seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Samuel 6:1 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. 2 He and all his men went to Baalah in 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 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 all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, 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 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 to bring 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 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing 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, going around half-naked in full view 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.”
23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
Here's a link to the commentary I use.David became angry because of the LORD’s outbreak: David’s anger was based in confusion. He couldn’t understand why his good intentions weren’t enough. God cares about both our intentions and actions.
How can the ark of the LORD come to me: David knew it was important to bring the ark of the LORD into the center of Israel’s life. He wanted all Israel to be excited about the presence and glory of God. Because of what happened to Uzzah, David felt he couldn’t do what God wanted him to do.
And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household: When God’s Word was obeyed, and His holiness was respected blessing followed. God wanted the ark to be a blessing for Israel, not a curse. We might say that the curse didn’t come from God’s heart but from man’s disobedience.
David danced before the LORD with all his might: David didn’t hold back anything in his own expression of worship. He didn’t dance out of obligation but out of heartfelt worship. He was glad to bring the ark of the LORD into Jerusalem according to God’s word.
She despised him in her heart: David’s wife Michal didn’t appreciate David’s exuberant worship. She felt it wasn’t dignified for the King of Israel to express his emotions before God.
Uncovering himself today: Michal seemed to indicate that she didn’t object to David’s dancing, but to what David wore when he set aside his royal robes and danced as a man just like the other men celebrating in the procession. David acted as if he were just another worshipper in Israel.
It was before the LORD: David didn’t let Michal’s sarcastic criticism ruin his day. He simply explained the truth: “I did it for God, not for you.”
Good morning. I heard this chapter preached before. When the preacher wrote his sermon, he put Michal's sarcasm at the heart of the chapter.
Back then I didn't question the preachers. I figured the preacher was teaching that Michal was too snooty for her own good. I figured the preacher was teaching that Michal didn't revere God. I figured the preacher was teaching that Michal would have been one of those women who just cannot stand the "new" church service. She would be one of those who is stuck singing the "Old Rugged Cross" or "Have Thine Own Way" instead of singing Hallelujah with her hands in the air like she doesn't have a care.
Well, I missed the whole meaning... if you ask me now.
David went down to get the Arc of the Covenant. The Arc was built to be carried by the priests. It had gold rings along the sides into which two poles were inserted. The Arc was to be carried like a coffin. But that's not how they decided the job needed to be done. The Arc was heavy... so, they built it a cart rather than use the poles. I guess they figured they would save their backs or God's way was good back then, but modern technology [wheels] would make the job safer. They protected themselves.
However, God knew the Arc would shift if it was put on wheels. When the Arc started to shift on the cart, Uzzah [an Israelite] reached out to steady the load, and just as God told them, the man was struck dead.
Numbers 4:15 “After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.
Another point in these verses is that it took two tries to get the Arc to the City of David. The whole mission was called off when Uzzah was struck dead. I mean it's just logical. They stored the Arc where it killed the man.
God wants us to follow HIS rules. David didn't want the Arc just killing people willy-nilly. That would not do. So, they stored the Arc at the home of Obed-Edom [a Levite]. Some time later, reports went to David that Obed-Edom was being blessed while the Arc was in his home. That's when David decided to go get the Arc and this time, he would follow the rules and get the mission accomplished.
David was so happy the mission was finally working... He started dancing and playing music. I guess today he would have had a big marching band and lots of pomp and circumstance, maybe even call in a flyover leaving a trail of red, white, and blue, but back then, he just danced and played music.
That's where the hoity-toity Michal snubbed her nose at her shepherd boy turned king and his dancing.
She thought it was unbecoming.
I wonder how Michal would act at a good Tent Revival? She was raised as the king's daughter.... and now she had a shepherd turned king as a husband. It must have been embarrassing at times, when he didn't raise his pinky finger at the right time, or when he slurped his soup. I wonder, the preacher that harped on Michal, did his wife dress him down for showing his butt at a party? Is that why he preached on the ills of being hoity toity that morning?
That preacher missed the whole meaning of the chapter, IMHO.
The mission was accomplished when David did what God wanted him to do.
David said "I did it for God, not for you".
