2 Samuel 6:1-11

II. THE PROSPEROUS PERIOD OF DAVID'S REIGN, 2 Samuel 6:1 to 2 Samuel 9:13.

1. David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 6:1-23.

Uzzah Smitten. 2 Samuel 6:1-11

Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubim,

3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: 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 at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.

7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

8 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household.

1.

How many people went to fetch the ark? 2 Samuel 6:1

David gathered the chosen men of Israel to accompany him down to the west border of the land of Judah to get the ark. Thirty thousand are mentioned as being the number of these. The passage of 1 Chronicles 13:1 says only that David consulted with the captains of thousands and of hundreds. It goes on to declare that he consulted every leader and that he gathered all the people from throughout the land. If there was a full assembly of the people, there would be more than thirty thousand men. David evidently did invite all to be in attendance for this auspicious occasion, but he did his work largely through the thirty thousand chosen men. David had thirty captains over these; each would then be the captain of a thousand and were sometimes called a chiliarch (2 Samuel 24:13).

2.

Where was Baal-Judah? 2 Samuel 6:2

The title Baal-Judah signifies Lords of Judah. It was a city of Judah, from which David went out to bring the ark into Jerusalem. It is probably the same as Baalah; a city on the northern border of Judah (Joshua 15:10). One of the religious centers of the ancient Gibeonites was here, and the name is evidently given to the same spot that is elsewhere called Kirjath-jearim (1 Chronicles 13:6), This spot was out on the western border of Judah near the Philistine territory. The ark had been left here when it was brought back by the kine prepared by the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:21).

3.

Why did David prepare a new cart? 2 Samuel 6:3

David evidently wanted to give the best for God's service. He prepared a new cart in similar fashion to the way in which the Philistines had made a new cart when they sent the Ark back to Israel (1 Samuel 6:7). David was not careful enough. He should not have made a cart at all. He learned this later, much to his regret.

4.

What was the sin of Uzzah? 2 Samuel 6:6

Uzzah was the son of Abinadab, the man in whose home the Ark had been kept. He became overly familiar with sacred things. God had ordained that the Ark should be cared for only by the Kohathites, out of the tribe of the Levi. God had said that they were not to touch any holy thing, lest they die (Numbers 4:15). Directions were given to indicate that when the camp of Israel set forward, Aaron was to come with his sons, take down the covering vail, and cover the Ark of Testimony with it. They were to put over the Ark a covering of badger's skins and spread over that a cloth made only of blue. They were then to put the staves in the ark. Only the sons of Kohath were to carry these sacred articles of the tabernacle furniture. These directions were not followed by David at all. Had the Ark been carried by Levites, it would not have been sitting on the oxcart in the first place. There would have been no danger of its falling when the oxen stumbled if it had been moved in the correct fashion. As the Scripture says, God smote him there for his error (verse seven).

5.

Why was David afraid? 2 Samuel 6:9

David was afraid of the Lord because of the ill-fated venture of moving the Ark. 1 Chronicles 13:11 says that David was displeased. He was naturally disappointed that his attempt to move the ark had resulted in tragedy. Later on David admitted his fault and carried the Ark in the correct fashion. He came to this conclusion as he said, None ought to carry the Ark of God but the Levites (1 Chronicles 15:2). For the time being, however, he was distressed and carried the Ark aside and left it there.

6.

Who was Obed-edom? 2 Samuel 6:10

On the first attempt to bring the Ark of God up to Jerusalem, Uzzah put forth his hand and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. God's anger was kindled against Uzzah; God smote him there that he died.
David was afraid of Jehovah that day and refused to continue his attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. Therefore he turned aside and placed the Ark in the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.

Obed-edom was a Philistine. The fact that he was called a Gittite signifies that he was formerly a resident of that city of Gath in Philistia. Many of the Gitties emigrated to Judah. Six hundred of them formed a bodyguard to David (2 Samuel 15:18 ff.). The Gittites seem to have been remarkable for their great stature (2 Samuel 21:19; 1 Chronicles 20:5 ff.).