2 Samuel 6

2 Samuel 6

In 2 Samuel 6 David continues his reign as king of Israel by recovering the Ark of Covenant and bringing it into the new capital of Jerusalem. The journey itself, however, was filled with several complications. First, as the Ark was being taken from Baale-judah, one of the oxen carrying the ark stumbled, and it appeared as if the Ark was going to fall off the cart. So one of the men traveling beside the Ark, Uzzah, reached out to catch it and put it back on the cart. The problem was that no one was allowed to touch the Ark of the Covenant under any circumstances. Like the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, the Ark of the Covenant was one thing that God had strictly prohibited anyone being near or touching. If you remember from the laws listed in the Books of Law, there were strict laws surrounding the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had led the Israelites for generations, guiding them into the Promised Land and protecting them during battles. Some of Israel’s most treasured possessions, such as the tablets that held the 10 Commandments, were inside. So when Uzzah touched the ark, God struck him dead immediately, which sent fear through the rest of the men around him.


David was one of those men, and he was upset with what God had done. He was so upset and fearful of what had happened that he refused to finish the trip to Jerusalem. Instead, he took the Ark to the house of Obed-edom, and he and his men returned to Jerusalem. The Ark had traditionally blessed those with whom it rested. As Israel traveled into the Promised Land, it had been the Ark that went ahead of them as God split the Jordan River. It was the Ark that went with them into battle when God would give them the victories. So when the Ark stayed with Obed-edom at this time, he and his family were blessed as a result. Word eventually got back to David on how the house of Obed-edom had been blessed, and this caused him to go after the Ark again, to finish the journey. Now whether David was just encouraged to finish the journey or if jealousy sparked his sudden interest again is unclear, but it appears as if jealousy could have been a key in getting the Ark into Jerusalem. I mean if I heard that someone else was being blessed by it, and it had been my mission to bring it to my city, that might motivate me to finish the task. While this might not be the proper motive for doing something for God, it might not have been David’s motive either.

As the Ark entered into Jerusalem, David led the people in celebration. Because of the significance of the Ark to the Jewish people, David was extremely excited to have it in the capital of the nation. He danced before the Lord, praising Him for allowing them to have this privilege. The Ark had been the place in the tabernacle where Moses had received direction from God. It had played such pivotal roles in their history, and David felt blessed to have it back in the center of their life as a nation again. In the midst of this celebration, however, another source of jealousy arose. This time it was David’s wife Michal who exhibited jealousy. Seeing David dance around the streets in the way he was, she felt like he was showing off for the people around him, especially the women. But I do not think she was only jealous of them. It also appears as if she might have been jealous of God, that He was getting more attention from David than she was. Furthermore, when she confronted David on this issue, he assured her that he was not trying to show off for the women, and that he would continue to praise and worship God.

We all like to be on top. That is just part of our human nature. We all like attention, and none of us want to be ignored by others. We all want the best in life, and I do not think many of us would say that we would desire less than excellence in all that we attempt. We strive to be the best. Because of these motives, when we see someone doing better than we are, whether that be them making more money, earning a promotion, or just doing better in life in general, jealousy arises. But there is no place for jealousy in the life of the Christian. We have all that we need in God, and even if we do not have as much “stuff” as someone else, we do have God.

Matt