Community - Worship

2 Samuel 6:1–19 ESV

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn. As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.

TODAY - Worship - Here we see a worshpi PROCESSION

RETRIEVING THE ARK

Tribes united - kingdom stable - threats subsided

now David works to restore right worship

Has been in Baal Judah - in an old Baal sanctuary - but has become a place of worship for YAHWEH

Ark belongs in Jerusalem - at the center of the Jewish people. The capital city.

So, David moves, collects it, and beings a PROCESSION

but the procession is cut short.

UZZAH struck dead when he touched the ark.

So David leaves it at the home of an Edomite - and God begins to bless that home - surprisingly.

the Edomites were under God’s judgement, for the most part - decendent’s of Esau.

So David goes back - starts the procession again - this time paying more attention to God’s requirements - more on that later.

Likely what was sung as they processed:

ps 24:7-10 “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah”

So what does this mean?

First off - God is still terrifying.

and we should keep that in mind.

He has written for us how he ought to be worshiped, and as a result we should hold it fast. and NOT ADD TO IT. (Deut 4:2 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”

Deut 12:32 ““Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”

CAIN - Thought he could bring the works of his hands before the Lord - but no, the Lord required blood.

NADAB AND ABIHU - brought their strange fire, foreign to the prescribed methods the Lord had given, and they were burned up by the Lord.

and in the NT - Annanias and Saphirra - dropped dead in church.

Many in Corinth who abused the Lord’s Supper - the communion table - and fell sick or died.

and of course, UZZAH.

What exactly did UZZAH do wrong?

OX CART - no. poles, and Levites with special qualifications.

was to be covered. and of course never touched.

UZZAH decided to play fast and loose - “God is gracious right?”

or worse - “we know better than what the Bible actually says”

grape juice instead of wine in the Lord’s supper for example.

WHAT ELSE ARE WE LEARNING HERE

They sacrificed an ox every six steps. In other words, every seventh step had a Sacrifice on it.

we are reminded that our only way IN to worship is through Jesus’ sacrifice.

We also see the right order of our worship - Christ’s sacrifice allows us to enter, but then v17:

2 Sam 6:17 “And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.”

If you go back into the OT, the burnt offering was ATONEMENT and the peace offering was a meal they shared together.

So in other words, Jesus makes our way, we are atoned before the Lord, and as a result we have fellowship with HIM and with ONE ANOTHER.

Jesus builds his community by RIGHT WORSHIP.

it matters what we do, what we say, what we believe, how we pursue...

And RIGHT WORSHIP INCLUDES CELEBRATION!!!

2 Sam 6:5 “And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.”

no melancholy. no ho hum.

Our worship services are a celebration. A rejoicing.

hearts revived - instruments played skillfully and loudly, people even DANCING.

this is a large problem with the majority of music for Chrisitans today - it doesn’t rejoice. It’s not joyful.

it’s melancholy. somber.

and sure - there is a place for that - but somebody please act like Jesus conquered death and is saving the world!

They DANCED, which means the music was likely able to be danced to.

the Bible says David danced with ALL HIS MIGHT

If these guys celebrated - with just a bull sacrificed as a sign of the PROMISE of their access -

we live in the day when it is granted - when we have it fully through Christ.

the promise is fulfilled

and our music and services are somber and melancholy?

Bro - we’re doign it wrong.

Sin is sad - don’t get me wrong - but that’s what makes the Gospel sweet! And joyous! And worth celebrating!

this is the fuel for your work and joy and celebration

and IN THAT the disposition of a Christian ought to always be one of joy.

RESTORE UNTO ME THE JOY OF MY SALVATION cried David.

and here we are - in the fulfilled covenant - unaware of the JOY we ought carry!

I am convinced - that the key piece of a witness of Christ to the world that we are missing?

The JOY. The JOYFUL CONFIDENCE of a servant of the victorious king.

And today - we get to practice. Today we get to be reminded. TODAY - we get to realize again the full grace of the Gospel and JOYFULLY CELEBRATE

Ps. 68:24-26 “Your procession is seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!””

Reverence, Awe, Celebration, Joy - all of it.

You want to conquer? Do so with joy.

nothing dispurses the enemy faster than the joyful disposition of the Lord’s servants.

We win. He’s won. It’s done.