Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem
II Samuel 6
Tonight we’re going to look at the story of David bringing the ark to Jerusalem. This is the ark of the covenant, that metal-covered box that God told Moses to make. It’s not Noah’s ark!
The ark was a small wooden box, covered in metal. It was, for the Jews, the visible sign of the presence of God. They looked on it as God’s throne here on the earth. When David established himself as king, he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This would show everyone that David knew that he was not the true ruler of Israel, that Israel had a true King and that King was God.
However, the first time that David tried to bring the ark, he transported it on a cart, as the Philistines had done when they returned the ark to the Israelites years before. The results were disastrous. Let’s read in II Samuel 6, starting with verse 3:
II Samuel 6:3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. 6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.
Why did things go so wrong when David did exactly what the Philistines had done? The problem was, that wasn’t the way God had told His people to transport the ark. In Exodus and in Numbers, God told his people that the ark was to be carried by the Levites and that it was never to be touched.
Now David was angry with God, but he learned his lesson. And when he saw that the household where the ark had been left was being blessed by God, David decided to do things right. Let’s read in I Chronicles 15:11-15:
I Chronicles 15:11 Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.
So we learn a very important lesson: When God tells us a specific way to do something, we are to do it that way.
So this time David had the Levites carry the ark. And look what it says in verses 14-15 of II Samuel 6:
14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
David danced before God with all his might. Apparently he had removed his outer clothing and stripped down to his "linen ephod." This would have been a short, tight-fitting garment, normally worn under one’s robes. It certainly wasn’t clothing fit for a king to use in public. But David didn’t care. He was worshipping God, worshipping with all his might. Do we ever worship God with all of our might? Do you ever come out of a service feeling spent because you have fully dedicated yourself to worshipping God? Think about the last time you went to an exciting sporting event, when you jumped and screamed and cheered for your team. Do you put the same energy into praising God?
David and all the people celebrated and worshipped God with all their might. This was a national celebration. Can you imagine it? All of the people worshipping God.
Well, almost all. Let’s read in verse 16:
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
The Bible says that David’s wife Michal saw how he danced and despised him in her heart. There may have been some jealousy involved, that Michal didn’t like her husband out dancing in skimpy clothes in front of all those women. Or she may have resented the fact that he was acting in a manner unbecoming a king. Michal missed out on this incredible national celebration, this wonderful time of praising God, because she was too busy spying and criticizing.
Verse 20 is very sad to me:
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
David came to bring a blessing and received a rebuke from Michal. Yet David was not ashamed of what he had done:
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel — I will celebrate before the LORD. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.
He wasn’t worshipping to please Michal or anyone else except the Lord. What he did, he did before the Lord. He was sorry that Michal didn’t like it, but that didn’t change anything. David would do the same again. His worship was before the Lord, not before men.
And God cursed Michal for what she had done.
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
It’s a chilling thought. David came to bring her a blessing, but Michal came away with a curse.
What kind of voice do you supposed that Michal had? Shrill? Piercing? Loud?
She must have had a loud voice, because I still hear it today! She still raises her voice to judge and criticize the way others worship God.
"They sing during the Lord’s Supper!"
"They don’t stand up to pray!"
"They wait until after the sermon to take the Lord’s Supper!"
"They raise their hands when they sing!"
Michal still misses out on praising God because she is too busy spying, too busy watching to see what others are doing.
Be quiet, Michal! You’ve said enough. It’s been over 3000 years. Be quiet, Michal!
You had no children. Your voice should not be heard among us. Be quiet!
So what do we learn from this passage?
(1) From David, we learn to worship God in spirit.
(2) From the cart disaster, we learn to worship God in truth.
(3) From Michal, we learn to let others worship God in spirit and in truth.
We need to worship God in the way that He has laid out. We need to do it with all our might. And we need to let others do the same.
