2 Samuel 6:1-19
To have a better understanding of 2 Samuel 6, we need a little history to get in to the context. Around 75 years before the event told in our reading, Israel fought and lost a battle against the Philistines. Those were difficult times in Israel, there were times of moral and spiritual decline. The Israelites thought they could win the battle against the Philistines by bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield. Sadly, they lost the battle again and the Ark of the Covenant was captured. As the custom was in those times, the winners brought the loser’s sacred objects into their god’s temple, in this case for the Philistines was Dagon’s temple. And placing these sacred objects there essentially meant, “Our god is stronger than your God.”
However, 1 Samuel relates that while the Ark of the Covenant was in Dagon’s temple something remarkable happened, the statue of Dagon fell face downward before the Ark. This happened not once, but twice. Eventually, the Philistines understood they were in trouble, and they wanted to get rid of the Ark.
They began passing the Ark around from one city to another until the people of the city of Ekron said, “Don’t bring the ark to our town.” And to make a long story short, they came up with a plan. The plan was to send the Ark back to Israel. To do that, they took a new cart and two cows, they yoked the cows to the cart and let them go. The Ark stopped in Beth Shemesh, there some men tried to see what was inside the Ark and God struck them down. Seventy died and those in Beth Shemesh ask for the Ark to be taken to Kiriath Jearim. So, the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. And that is how the Ark ended in the house of Abinadab. This is found in 1 Samuel 4-7.
Now, let us go back to this morning’s scripture. The firsts chapters of 2 Samuel are particularly important in Israel’s history. Saul the first king is dead; David has been anointed king. First in Judah the South Kingdom and years later over the 10 tribes of the North Kingdom. The nation had gathered themselves around David and anointed him to be their king. During the days of Saul, Israel had lost sight of their relationship with the Lord, and David wanted to make that situation right. He wanted to bring his people back to God, and to do that, David knew he had to restore the worship to Jehovah, which had been in decline since Eli’s death; he sought to involve the whole nation in spiritual renewal.
Our passage opens with David leading a massive army to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant from Abinadab’s house. David knew that Israel would never be where they needed to be with the Lord, -spiritually speaking- until the Ark -which was a symbol of God’s presence- was restored as the centerpiece of Israel’s everyday life.
This Ark was vital for Israel; it was central to their lives, their worship, and their relationship with God. But the Ark was not where it was supposed to be; it was not in the place God told Moses, and, neither was God. Now David is ready to take the Ark back to the Tabernacle.
The following chapters in 2 Samuel describe the result of David’s action of putting God first: chapter 7 tells us the desire of David to build a house for the Lord. “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” Chapter 8 tells us about the victories over his enemies. Battle after battle David was subduing his enemies. David’s kingdom grows little by little for God was with him. And all these positive changes began when he -David-restored the worship of the true God and placed him at the center of Israel’s life.
Several things excel in this scripture. First: David’s desire to make God central in his nation. Needless is to say the close personal relationship David had with God. Since he was a young boy, he experienced God’s blessings and faithfulness. That is why when he knew Abinadab’s house was prospered by God’s presence, he decided to move the Ark to Jerusalem, capital of his kingdom, so God’s blessing could not be for one family only, but for all the families in Israel. By doing so, David was saying, God’s blessings cannot be limited for a few only but for all.
Second: Its always God’s way, not ours. At the beginning of chapter 6 we read that David brought a great army to move the ark, thirty thousand soldiers to be more exact. And as the philistines did 75 years before, David also built a new cart to pull the Ark. He failed, and in the process of not following the right instructions Uzzah died. David forgot to check with God first; David forgot the instructions of how to handle the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was to be lifted by means of two golden poles which were to be passed through golden rings on the corners of the Ark, Ex. 25:14-15. The Ark was then to be lifted up and carried upon the shoulders of Levites as Num. 3:30; 14:15; 7:9, and not to be pulled by oxen. David made good plans and good preparations, but he neglected to do it God’s way and Uzzah died. One question that always has to be in our minds and hearts is: Lord is this your way? Let us remember psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat for he grants sleep to those he loves.”
Third: If we want to have a nation that worships God, worshiping has to begin with me. David did not call the priests or Levites only to move the Ark and lead the worshiping, he was there too; he was there to set an example for Israel. David removed his royal cloth, he put away his crown, he forgot his throne and danced for the Lord. Among the multitude David was one more sheep of God’s flock. David knew that before God, servants, slaves, master, and kings are the same.
Brothers and sisters what David’s example is telling us today is that when we put God in first place and go after him with a heart and desire to know and honor Him; and we seek His face according to His will; God will give us that which he has promised, and he will bless us with His presence and His power for His glory!
David’s example is an invitation to be more open -and expressive I would say- when we worship God. And it is also a reminder that changes always begin with me, with us. Great changes happen when we put God in first place. God bless you. Amen.