2 Samuel 6
July 26, 2017
2 Samuel 6
2 Samuel 6
Shawn Bumpers / General
2 Samuel
Introduction:
With the death of Saul, David is no longer on the run.
He was quickly received as king over his own tribe, Judah.
Very quickly upon learning of David’s ascension to the throne, the Philistines went up against David.
But David sought the Lord and the LORD told him he would have victory.
We’ve seen the Philistines as part of the biblical narrative for a while now beginning in Judges but most prominently in the histories of Saul and David.
The Philistines were a warlike people who, migrated by sea from the Aegean and arrived on the southern coast of Israel somewhere around the early 12th century B.C.
In Hebrew, they were called Pelishtim and they dwelt in Eretz Pelishtim which is also called Peleshet (Philistia).
Genesis 10:14 NKJV
Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim).
The Philistines had superior weaponry … iron, while the Israelites primarily had bronze.
In our chapter for today … 2 Samuel 6 … David brings the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.
One of the ongoing themes in 1 and 2 Samuel is the history of the ark of the covenant.
v1-2
Choice is בחר Bachar meaning “tested, chosen.”
1 Chronicles 13:1–2 NKJV
Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us;
The ark had been last mentioned in connection with the family of Abinadab, whose son Eleazar had charge of it at Kiriath-jearim.
According to 1 Samuel 7, it remained there for twenty years (1 Sam. 7:2).
1 Samuel 7:2 NKJV
So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
It is surprising to find the name Baale-judah used instead.
But we know that many places went by multiple names.
Exodus 25:22 NKJV
And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
However, we might note that there is no mention of David seeking the Lord’s will in the midst of all this.
We know from Deuteronomy that God wanted a central sanctuary, but David did not ask for the Lord’s instructions.
v3-5
David and the people had very good intentions.
They had celebrations going with musicians and lots of fanfare.
1 Chronicles 13:7–8 NKJV
So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.
The pace of the cart was slow enough to allow for a parade of dancing and singing before the Lord with all their might.
v6-7
The joyous celebration came to a tragic end at the threshing floor of Nacon.
The NKJV makes it appear that the threshing floor belonged to a man named Nachon, but this is not certain.
Nachon is a form of the verb נכה Nakah which means “to strike.”
We might feel bad for Uzzah because his touching of the ark was not a purposeful thing but a spontaneous action.
He was trying to prevent it from falling to the ground.
v8-11
David, for whom everything had been going so well, became angry at the Lord.
And he had his own special name for this place … Perez Uzzah, which means, “[The Lord’s] Outburst against Uzzah.”
Hebrews 2:3 NKJV
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
So, the ark remained in the house of Obed-Edom, the Gittite.
Gittite means ‘from Gath.’
v12-15
When David heard that the presence of the Ark was bringing blessing to the household of Obed-Edom, he wanted that blessing for himself and his people.
1 Chronicles 15:13 NKJV
For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
1 Chronicles 15:15 NKJV
And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.
v17-19
When they made it to the city, they headed for the tent that David had prepared for the ark.
The Tabernacle stayed at Gibeon.
The peace offerings (also called ‘fellowship offerings’) were not burned on the altar like the burnt offering, or used to provide food for the priests.
Leviticus 7 instead instructed that most was returned to the offerer, who used the meat for a communal feast as part of the rejoicing.
v20
David returned to his home.
He was full of joy.
As for Michal … she had a difficult life after David fled from Saul.
David in his reply did not mince his words.
He referred to her father and family … surely a sore spot.
The chapter closes with the statement that Michal had no children to the day of her death.
Her childlessness implies that from this point on marital relations between her and David came to an end.
The installation of the ark in Jerusalem was the first great achievement of David’s reign after the capture of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was now the city of the Lord of hosts.
Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:07 PM July 26, 2017.
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