david loved god’s presence and god’s glory – the return of the ark of god – 2 samuel 6
David showed expedience versus obedience and zeal without knowledge. (Rom. 10:2) The end didn’t justify the means. Yet Uzzah should have known that no one ever touches the Ark. “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.” (Ex. 25: 1, 12-14) and only the Levites were to carry it. David was supposed to write out the Law and obey it; (Deut. 17:18-19) and the people were to obey it. So they went from celebration to devastation when the Lord struck Uzzah dead; like expecting a promotion at work and instead getting fired.
The Ark in the tabernacle was where God promised to meet with His people and His shekinah glory would be seen as a bright light over the Ark between the cherubim.. It was a holy and sacred piece of furniture as God Himself would manifest Himself there. So putting it on an ox cart was almost like putting God on an ox cart. As David the new king (and the king whose descendants would bring forth the Messiah – 2 Samuel 7) began his reign, God did not want this to begin without a clear understanding of His holiness and the need for obedience to His Word.
David was both angry with God and afraid of Him but he worked through it as Job did. Regardless of your feelings toward God never stop talking to Him about it.
If at first you don’t succeed, do it God’s way. This is essentially what it means to be holy – to be obedient to God’s Word. “Sanctify them (make them holy) by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
When God comes to town (or to our hearts) what a time of celebration!!! The ark had not been in the tabernacle for over 100 years. “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” (2 Samuel 6:14-15)
Why do people get more excited about the Georgia Bulldogs (or____________________________) than the glorious King of kings?
fill in the blank of what excites you more than God does
“Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." (2 sam. 6:20-22) David wasn’t dancing before the people but “before the Lord” and he was oblivious to all but the Lord Himself. Who are you dancing for, or working for or trying to please? “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col. 3:23-24) The word “enthusiasm” comes from “entheos” meaning “possessed by God or inspired by God – zealous.” We as Christians should be the most enthusiastic people there are at home, at work and at play. Why, because we are working or serving or celebrating “before the Lord.”
God is seeking worshipers; not worshipers with zeal without knowledge or knowledge without zeal but worshipers rightly zealous for God and His glory as David was. “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24) “His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." (John 2:17) This was spoken about Jesus in His zeal to purify His Father’s house (the temple) by driving out the money changers, etc.
Listen to David’s zealous praise for God on that great day when the Ark came home: See 1 Chronicles 16: 8-36.
Discussion Questions FOR APPLICATION OF GOD’S WORD
The Ark of God on an ox cart is simply neglect and disobedience to God’s revealed will in His Word. It led to death and Paul reminds us of the same in Romans 8:6: “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” Where are you tempted to be expedient rather than obedient or let the end justify the means?
David worked through both his anger and fear toward God and thus carried out God’s will. Can you be gut-level honest with the Lord and keep talking until you work through your negative emotions toward Him? Describe a situation when you had to do this.
“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God.” (Psalm 100: 1-3) Do these words describe your feelings and actions toward the Lord? Why or why not? Again I ask: Why do people get more excited about the Georgia Bulldogs (or ________________________________) than the glorious King of kings? fill in the blank of what excites you more than God does
Who are you dancing for, or working for, or trying to please? “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” (Gal. 1:10) Are you playing to an Audience of One the King of kings? Discuss your answer.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25) It is in doing God’s Word, not in just hearing it, that we are blessed. What action will you take to apply these truths to your life?
Scripture memory verse: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)