Feb. 28, 2021. II Samuel 6:1-11

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THE GOOD DONE IN A BAD WAY. II Samuel 6:1-11. 14 FEB. 2021. #13.

II Samuel 6:1-11 [New King James Version]

1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 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, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set 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, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 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.

  1. Bringing the Ark home
    1. Ever since the Philistines captured the Ark, it had been
    1. set up in the house of Abinadab (70+ years)
      1. The Tabernacle at Nob was missing the Ark
      1. Abinadab’s household had been blessed
    1. Now that Jerusalem had been set as David’s capital,
    1. David moved the Tabernacle to it and wanted the Ark there
    1. David gathered 30,000 leading men in Israel to escort the
    1. Ark back to Jerusalem in a great celebration
    1. d. David has the ark placed on an ox cart for its return
      1. Ahio, son of Abinadab, drives the cart
      1. Uzzah, son of Abinadab, walks by the cart
    1. e. When the Philistines returned the ark after being cursed
    1. by God, they used an ox cart
      1. God made allowances for the Phil., for they were ignorant of the ways of God
      1. God holds those who have more knowledge of him to a higher standard (Romans 7; Luke 12:48)
  2. Uzzah’s blunder
    1. David led the procession with musicians
    1. All went well until the oxen stumbled
      1. The ark tipped on the cart
      1. Uzzah grabbed the ark to steady it and God struck him dead for doing so
    1. Uzzah’s crime of neglectful ignorance was priests’ shame
      1. Uzzah wouldn’t be expected to know the proper way to transport the Ark
      1. Exodus 25 the Ark was to be carried by 2 long poles by 4 priests with the various tribes of Israel at specified positions and distances around the Ark
      1. It was the job of the priests to make sure that all of God’s instructions were followed precisely
        1. The priest’s main job was to know and follow God’s Law as religious experts
        1. An ignorant priesthood leads to sin
    1. Uzzah became collateral damage of priestly neglect
      1. Many people get hurt when leaders are foolish
      1. Joshua’s attack on Ai, David’s adultery and murder, Jehoshaphat’s joining with Ahab, Herod kills babies… 
      1. Uzzah dies through little fault of his own
    1. David is angry, for he tried to do a good thing
      1. What we do is good only if it is done according to God’s will in God’s way
      1. For example: Paul wanted to witness in Jerusalem, which was a good desire, but it was not God’s will for him
  3. By the book
    1. David places the Ark in the house of Obed-Edom of Gath
    1. (home of Goliath and refuge of David, running from Saul)
    1. David thought that God was angry with him or Israel
    1. When Obed-Edom was blessed by hosting the Ark,
    1. David determined to retrieve the Ark properly
    1. d. God does not want us to take shortcuts in our faith
      1.  God has left us instructions about prayer, worship, Bible study, morality, prohibitions, communion, baptism, marriage, children…
      1. God teaches us how to treat others and serve them
    1. e. The details matter to God, not for legalism, but obedience
    1. (Adam, Jonah, Balaam, Paul, Moses, Saul…)