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2 Samuel 6:1-15, 17
By Tony Martin
In these days, our American culture no longer fears God nor treats the things of God with respect and reverence. But before we bemoan this fact, we must also acknowledge a possible lack of reverence for God’s holiness when worshippers approach worship in a frivolous manner. This has nothing whatsoever to do with worship styles, because God can be honored in a variety of ways. Rather, it is the condition of the worshipper’s heart, his or her willingness to humbly seek God and to honor Him … and to remember that true reverence for God is manifested by obedience to His commands. It is bound up in the concept of “being holy,” and to be holy simply means to be set apart for God’s purposes.
This first section deals with the Ark of the Covenant being brought to the City of David (Jerusalem). David wanted to honor the Lord by making sure God was at the center of Israel’s life – one nation under God, as it were – and having the Ark in Jerusalem would show that. Rather than transporting the Ark as instructed in the Law, the Ark was placed on a new ox cart and pulled by oxen.
This may not seem like a big deal, but note that in moving the Ark in this fashion, David was disobeying the law. In Exodus 25:14–15 and Numbers 1:50-51, the law states that the Levites were to carry the Ark with long poles through the rings of the Ark. In 1 Samuel 4–6, we can see how the Philistines captured the Ark in battle and returned it to Israelite territory – and when they transported it, they placed it on a new cart pulled by two cows (1 Sam. 6:7–12). In fact, the Israelites, under David’s direction, were following the pattern of the Philistines.
Even when our motives are sincere, we need to respect God’s holiness and be obedient to His commands. Doing what we believe to be God’s will in a way that violates God’s Word grieves God. Sometimes it seems that churches tend to operate under more of the authority of Roberts’ Rules of Order and the Constitution and Bylaws than they do scripture itself.
God does not take our insensitivity to His holiness lightly. This sobering passage tells of how the oxen carrying the Ark stumbled, and Uzzah, acting with good motives, reaches out and touches the Ark. God strikes him, and he falls dead beside the Ark. God had warned about this sort of irreverence in the Law of Moses (Num. 1:51, 4:15, 20). This whole incident could have been avoided had the Ark been handled as God had directed in the first place.
Verse 9 states that “David was afraid of the Lord that day” – an understatement, for sure – and asks God, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He then takes the Ark to the home of Obed-Edom, a Gittite, and there it remained for three months.
Today’s church should take note. No amount of unity in a church can compensate for disobedience. It is entirely possible that a church become so enamored of its organization and professionalism that it misses the blessings of God altogether. In order for a church to understand God’s will, it must always base its actions on God’s Word. There is an inherent danger in doing God’s work man’s way.
After three months in Obed-Edom’s house, David was able to continue moving the Ark to the City of David. This was a joyful occasion. David was so mindful of being obedient – doing God’s work God’s way – that after just six steps with the Ark, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. When the procession reached Jerusalem, the priests offered fourteen more sacrifices (1 Chron. 15:26).
And David danced for joy with all his might. His dance was personal and sincere. He was dressed in a priestly linen ephod and gave himself over to the enthusiasm he had. Interestingly, the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word enthousiasmos, which means “having the god within.” So, it is right to worship God joyfully and enthusiastically. Without getting into a debate as to how that enthusiasm in worship should be expressed in our contemporary culture, understand that it is even more important to be obedient to God in worship. Obedience to God, both privately and corporately, can be the highest form of worship. We honor God by doing things the way He wants them done.
Scripture cited is from the New International Version.
Martin is the Associate Editor of The Baptist Record.
