109 - Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem
- Gwen Diaz
- Apr 19, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 20
April 19 - Nº 109 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16
David had moved the political capital of Israel to the City of David (later called Jerusalem—see #107 - April 17). But he wanted his new hometown to be the spiritual capital of the nation as well. So, he consulted the leaders and priests about bringing the Ark of God to Mount Zion. Everyone agreed that it was time to make God the central focus of their lives again.
For 20 years the Ark had remained in the home of a man named Abinidab (see #87 - March 28). But now it was time to move it to Jerusalem.
Unfortunately, in their haste to accomplish this great task, the leaders and priests neglected some important details.
God had given very specific instructions on how the holy items from the Tabernacle were to be transported. Only Levitical priests who were from the clan of Kohath were allowed to move the Ark (see #55 - February 24). They were to cover it and carry it on long poles that fit into rings that were attached to the sides (see Exodus 37:3-5). And no one was ever allowed to touch the Ark (see Numbers 4:15)!
However, instead of having the priests carry the Ark, the Israelites placed it on a cart pulled by a team of oxen. As the cart moved toward its new location, the king and all the people celebrated before God. They sang and danced joyfully. Suddenly one of the oxen stumbled. The cart rocked, and a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark. But the moment he touched it; God struck him and he died.
David was very upset. Why would God do this? Wasn’t Uzzah doing what seemed right at the time? David became afraid of God, so he stored the Ark in a nearby home. It stayed there--in the home of Obed-Edom--for three months. This gave David a chance to study God’s rules.
Meanwhile, the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his family and everything he owned. David realized that this is what God wanted to do for Israel. He wanted to bless them with His presence. But for this to take place, they had to obey all of His instructions.
So, David set up a tent for the Ark. Then he had the Levites purify themselves. They carried the Ark up the mountain on their shoulders, using poles just as God had commanded. As the Ark entered the capital, the priests made sacrifices to the Lord. Everyone rejoiced and sang and shouted for joy. David took off his royal coat and danced with everyone else. The Levites placed the Ark in the special tent David had erected, and David offered more sacrifices. Then he blessed the people and fed them.
Michal, David’s wife, had been watching everything from an open window. She was shocked to see her husband leaping around and celebrating with the common people. It made her despise him. So, when David got home, she confronted him.
“What you did was shameful,” she accused him. “You took off your royal coat and jumped around like a fool in front of the slave girls.” But David replied, “I humbled myself and celebrated before the Lord. I will gladly do it again, and these slave girls will honor me for this.”
God judged Michal for her negative response to David's joy. She was never able to have a child.
Have you ever attempted to do something that you thought would please God, but neglected to check out how He really wanted it done?
So many of the problems we have in our society are brought on by well-meaning people (like Uzzah) who do what feels right at the moment instead of doing what God says is right.
As David discovered, failure to follow the instructions and commandments that God has given can lead to disaster.
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