2 Samuel 6:1-11

2 Samuel 6:1-11

[1] Again, David  men of Israel,  thirty  thousand.  [2] And David  arose,  with all the people  that were with him from Baale of Judah,  to bring up  from thence the ark  of God,  whose name  is called  by the name  of the LORD  of hosts  that dwelleth  between the cherubims.  [3] And they set  the ark  of God  upon a new  cart,  and brought  it out of the house  of Abinadab  and Uzzah  and Ahio,  the sons  of Abinadab,  drave  the new  cart.  [4] And they brought  it out of the house  of Abinadab  accompanying  the ark  of God:  and Ahio  went  before  the ark.  [5] And David  and all the house  of Israel  played  before  the LORD  on all manner of instruments made of fir  wood,  even on harps,  and on psalteries,  and on timbrels,  and on cornets,  and on cymbals.  [6] And when they came  to Nachon's  threshingfloor,  Uzzah  put forth  his hand to the ark  of God,  and took hold  of it; for the oxen  shook  it. [7] And the anger  of the LORD  was kindled  against Uzzah;  and God  smote  him there for his error;  and there he died  by the ark  of God.  [8] And David  was displeased,  because the LORD  had made  a breach  upon Uzzah:  and he called  the name of the place  Perezuzzah  to this day.  [9] And David  was afraid  of the LORD  that day,  and said,  How shall the ark  of the LORD  come  [10] So David  would  not remove  the ark  of the LORD  unto him into the city  of David:  carried it aside  into the house  of Obededom  the Gittite.  [11] And the ark  of the LORD  continued  in the house  of Obededom  the Gittite  three  months:  and the LORD  blessed  Obededom,  and all his household. 

What does 2 Samuel 6:1-11 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Baale-judah ( 2 Samuel 6:2) may have been the later name of Kiriath-jearim (cf. Joshua 15:9-10). [1] This was where the ark had evidently rested since the Israelites had moved it from Bethshemesh in Samuel"s days ( 1 Samuel 6; cf. Psalm 132:6-8). [2]
David wanted to bring the ark into his capital because it symbolized the Lord"s presence. As we have seen, David did not believe superstitiously that the ark for its own sake would bring blessing wherever it went. He viewed Yahweh as the real source of blessing. However, he wanted the people to see that it was important that Israel"s God, and what represented Him, should be at the center of national life. Unfortunately he did not move the ark according to the specifications of the Mosaic Law but according to customary practice (cf. 1 Samuel 6:7-8). Priests were to carry it on poles ( Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 4:1-15), not on a cart. Furthermore no one was to touch it (cf. Numbers 4:19-20). This incident is a striking illustration of the spiritual truth that God"s work must be done in God"s way to secure God"s blessing.
God"s symbolic entrance into Jerusalem was a cause for great celebration. David was apparently angry because he expected God to bless his efforts. God taught him that obedience is more important than good intentions and religious ritual ( 1 Samuel 15:22). David learned a lesson about God"s holiness too.
"He who had experienced wonderful protection over the years from the Lord his God, and had known unusual intimacy with him, had to come to terms with the fact that he had overstepped the Mark , and presumed upon the relationship, by failing to observe the regulations laid down to safeguard respect for God"s holiness. Though Jesus taught us to call God our Father, he also taught us to pray "hallowed be thy name," implying the need to pay careful attention lest privilege becomes presumption." [3]
The death of Uzzah was a lesson similar to the deaths of Nadab and Abihu ( Exodus 25:14), Achan ( Joshua 7), and Ananias and Saphira ( Acts 5:1-11). All these people failed to take God seriously at the beginning of a new phase of His kingdom program. What we do is important, but how we do it is also important. Coming close to doing God"s will is not enough even though we have the best of motives; David wanted to honor God. We need to practice radical obedience; we need wholehearted commitment to God"s will as His disciples.
During the three months the ark stayed with Obed-edom, David evidently did some Bible study and discovered how God had said His people should move it (cf. 1 Chronicles 15:1-13). Obed-edom probably came from the Levitical town of Gath-rimmon in Dan ( Joshua 21:24; Joshua 19:45). It is unlikely that he was a Philistine from the Philistine town of Gath. His house appears to have been on the southwestern hill of Jerusalem. [4]