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2 Samuel 2—24
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Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 6
In this message we will begin to consider David's care for God's habitation on the earth. As we will see, in chapter six David took care of the habitation of the ark of God, and in chapter seven he wanted to build a house for God.
By the time of chapter six, David was not lacking in anything. All things had worked together in David's favor. He had become the king not only of Judah but also of all the tribes of God's people. He had obtained a stronghold — Zion — and a capital — Jerusalem. Furthermore, he had a palace, which had been built with cedar from Lebanon. He was under God's sovereignty, and God's presence was with him. At that juncture he began to take thought about God's dwelling place on earth. Whereas he was living in a house of cedar, the ark, which represented God, still did not have a home (2 Sam. 7:2). Unable to bear such a situation, David decided to remove the ark of God to a permanent dwelling place. This indicates that David's heart was set on God's house, God's habitation.
The matter of God's dwelling place on earth is worthy of much consideration on our part. We need to realize that whatever God does for us and whatever He gives to us should be altogether for our concern for the building up of God's dwelling place on earth. For God to have a house on earth is a great shame to His enemy, Satan. For generations Satan has been struggling to abuse, usurp, and occupy the earth. As a result, in a sense God has been driven away from the earth. That was the situation at David's time. However, David was for God; he was one with God and according to God. As a man according to God's heart, David desired to prepare a place where God could settle Himself down on this earth.
In order to understand adequately David's taking care of the habitation of the ark of God, we need to review the history of the ark of God.
The ark, which was made of acacia wood covered with gold, was a type of Christ as the embodiment of the moving and working God. The ark was placed in the inner chamber of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, and thus became the center of the tabernacle. On the lid of the ark God came to contact His people. There God's righteousness was appeased, and God and man could have peace and harmony with each other. This was also God's oracle, where God spoke to man.
The ark was respected to the uttermost by the Jewish people because they considered that the ark was God's presence. To go to the ark was to go to God. Thus, to remove the ark to David's stronghold was to move God from the heavens to the earth, to the holy land, and to Zion, where He could have His residence.
The ark was made by Moses (Exo. 25:10-22) according to God's design in order to contain the law on the two tables as the testimony of God. The law was according to God and was a "photograph" of God. The law regulated man's relationship with God and with other men. Because the law as the testimony of God was placed in the ark, the ark was called the ark of the testimony (vv. 16, 22; 26:33). The ark was also for God to meet with His people and to speak to them (25:22).
According to Exodus 40:20-21 the ark was placed in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle.
The ark traveled through the wilderness with the children of Israel for about forty years (Num. 10:33-36). This means that God traveled with His people. In a sense, the priests carried Him, but in actuality God took the lead to travel, bringing all the congregation of the children of Israel onward.
After the children of Israel entered into the good land, the ark stayed in Shiloh (Josh. 18:1).
At a certain point in its history, the ark was captured by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:4, 11a, 21-22).
The ark stayed in the country of the Philistines for seven months (6:1).
Eventually, the ark was returned from the land of the Philistines to Beth-shemesh (6:11-15).
The ark was removed from Beth-shemesh to Kiriath-jearim and was put into the house of Abinadab and stayed there for twenty years (6:20—7:2). At that time God was homeless. He was a "guest" and Abinadab was the host.
As a man who was according to God's heart, David knew that God desired to have His own home. Hence, David desired to remove the ark from the house of Abinadab to Zion, the city of David (2 Sam. 6:1-10).
The ark of God was removed from the house of Abinadab, and David and all the house of Israel played on musical instruments before Jehovah (vv. 1-5). That was a most joyful occasion because God was moving from a guest house to His own lodging.
The people of Israel, perhaps influenced by the Philistines, moved the ark by means of a cart. The ark should have been borne by the Levites (1 Chron. 15:2). God did not condemn the worldly Philistines for using a cart to move the ark, but He would not tolerate the same action by His people. Under God's sovereignty the oxen stumbled at Nachon's threshing floor, and Uzzah, having a good intention, reached out for the ark of God and took hold of it (2 Sam. 6:6). Instantly, he was killed. "The anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God" (v. 7). The natural hand, the hand of man, touching something divine brought in God's anger.
The death of Uzzah frightened David very much, and he did not want to remove the ark of God to himself in the city of David. Instead, he carried it into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite (vv. 9-10), where it stayed for three months.
In verses 11 through 23 we see that David removed the ark from the house of Obed-edom and brought it to his city, Zion.
Obed-edom offered hospitality to the ark of God, and for this reason God blessed him and all his household. When David heard that God had blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that he had because of the ark of God, David came back to remove the ark of God to Zion, David's private city, which was the center of the public city of Jerusalem (vv. 11-12).
When those who bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, David sacrificed an ox and a fatling (v. 13). Also, David danced with all his might before Jehovah, having girded himself with a linen ephod (v. 14). David wore a garment which only the priests should wear. For that day, he became a high priest to wear the ephod. On that occasion he was a priest as well as a king. In a sense, he broke the divine ordination. But in another sense, this was an honor and a glory to God.
Verse 15 tells us that David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
The ark of God lodged in the tent that David pitched for it. David offered sacrifices before Jehovah, blessing the people in the name of Jehovah of hosts and apportioning to all the people some cakes (vv. 17-19).
Everyone was happy except Michal, David's wife, who was of the house of Saul. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before Jehovah, she despised him in her heart (v. 16). After David blessed the people, he returned to bless his household, and Michal went forth to meet him and mocked him, saying, "How the king of Israel has made himself honorable today, uncovering himself today in the sight of the maids of his servants as some worthless fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!" (v. 20). David replied, "It was before Jehovah, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Jehovah, over Israel; so I played before Jehovah" (v. 21). The chapter concludes by saying that Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death (v. 23). Her mocking of David brought upon her the curse of childlessness.
