David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
6:1 David again assembled all the best men in Israel, thirty thousand in number.
David assembled 30,000 of the best men in Israel to help him bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The ark had been kept at Shiloh and Nob, but both of those cities were destroyed by the enemies of Israel. The Philistines possessed the Arl of the Covenant for a few months. However, when all of the Philistines began dying of plagues, then they sent the ark of the covenant back to Israel in a cart. The ark of the covenant was removed and kept in the house of Abinadab for seventy years.
6:2 David and all the men who were with him traveled to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it.
David and his 30,000 men traveled to Baalah to bring up the ark to the new capital city of Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden box with overlaid gold. The lid was the mercy seat. Two cherubim stood on each side of the lid with their wings outstretched. The blood of the sacrifice was poured upon the mercy seat, which was seated between the two outstretched wings of the cherubim.
6:3 They loaded the ark of God on a new cart and carried it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart.
According to the Mosaic Law, only the Kohath family from the tribe of Levi could move the ark. No one was allowed to touch the ark, not even the Kohath tribe. The Kohath Levites could only move the ark with designated poles. The poles fit between designated rings which were located around the ark. The Philistines moved the ark by cart, but they were ignorant of the Mosaic Law. Therefore, Jehovah did not punish them when they touched the ark.
6:4 They brought it with the ark of God up from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Ahio was walking in front of the ark,
The men were carrying the ark on a wagon. This was against the Mosaic Law.
6:5 while David and all Israel were energetically celebrating before the Lord, singing and playing various stringed instruments, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals.
Notice that David worshiped Jehovah with all kinds of instruments. Psalm 150 commands believers to worship God with all kinds of instruments. Churches who rule out musical instruments are not following the worship guidelines of the Old Testament.
6:6 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and grabbed hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.
The oxen stumbled. Uzzah touched the ark in order to keep it steady. This was a violation of the Mosaic Law. Not even priests were allowed to touch the ark. The ark represented God’s holiness. God is set apart by man. Man in his sinful nature is not allowed to touch God, because he is too filthy in his conduct, actions, deeds, and even in his thought life.
6:7 The Lord was so furious with Uzzah, he killed him on the spot for his negligence. He died right there beside the ark of God.
Jehovah killed Uzzah, showing Israel that the high standards of the Mosaic Law were still in effect. Uzzah committed the sin unto death. He lost his physical life, but not his eternal life.
6:8 David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah; so he called that place Perez Uzzah, which remains its name to this very day.
David was either angry at himself for not applying the Mosaic Law, or angry at God for striking down Uzzah. David was the King of Israel. He should have been familiar with the details of the Mosaic Law.
6:9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How will the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Wise men fear God, because God has the power and authority to enforce and execute judgment at any time.
6:10 So David was no longer willing to bring the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. David left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
Obed-Edom was a Levite who most likely knew enough of the Mosaic Law to keep other people from getting killed.
6:11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. The Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.
The Levite was blessed for three months.
6:12 David was told, “The Lord has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David.
David wanted the Ark of the Covenant to bless the city of Jerusalem.
6:13 Those who carried the ark of the Lord took six steps and then David sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf.
David followed the procedures of the Mosaic Law. Since David was the anointed king in the messianic line, it is possible that he was able to offer the sacrifice. If so, then David was a prophet, priest and king, just like Jesus. Another possibility is that the priests may have offered the sacrifices.
6:14 Now David, wearing a linen ephod, was dancing with all his strength before the Lord.
A linen ephod was the shirtless jacket of the High Priest. Since David was wearing this ephod, it seems as though he was also operating in the dual role as priest and king.
6:15 David and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord, shouting and blowing trumpets.
Music accompanied the transportation of the Ark of the Covenant.
6:16 As the ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him.
Michal was not a very spiritual wife. She did not possess the same spiritual maturity as David. She was not equally yoked with David. They both possessed different outlooks of life. David was worshiping Jehovah eagerly with enthusiasm. Michal despised this type of outward display towards God.
6:17 They brought the ark of the Lord and put it in its place in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before the Lord.
A tent was prepared for the Ark of the Covenant. Notice that David in his ephod offered sacrifices.
6:18 When David finished offering the burnt sacrifices and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.
Notice that David, not the priests, pronounced a blessing on the people.
6:19 He then handed out to each member of the entire assembly of Israel, both men and women, a portion of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then all the people went home.
David offered festivity food to all of the people.
6:20 When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saul’s daughter, came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servants’ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!”
Michal was not interested in David’s blessing. She preferred to insult him with sarcasm. Often, ungodly wives will rebuke a godly husband for the time that the husband spends with the Lord. Whenever a person spends time with the Lord, then this is worship. A husband should not be mocked by his wife because of his dedication to worship God.
6:21 David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over the Lord’s people Israel.
David explained to Michal that his energy in celebration was directed towards Jehovah, not servant girls. He reminded Michal that it was God’s divine election which placed David as King over the members of her family.
6:22 I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!”
David does not mind humbling himself if it glorifies God.
6:23 Now Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no children to the day of her death.
Either David or God cut Michal off, making her childless for the rest of her life. Childlessness was considered a curse in Israel. Godless and carnal wives are sinning against God when they are not subject to their husbands. Paul even commands believing wives to be submissive to their unbelieving husbands.