When David heard that Obed-Edom, a Levite, and his house was blessed because of the ark of God, David decided to try once again to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This time David handles the ark per the Lord’s instruction in the Book of the Law. He says “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” So David gathers the head of the Levites and says, “‘sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.’ So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.”
The Levites bring the ark to Jerusalem and all of Israel celebrates with shouting and music and David danced before the Lord with all his might. “So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.”
“On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord: Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! …Talk of all his wondrous works…Remember His marvelous works which He has done…Remember His covenant forever…Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day…For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place…Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever”…
“So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required; and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel.” So at this time in the Story, before the temple is built in Jerusalem, worship is occurring both in Jerusalem, where the ark is in the tent David built, and in Gibeon, where sacrifices are made at the altar at the Mosaic tabernacle.
After the corporate celebration, David returns home to bless his household and there he encounters an angry wife. Michal, Saul’s daughter, rebukes David for dancing unashamedly in the streets in front of the maids of his servants. See, Michal is so focused on status and prestige that she misses out on worshipping the Lord. David tells her that his worship was for the Lord alone who appointed him as king over her father – “Therefore I will play music before the Lord. And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”
“Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.” David’s son Solomon will later write in Proverbs 21:9 – “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” Maybe Solomon learned this from his dad or maybe he learns it from the one thousand women he will go on to acquire. 😱 We will get to Solomon soon but first, in tomorrow’s reading, David will ask to build a house for the Lord. Keep reading to see God’s response to his request.
(2 Samuel 6:12a, 1 Chronicles 15:1-28, 2 Samuel 6:12b-16, 1 Chronicles 15:29, 2 Samuel 6:17-19a, 1 Chronicles 16:1-43, 2 Samuel 6:19b-23)
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Chronological Bible in Layman's Terms 