“Raiders of the Lost Ark”
II Samuel 6:1-22
2SA 6:1 David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2 He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. 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. 8 Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 9 David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. 12 Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 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. 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. 17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. 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!" 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."
INTRODUCTION
• The Ark of the Lord was actually the very representation of the presence of God.
• The people had lost their closeness to the presence of the Lord and, here in this passage, is in the process of trying to bring it back.
• Are you there today? Is their a distance between you and the presence of the Lord…between you and the Lord…that needs to be bridged this morning?
• What do we need to remember as we become a raider of the Lost Ark in our lives?
I. BAD EXAMPLES
• Let’s take a look at what we need to avoid when seeking to retrieve the presence of God in our lives.
1. DISRESPECTING the ark {vs 3-5}
• It looks like they were doing a good thing but they were handling the ark in a way which was contrary to what God instructed them to do.
• Their method was the same as the Philistine’s method…the enemy of the Lord
• Folks, is we start handling the things of God like the world does, we will never get the ark back into our lives.
* Do we believe the entire Word of God?
* Do we only pray at times of crisis?
* Do we keep our walk with God a secret in order to not offend?
2. DISOBEDIENCE—Uzzah {vs 6-7}
• Some of us may wonder what the big deal is here. Take a look at Exodus 25:12-16
EX 25:12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. 16 Then put in the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.
• Sometimes, disobeying the Lord seems to make sense
* Give only when the money is there or Lie in order to get ahead
* Sin because no one is looking or will catch us
* Enter an improper relationship because we are more insecure than obedient
* We will excuse things by saying, “It doesn’t offend me, so…”
• If you want the presence of God in your life, you must be a person of overwhelming obedience!
3. DISAPPOINTMENT—David {vs 8-10}
• David was angry and then fearful; so he allowed the presence of God to go elsewhere
• Some in here today may be in the same spot…you became disappointed with the Lord and have made a very unhealthy distance between you and Him.
• Friend, if this describes you, then you have fallen into the enemy’s trap for you
4. DISDAIN—Michal {vs 16, 20}
• Michal became a critic
• Be very careful what you criticize when the ark comes back your way
II. GOOD EXAMPLES
• Now, let’s see the good examples in this Scripture.
1. APPROPRIATENESS—carrying the ark
• The people of God handled the presence of God in the appropriate way
• I long for the day that we can get a holy awe and a reverence for the Lord again
2. ADJUSTMENTS—Obed Edom {vs 10-12a}
• Obed-Edom finds himself with this ark in his house.
• Believe me when I tell you some adjustments HAD to have been made on that day!
• What adjustments do you need to make in order to accommodate a greater presence of the Lord in your life?
3. ABANDON—David {vs 12-22}
• Worship (12-15)
* He didn’t care what anyone thought
* Friend, our worship time isn’t entertainment…it’s giving praise to the Lord!
• Sacrifice (13, 17)
* He gave his best to the Lord
* As His presence becomes more real in your life, you will find yourself giving Him your best!
• Giving (18, 19)
* He blessed those around him
* One secret to a real intimacy with Jesus is the desire to bless other people
RESPONSE
• Is there a distance between you and God this morning?
• Have you made some bad decisions as you have tried to progress spiritually?
• Can you offer a prayer to the Lord this morning and decide to take the proper steps in bring back the lost ark in your life?
