The Ark and the Dance

2 Sam 6

Saul killed fighting

Philistines(1 Sam 31)

Saul killed fighting

Philistines

Davidking over

Judah(1 Sam 31) (2 Sam 2)

Saul killed fighting

Philistines

Davidking over

Judah

David conquersJerusalem

(1 Sam 31) (2 Sam 2) (2 Sam5)

The Ark and the Dancea) Get the ARK

1Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

2 Samuel 6

Get the ARK

acacia wood, gold overlay (in and out)

Represents the presence of God among the Israelites.

Get the ARK

the ark of God

cover and cherubim:1 piece of solid gold

The Ark was with Israel:• 40 years of wilderness• crossing of Jordan • fall of Jericho

Journey of the Ark•Shiloh: Judges•Ebenezer: captured by Philistines•Philistines: 7 months ride of plagues•Kiriath Jearim: for years and reign of Saul

Why was David intent on bringing the Ark to Jerusalem?

National– remind Israel that God is the real King

Personal – David had a passion for God’s presence

Get the ARK

The Ark and the Dance

a) Get the ARK to Jerusalemb) Grief by the ARK

Grief by the

ARK

3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio,

the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

…brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart … and Ahiowent before the ark.

5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments …

A grand celebration

the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.Grief by the

ARK

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.

8 And David became angry because of the LORD’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzahto this day.

Grief by the

ARK

God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.

Uzzah:

Ark: presence of GodBasic Principle: God is holy and sinful man cannot approach God.

Sincere with good intentions.Why struck dead just for breaking a rule?

Grief by the

ARK

missing the forest for the trees: Individual OT rules: clean and unclean, clothes to wear, who can carry the Ark etc– need to see the whole

Together, these rules make the forest – one clear message:

SIN is serious

Grief by the

ARK

SIN separates us from GodCannot mix

Holy Sinfullike fire water

acid alkaliOne has to consume the other.

Grief by the

ARK

Man GODWe cannot bridge the chasm by

acting sincerely, morally or religiously.

God: not a cranky deity to be appeased by big processions or gifts— He is holy.

Uzzah and David: forgotten and rejected the seriousness of sin that separates from God

Dirt on ground will defy Ark but Uzzah’s touch will not?

Grief by the

ARK

Uzzah thought his good works –leading the processiontaking care of the Arkreligious insider

gave him the right to break the rules

God’s laws, not merely rules but involves the principle –

SIN separates

God was desperate to show that they were both wrong and deluded.HE had to wake the nation and shake its Kinglest they will be like other nations with a twisted, self righteous, superstitious religion.

The chasm created by sin between

God and man needs to be bridged

by a plan of redemption.

The timing:

The Ark and the Dancea) Get the ARK to Jerusalemb) Grief by the ARKc) Gospel in the ARK

Gospel in the ARK

8 And David became angry because of the LORD’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzahto this day. 9 David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD

come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.

11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

Gospel in the ARK

12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.”

Gospel in the ARK

So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David danced before the LORDwith all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

8 …David became angry9 David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD

come to me?”

David: Angry – with himselfAfraid – of the Lord

Fear led to question: How can the presence of the Lord be with me?

Gospel in the ARK

source of blessings?

Gospel in the ARK

10 So David would not move the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the LORD

remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

source of grief?

The ARK

So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.

13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep.

(1 Chron 15:2 – Levites bore the Ark)Gospel in the ARK

6 paces – 7 : complete

sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep – Burnt offerings

Burnt offerings – hand placed on animal’s head; impute his sins to animal; animal completely burnt. Animal utterly destroyed in place of the sinner

Gospel in the ARK

David saw a glimpse of God’s redemption plan.

To be in God’s presence, the sin chasm had to be bridged by the death of another.

Heb 10:10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Gospel in the ARK

a) Get the ARK to Jerusalemb) Grief by the ARKc) Gospel in the ARKd) Gladness & Dance

about the ARK

The Ark and the Dance

Gladness about

the ARK

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

Gladness about

the ARK

Much joy and celebration and dancing.

And Michal missed it all!

Incensed that her husband took off his kingly garments and crown, and dressed like everyone else, Michal:

• despised David in her heart• mocked him openly

Gladness about

the ARK

Gladness about

the ARK

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD.22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Gladness about

the ARK

Why David celebrated the way he did:a) God chose Him to be king

– a response to His graceb) Humility & humiliation is no issue c) David will held in honour by the people

Michal despised – his act of worship will

move others to desire that same kind of relationship with God.

Why was Michal barren?

Not the proud and haughty Michal – incapable of understanding grace

Who was to bear the next king of Israel?

But Bathsheba – a commoner and adulterer who knows grace –to nurture an heir with a heart like David for God.

Gladness about

the ARK

Jer 3:16-17 “In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land” declares the LORD, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.”

Jesus, Our ArkThe Ark: wood – fully man; gold – fully God

The Ark’s cover: a single piece of solid gold– Christ's righteousness & work on the Cross,

covering the Ark's contents (symbols of man's sin)

The contents:• tablets of law – fulfilled the Law• rod of Aaron – resurrection• jar of manna – Bread of Life

Jesus, Our Ark

David had to bring the Ark to where he was in Jerusalem.

Today, Jesus our Ark, is in us

and with us always and we in Him.