Parallel passage: 1 Chronicles 13, 15-16.
2 Samuel 6:1-5 -- Recall the Ark of the Covenant was last seen resting in the home of one Abinadab, in Kiriath-jearim (1 Samuel 7:1-2). That city was the southermost of the old Gibeonite Confederation that made peace with Joshua (Joshua 9). The city had gained a nickname, Baalah Judah -- "The Lords of Judah." This indicates that it had become the home for many of the highest noble families in the Tribe of Judah, and may help to explain why the residents of Beth-shemesh deferred to them (1 Samuel 6:20) on how to handle the Ark. The parallel passage indicates that Abinadab kept it in his manor on a hilltop. He had consecrated his son Eleazer to care for it. We are not told whether God approved of this arrangement, but it seems obvious this was not a Levite family.
There could be several good reasons for bringing the Ark up from it's erstwhile home in Baalah. The obvious one is to help cement David's hope of making his city the new center of gravity for the nation. If his and God's thrones together were in the same place, challenges to his authority would become far more difficult. While this may have been a part of David's thinking, it is more likely he intended to protect the Ark from any future adventures. Keep in mind the new royal city of Jerusalem was one of the best situated, and easier to defend than most. Baalah was a bit too close to what was then as yet Philistine territory. David was careful to call together the elders of all Israel for consultation, and made it a point to officially include the Levites. These had been scattered throughout the land, and had no real sacred duties for the most part.
Oddly, David did not have the Levites move the Ark in accordance with the Law of Moses (Numbers 3:31). Rather, two of Abinadab's sons -- Uzza and Ahio -- neither of them the one he had consecrated to the task, were the movers. Recall that the knowledge of the Law had declined deeply during the Period of Judges, so it may have been largely forgotten. Conspicuous by absence is David's usual inquiry of the Lord on what to do. So the Ark was simply placed on a new cart, copying what the Philistines had done (1 Samuel 6:7f), which in itself was not completely wrong. The concept of "holy" was rooted in the idea of something set apart for a single, divine purpose, and not for common use. As long as no human hands touched the Ark, that was fine. The caravan was accompanied by great music and celebration.
6:6-11 -- We cannot know the exact route, but it's likely they took the most direct path possible, not more than 5 miles (8km). As the journey passed near a threshing floor on the way, Uzza reached out to steady the Ark and died on the spot. The obvious reason is that he was not a Levite, and not authorized to touch it for the most part. However, even the Levites had to carry it indirectly, not touching it, but putting poles through a set of rings built into the corners of the wooden frame. It could also have been because he treated it no better than simply a good piece of furniture, steadying it with a rather casual hand, touching the Ark itself rather than one of the poles. David himself seemed not to understand, for he over-reacts, calling the place Perez Uzza -- "Breakout Against Uzza." He had it dropped off at the nearest home, which belonged to the Levite family of Obed-edom, who had originally lived in their allotment under the tribal division of land far south. The term "Gittite" means "from Gath (Rimmon)," which had been a part of what Dan had failed to conquer (Joshua 21:25), in southeast Philistia, not far from David's city of Ziklag. This household of Obed-edom began receiving notable blessings for the Ark's presence.
6:12-15 -- When David heard of these blessings, he put two and two together and realized the cause: it was being handled by Levites. Thus, after a short layover (3 months; 1 Chronicles 13:14) in the Levite's home, David made plans to finish the trip properly. First, he set up a proper tabernacle to shelter it. Then he called for the Levites to prepare themselves ritually to handle the Ark. Finally, the Throne of Jehovah was moved into the City of David. To celebrate, David donned a linen ephod and little else. When the first six steps of the journey passed without incident, David was flooded with relief that this time it would work. He ordered a huge sacrifice readied for its arrival.
6:16-19 -- David set the example by completely abandoning himself in the moment, dancing wildly, singing and playing music. It's a safe guess the shelter for the Ark was in the open courtyard one always found in the shadow of ancient palaces. At the approach of this noisy celebration, David's wife Michal spotted him acting rather unkingly in her mind, and felt ashamed. It would seem she was deeply affected by the fear of embarrassment Saul held during his reign. One can sense she felt David was slandering her family by association. Unaware of this, David acted the over-joyed host, having the Levites offer burnt offerings (olah, whole burnt offering) and peace offerings (shelem, priests kept edible portions). It was his place to pronounce the dismissal blessing, and he also gave to all in attendance a substantial meal to take away.
6:20-23 -- Coming in the door of the palace, David's family would have stood assembled in ceremonial waiting. There he pronounced the blessing of the day on them, as well. Michal had sharp sarcastic words about David's undignified performance, likening it to the shocking behavior of low-life scum on the street who would expose themselves to young girls. Actually, it was more like a boy in training for the priesthood, wearing only a linen ephod. Her comment clearly referred to some alleged former glory under Saul's reign that was lost with David. He reminded her that glory is whatever God says it is, and it was He who put David in Saul's place. David was ready to grovel as a slave for God's glory. In all this, those young girls she mentioned would be the first to recognize the rightness of David's actions. They would jump at the chance to take Michal's place, which she would now lose. From then on, David had no conjugal relations with her, relegating her to the gravest disgrace any Hebrew woman could bear.
7:1-3 -- The Chronicler places in this context the gift of a stone and cedar palace from Hiram of Tyre (1 Chronicles 14). While David enjoyed such royal accommodations, during a time of peace, he became painfully aware that his Lord seemed left out in the cold by comparison. This thought plagued him greatly, and he asked of Nathan the Prophet what to do about it. Nathan's response was to note that Jehovah had prospered everything David did so far, and that he should continue acting according to his conscience.
7:4-17 -- However, the Lord sent word to Nathan that night that David was not the right man for building a temple. First, Jehovah saw no shame in associating Himself with nomadic tent-dwellers. On the contrary, it was to such a life, from the comfort of settled urban dwelling, that He originally called Abraham. Perhaps by reading between the lines, we see a risk that David would assert reflective glory for himself by having the honor of building God's House. David went from shepherd boy to shepherd of God's People; was that not honor enough? Furthermore, Jehovah had plans to establish the House of David as a permanent dynasty over His People and His Land. There was no reason to rush around and build up a mighty edifice in the name of the Lord. The Lord would build an for Himself in the flesh and history of His People, a history yet to come. David's job as warrior was not yet finished, and a warrior is the thing to which he had been called. This time of peace was just temporary. There were more conquests in store for David, and he should focus on that task, to insure first that Israel was truly secure. A son born in his household would build that temple soon enough.
7:18-29 -- When David heard this message, he went down to the tabernacle. He entered as one in his master's court. Without having been specifically bidden to enter, he appeared on the general principle of being ready to obey any command that might come. Finding a place in the corner to wait, he dropped to his knees, then sat back on his heels. In this mode, he spoke quietly, remarking how the Holy One of Israel should even notice him. There was no question of debating what God had said. This promise of a permanent dynasty, the one greatest possession any man on earth could ever wish, was far more than he had dared to ask. To be made the shepherd of God's own People was beyond fathoming itself. David clung to that promise with his whole being, and resolved that, for his part, Jehovah should never regret this decision.
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Ed Hurst
24 July 2004
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