DAVID SEEKS TO BRING THE ARK OF GOD INTO JERUSALEM AND IS EVENTUALLY SUCCESSFUL BUT IS AT FIRST THWARTED BY THE PREMATURE DEATH OF UZZAH, WHICH EMPHASISES THE TRUE HOLINESS OF THE LIVING GOD (2 SAMUEL 6:1). The bringing of the Ark into Jerusalem would almost certainly have occurred once he and his... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.' Once the journey had commenced Ahio went before the Ark as a kind of herald and forerunner, in order to prepare people for the coming of that sacred object. It was necessar... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And David and all the house of Israel played before YHWH with all manner of instruments made of fir-wood, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.' While the cart was making its journey it was accompanied by the ecstatic crowds, who played o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.' But as they were coming to the threshing-floor of Nacon (or ‘a certain threshing-floor') a misfortune occurred. The oxen stumbled on the no doubt rough road... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the anger of YHWH was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God.' God knew what was in Uzzah's heart, even if we do not. And what happened next would have surprised no one who saw what he had done. Indeed they would have expected it. Had... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And David was deeply upset, because YHWH had broken forth on Uzzah, and he called that place Perets-uzzah, to this day.' Understandably David was ‘deeply upset' (or ‘smouldered') at what had happened (the root of the verb is ‘to glow, be on fire'). It is doubtful if in context we should translate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And David was afraid of YHWH that day; and he said, “How shall the ark of YHWH come to me?” ' But it also pulled David up short. It gave him a deeper recognition of what he himself was doing. It made him recognise that even he had been treating the coming of YHWH in a new way to Jerusalem too ligh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ So David would not remove the ark of YHWH to him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.' On this basis David was unwilling to move the Ark into the City of David. He did not want YHWH's anger to fall on the City of David as well. So instead he a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And the ark of YHWH remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and YHWH blessed Obed-edom, and all his house.' The Ark of YHWH remained where it had been placed in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the consequence was that Obed-edom and the whole of his ho... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it was told king David, saying, “YHWH has blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all which pertains to him, because of the ark of God.” And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy.' The result was that David was eventually informed tha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it was so, that, when those who bore the ark of YHWH had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David danced before YHWH with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod.' The writer summarises the longer account used by both him and the Chronicler. He does not ment... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of YHWH with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.' So this was the way in which David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of YHWH. And they did it with shouting and the blaring of ram's horns. It was to be seen as the proc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it was so, as the ark of YHWH came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before YHWH, and she despised him in her heart.' But amidst all the rejoicing there was one dissentient heart, the heart of Saul's daugh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And they brought in the ark of YHWH, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before YHWH.' At last their destination was reached without any further incident. It was the Tent which David had had set up,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And when David had made an end of offering the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings, he blessed the people in the name of YHWH of hosts.' Following the offering of the burnt offerings and peace-offerings, the people were blessed in the Name of YHWH of Hosts the Name connected with the Ark of YH... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to every one a cake of bread, and a portion (of flesh? or wine?), and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed every one to his house.' Finally the whole celebration was completed by the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
MICHAL EXPRESSES HER DISGUST AT DAVID'S BEHAVIOUR AND FORFEITS FOR EVER THE HOPES OF THE HOUSE OF SAUL (2 SAMUEL 6:20). On returning to his household full of elation at all that had happened, and at its significance for all concerned, with the firm intention of blessing his household, David was met... [ Continue Reading ]