Untitled Sermon (3)

Sermon Title

2 Samuel 6:1–11 “Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim. They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him d…”

Context:

The Ark of the Covenant was held at the house of Abinadab for many years, and now King David was returning it to Jerusalem

This passage depicts the consequences of disregarding the word of the LORD that ultimately results in tragedy

Why was the ark at the house of Abinadab?

Why didn’t Saul prioritize returning the ark to Jerusalem

Focused on the affairs of man

The Intention of David // Intenția lui David

David a avut intenții bune

David had a good track record up to this point:

served the flock and pastures faithfully, protecting them from bears/lions

anointed king without entitlement

slew Goliath

served in Saul’s court // fled from Saul

spared King Saul twice; never challenged God’s anointed

became king of Judah and then king of all Israel // defeated the Philistines

His next task was to bring the ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 6:1–2 “Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.”

a. He gathered chosen men from all of the tribes;

1 Chronicles 13:1–5 “Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.”

1 & 2 Samuel Commentary

Such a large group suggests the ark’s removal is intended as both public worship and a national proclamation of David’s faithfulness, though given the ark’s proximity to Philistine territory a significant force may also have conveyed a message to the Philistines

Uzzah also had good intentions - to stop a stumbling ark

Good intentions don’t always yield good results

Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.”

The Errant Procession // Procesul gresit in transportaria chivotului

2 Samuel 6:3–6 “They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart. So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it.”

God is very precise and particular

We are only bound to the moral law, not Israel’s civil/ceremonial laws

Although those laws don’t mean much to us, they were to Israel’s benefit

once such specific instruction was how to transfer the ark

Exodus 25:15 ““The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.”

Numbers 4:5–6 ““When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles.”

No evidence that the sons of Abinadab were Levites

1 Samuel 6:7 ““Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them.” - THE PHILISTINE WAY

There is no evidence that David sought the mind of the LORD in this process; he did consult God before this

He wanted to unite the people, display their victory and honor God IN HIS OWN WAY without consulting God

The crowds may approve what we do but God must approve

God’s work must be done in God’s way if it is to have God’s blessings

Isaiah 41:7 “So the craftsman encourages the smelter, And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil, Saying of the soldering, “It is good”; And he fastens it with nails, So that it will not totter.”

The Judgment of the LORD // Judecata Domnului

2 Samuel 6:7–11 “And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus 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.”

There are tough questions we have in Scripture - Jephta, Ananias and Sapphira

Why would God do such a thing?

God is Holy

We often think God’s holiness translates to goodness for all

God’s holiness is a blessing to the obedient; dangerous and destruction for the disobedient

Conclusion

Everything the ark symbolizes, resembles, and embodies is and has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ