israel. He gives gifts to Israel. He's a good king.
It's a time of worship, a time of covenant renewal, a time of blessing. So he returns home to bless his own household. And Michael, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet David and said, how glorious was the king of Israel today. She is jeering, she is taunting, she is wretched in this.
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. Davis says, Michael is concerned with royal dignity, proper decorum, outward appearances. A king has a certain image to maintain and he shouldn't put himself on a level with, well, the riffraff. That's her indictment to him.
You see, David is caught up in love for his God. David hasn't done anything wrong, and essentially that's what David says. If being a lover of my God is wrong, well then I'm going to be even more wrong. That's essentially his response to her in verse 21.
Notice, verse 21, so David said to Michael, it was before the Lord. This is beautiful. It was before God. It wasn't for the maidservants.
It wasn't even for all Israel. It was before the Lord. That's why he takes off the royal robes. That's why he appears only in the linen aphod.
That's why he does what he does in terms of whirling and dancing and praising and rejoicing and blessing and sacrificing. It was before the Lord. It is as if he says, Michael, this is Yahweh of Israel. Michael, this is what we live for.
This is what we're about. This is what it is. This is the essence of Christianity. It is worship of the true and living God.
I think we ought to get some of that in our own hearts as we approach the Lord's Day. It's about the Lord. Do you know that your life as a saved man or woman is about the Lord? When you go to the house of God, it is to present yourself before the Lord.
It is a time not to be seen by men. It's not a time for social. There is social. That's a corollary.
Bless God and praise God. But the primary emphasis on the Sabbath day is that you come before the Lord. And David has this. And David understands this.
And then David highlights the fact that God chose him over Saul. So David said to Michael, 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. God did this.
God carved this out. God called me. God sustained me. God kept me in the wilderness.
God kept me through Abner. God kept me through Ish-bosheth. God brought me to Hebron. God brought me to this place.
God cast out the Jebusites. Of course I'm going to make music to the Lord. Let that affect you when you come into the house of God on the Lord's day. He justified us.
He is sanctifying us. He will ultimately glorify us. Of course I'm going to praise Him. Of course I'm going to adore Him.
Of course I'm going to go back on Sunday night. Of course I'm going to fellowship with His people. He has saved me. Gil says that he observed or he said this to humble her pride and mortify her as well as to remark the distinguishing goodness of God to him, which laid him under obligation to express his thankfulness to him in every shape.
Michael, the Lord has done this. What is my response but to make music before God? and then the differing definitions of dignity between the saved and the unsaved. Look at David in verse 22. And I will be even more undignified than this and will be humble in my own sight.
If you think you've seen undignified, you ain't seen nothing yet, lady. This God is so great, and He's so glorious, and He's so wondrous, and He's so awesome, that if you think that is a lack of dignity, keep your eyes feasted on what I'm going to do next. He's not being indecent. He is not being lawless.
He is not being wretched. He is in the confines of God's holy commands, but He is worshipping the Lord Most High in a manner that is consistent with who the Lord Most High is. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor." Notice the Lord or divine approbation of David, not Michael. Verse 23, therefore Michael the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
You see, God approved of David. God said, yes, that's the way you worship. Yes, that's the way you approach me. Yes, in light of the fact that I sustained you all those years and I brought you to this consolidated kingdom, it is right for you to praise and honor and glorify me.
Michael, you're wrong on this. Michael, you need to understand what grace and mercy and kindness are all about, and you certainly need to learn what worship is all about.
Application
Well, brethren, in conclusion, we learn concerning the presence of God, this is to be desired, this is to be sought after, this is what we want. When David assumes control of the kingdom and he's in Jerusalem, the first order of business is, let's go get the ark. That's admirable, that is a blessing. Secondly, we need to understand the holiness of God.
The incident at Beth Shemesh, the incident with Uzzah, the reality that our God is indeed a consuming fire. I remember hearing a sermon by Pastor Earl Blackburn on the fall of David in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. You know, when David is found out in sin with Bathsheba and he kills Uriah. And Earl Blackburn said, you know, brethren, texts like these are an indication of divine inspiration.
Texts like these are an indication of divine inspiration. What did he mean by that? He said, well, we would never include those stories of tragedy concerning our heroes. In other words, if I was a big fan of David and I was writing his life history, I wouldn't include that he was a murderer and an adulterer.
That's a demonstration of inspiration. God gives us the truth. David says something similar on this passage. He says, for me, the death of Uzzah For me, passages like this are evidence of the supernatural origin and trustworthiness of the Bible.
This Uzzah story goes so against the grain of human preferences. We would never have invented a God like this, would we? No, we'd invent a God that just throws gold at us. We'd invent a God that just gives us rubies.
We'd invent a God who'd just give us everything that would indulge our lusts. He says, we would never have invented a God like this, not if we want to win converts and influence people. This God is not very marketable. Anyone who says the God of the Bible is merely a projection of our wish fulfillment has not read the Bible.
I think that's absolutely accurate. And then finally, the worship of God. The worship of God is regulated by God's Word, our good intentions notwithstanding. You can read Deuteronomy 12, 32, 1 Timothy 3, 15, Hebrews 12, 28 and 29. to validate what has been historically called the regulative principle of worship.
As well, the worship of God is prioritized by the people of God. This is what David wants. David wants to worship. And the worship of God is mingled with trembling and with joy.
Psalm 211, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Again, one final quote from Davis and then I'll pray. He says, I think this Michael David altercation holds a telling application to the sphere of our worship and devotion. In our churches there are any number of folks who are very concerned with services and externals and procedures and mechanics and meetings and decency and order, but who really can't understand anything of the joy of the Lord.
There are some who can muster enthusiasm and gusto over professional sports, but who somehow cannot fathom anything but professional detachment over Jesus Christ. Exuberant praise and tears of repentance are strangers to them. W.G. Blakey has carefully drawn the bottom line.
There are doubtless times to be calm and times to be enthusiastic, but can it be right to give all our coldness to Christ and all our enthusiasm to the world? Very, very cutting. Well, let us close in a word of prayer.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for 2 Samuel, and we thank you for the life of God's people and the history of the Church, and thank you that you have given us this word by inspiration, and that it's profitable to us for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Help us to have this desire for the presence of God. Help us to see you as the Holy One of Israel, and help us as well, Almighty God, to rejoice with trembling in your presence. and may we worship you in spirit and in truth, and may we seek to be obedient to your word. Go with us now, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.