6 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.
David’s desire is to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to The City of David (Jerusalem) in order to give it the permanent home that it deserves. So he gathers the finest he has to carry out the task, a whopping 30,000 men. Many of these men were no doubt running security from Baalah (where the Ark currently was) to Jerusalem. Baalah was a town on the northern border of Judah.
The Ark was a tangible example fo God’s existence. It was built by an artisan named Bezalel (Exodus 37:1), directed by the measurements given to Moses by God. In the desert, the Jews were commanded to build a tabernacle, or a moving temple, and take the ark, and all its vestments of worship wherever they went. This was a path to train the Jews in holiness as they wandered in the desert. Eventually the ark would find its permanent home. David hoped to be the one to give the ark that home.
The ark measured 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide and 2 feet 3 inches tall. The mercy seat, which resided on the top of the ark, was adorned with cherubs on either side. God resided between them. Inside, there were a few remnants of the generation that came out of Egypt. A jar of manna: Manna was the supernatural way God fed the people during that time. It came from the sky and the people collected and prepared it (Exodus 16:31) Aaron’s budded staff: There was grumbling and toggling for power in the desert, so God proposed a plan: get the 12 leaders of the tribes together with their staffs and whoever’s staff buds is the one God finds favor with. Aaron, the brother of Moses’ staff budded and it was to be put in the ark as a reminder of God’s desired leadership (Numbers 17). The tablets of the law: These were the second set of tablets that God supplied to Moses when he was on Mt. Sinai. Moses destroyed the first pair in anger when he descended the mountain to find that the Israelites had fallen into apostasy by worshipping a golden calf (Exodus 32). The second set was created in Exodus 34:1-9.
David is obviously happy and content with his decision. But has God blessed this? Was God even in the decision? David’s motive is obviously good, but we don’t see any sign that he consulted with God.
In verse 3, we see that David had the ark set on a cart. The ark was always meant to be carried by Levites (Numbers 4:13) from the Koath family. So we can see that David’s intentions are good (he wants to bring the ark to Jerusalem, where it should be, plus he wants to honor God), but he hasn’t consulted God and he is not following God’s edicts.
This is a classic case of getting ahead of God. Sometimes in life we want to do great things for God. We may believe that we don’t have a lot of time and we have to get things done for God right away. But one of the greatest (and hardest) things we can do for our faith is to wait. Waiting on God is important and a very biblical concept. See the stories of Nehemiah, Esther and Job, for example).
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.
When they come to a landmark, a threshing floor, everything goes wrong. Threshing floors are submerged rooms where wheat would be thrown into. On the threshing floor, men would separate the chaff from the wheat. The chaff, the undesirable part of the wheat, would disperse into the air. In a sense, it is apt this problem with David’s procession comes at this point. In a sense, the chaff is being cut from the wheat.
Uzzah touches the ark, to steady it, and is immediately struck dead. This seems overly harsh, but remember, David isn’t doing this God’s way. This spectacle he has created is motivationally correct, but David isn’t following God’s law. Numbers 4:15 tells us that no one is to touch the ark. Even if Uzzah is trying to do the right thing, it is compounded by many wrong things. Because the ark is on a cart is the first problem. Because the Levites aren’t involved is the next. This action will get David’s attention.
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?”
David didn’t understand why this happened. He knew he was doing a good thing. He deeply desired for the ark to be in Jerusalem.
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.
1 Chronicles 26:4 tells us that Obed-Edom was a Levite. Once David was able to play by God’s rules, he saw the blessing of God.
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.
David is certain to do it right this time. When those who were carrying the ark: remember the first attempt? It was on a cart. David realized that the ark was meant to be carried and did it correct this time. Six steps: This is excessive, but it shows the repentance of David and the people in the procession. Wearing a linen ephod: Chronicles 15:27 tells us that David was dressed as those in the procession were. He was not dressed as a king but of one of the many priests and caretakers. David was dancing before the Lord with all his might: David wasn’t holding back. He was deeply and emotionally connected to God and chose to let it all come out.
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.
Michal, the rescued daughter of Saul, did not appreciate David’s excessive dancing and worship. Perhaps she felt it was undignified.
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.
Finally, through the wars where the ark was lost (1 Samuel 4) and recovered, through its moving around and finally being hidden for decades, it is in its proper place in Jerusalem. It’s a time of happiness and praise.
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!”
Michal’s complaint to David was mainly based on the idea that David wasn’t representing himself as the king in the way she believed he should.
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.
David reminds Michal that God has chosen him as king, and because of it, he will act first to be in compliance to God, then as king. This includes making a fool of himself, if necessary, in order to connect and grow in God. Michal, who had no children in her life, could have been punished for her pride, but it isn’t made clear. Perhaps David never slept with her again. But it does seem there is a connection between her embittered actions.