David And The Ark Series

Scripture

After ten weeks of not being able to meet together in person for worship because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, I am now able to resume my sermon series on “The Life of David.”

The fifth chapter of Second Samuel showed us David’s coronation as king over all Israel, his selection of Jerusalem as his capitol city, and his defeat of the pesky Philistines. Having established Jerusalem as his political capitol, David now also wanted to establish Jerusalem as his religious capitol. But, to do so, he needed to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

The ark of the covenant was an ancient box 3¾ by 2¼ by 2¼ feet made of acacia wood, plated with gold, and with a cherub at each end (Exodus 25:10-22). It was the only piece of furniture that was kept in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. It was so holy that only the high priest saw the ark of the covenant, and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. God had given specific instructions for transporting the ark. The significance of the ark of the covenant is that it was the visible symbol of God’s presence in the midst of his people.

The background for today’s sermon is that about seventy years earlier the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant at the Second Battle of Aphek (1 Samuel 4:11). However, they quickly discovered that it was a dangerous trophy (1 Samuel 5). So, the Philistines sent it back to Israel, to the city of Beth-shemesh. The men of Beth-shemesh treated the ark like a carnival curiosity and looked at the ark, completely ignoring God’s word about how it should be handled. God struck dead seventy of their men. Then the ark was sent to Kiriath-jearim, to the house of Abinadab (1 Samuel 6:19-71), where it remained until David decided to bring it back to Jerusalem.

Let’s read about David and the ark in 2 Samuel 6:1-15:

1 David again gathered all the chosen 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, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried 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, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And 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 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household 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 rejoicing. 13 And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And 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 horn. (2 Samuel 6:1-15)

Introduction

In his book Soul Searching, Christian Smith summarized perceptions about God that are prevalent in the church and in contemporary culture. He said that most young evangelicals believe in what could best be described as “moral, therapeutic deism.” We could also call this viewpoint “the Santa Claus god.” Here is how Smith describes “moral, therapeutic deism”: