(Apologies for not posting the Psalm yesterday! I'm on holiday and forgot to connect my computer to the internet. God bless, Gus.)
Read 2 Samuel 6:1-19
6 Once more David called together the best
soldiers in Israel, a total of 30,000 men, 2and led them to Baalahh
in Judah, in order to bring from there God’s Covenant Box, bearing the name of
the Lord Almighty, who is
enthroned above the winged creatures.i 3They took it from
Abinadab’s home on the hill and placed it on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio, sons
of Abinadab, were guiding the cart, 4with Ahio walking in front. 5David
and all the Israelites were dancing and singing with all their mightj
to honour the Lord. They were
playing harps, lyres, drums, rattles, and cymbals.
6 As
they came to the threshing place of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached
out and took hold of the Covenant Box. 7At once the Lord God became angry with Uzzah and
killed him because of his irreverence.k Uzzah died there beside
the Covenant Box, 8and so that place has been called Perez Uzzahl
ever since. David was furious because the Lord
had punished Uzzah in anger.
9 Then
David was afraid of the Lord and
said, “How can I take the Covenant Box with me now?” 10So he decided
not to take it with him to Jerusalem; instead, he turned off the road and took
it to the house of Obed Edom, a native of the city of Gath. 11It
stayed there three months, and the Lord
blessed Obed Edom and his family.
12 King
David heard that because of the Covenant Box the Lord had blessed Obed Edom’s family and all that he had; so
he fetched the Covenant Box from Obed’s house to take it to Jerusalem with a
great celebration. 13After the men carrying the Covenant Box had
gone six steps, David made them stop while he offered the Lord a sacrifice of a bull and a
fattened calf. 14David, wearing only a linen cloth round his waist,
danced with all his might to honour the Lord.
15And so he and all the Israelites took the Covenant Box up to
Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.
16 As
the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out of
the window and saw King David dancing and jumping around in the sacred dance,
and she was disgusted with him. 17They brought the Box and put it in
its place in the Tent that David had set up for it. Then he offered sacrifices
and fellowship offerings to the Lord.
18When he had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the
people in the name of the Lord
Almighty 19and distributed food to them all. He gave each man and
woman in Israel a loaf of bread, a piece of roasted meat,m and some
raisins. Then everyone went home.
Think
When the ark of the covenant was being moved scripture tells us that the
oxen stumbled and someone reached out their hand to steady the box and they
fell down dead because of their irreverence.
Hard to understand; but important to remember something about the
holiness and greatness of God.
David's wife Michal is embarrassed by his humility in worshiping the Lord
in only a linen cloth and not the 'regalia' of a King.
Pray
Lord help me to be humble in my worship and service of you.
2 6.2: Ex
25:22
h Probable text
(see 1 Chr 13:6) to Baalah; Hebrew
from Baaley, or from the leaders.
i winged
creatures: See Word List.
3 6.3: 1 S 7:1,
2
j One ancient
translation (and see 1 Chr 13:8) and singing with all their might; Hebrew with all the fir trees.
k Probable text
his irreverence; Hebrew unclear.
l perez uzzah:
This name in Hebrew means “Punishment of
Uzzah”.
11 6.11: 1
Ch 26:4, 5
19 6.19, 20:
1 Ch 16:43
m a piece of roasted meat; or a cake of dates.
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