Meditation

Hi there,

Today's verses are some of the most controversial in the Old Testament. To many, God's wrath at Uzzah has seemed unfair. He was, after all, seeking to protect the ark.​

David's initial reaction of anger and confusion speaks for many of us.

But in his wisdom, David stops to reconsider the procession and settles the ark at the house of Obed-Edom for three months. The break gives him an opportunity to reassess what he is truly celebrating. Not simply a political victory over the Philistines, but rather, the close presence of a holy God we think his people have a covenant.

Setting up the final tension between Michal's interpretation of David's dancing in the later verses as being unworthy of a king.

Thus, the most important question raised by this passage is not whether God was excessively harsh to Uzzah, but whether we are excessively casual with him.

Today's verses are 2 Samuel 6:6-11. Yesterday's verses are in grey for context.

^{2 Samuel 6:1-5}

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. ² He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.​

³ They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart ⁴ with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.

⁵ David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

⁶ When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. ⁷ The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.

⁸ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.​

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” ¹⁰ He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.​

¹¹ The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.

Encouragement

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.​
​

³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

Psalm 37:30-31​Andy

God's Word In Your Hand

​This study in Michal from Revive Women draws some interesting and useful conclusions from the whole story. I'll be featuring it here throughout the week.

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