Revere God's commands.

Footnotes

[1] 6:3 Or and his brother; also verse 4
[2] 6:4 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew the new cart, 4and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, with the ark of God
[3] 6:5 Septuagint, 1 Chronicles 13:8; Hebrew fir trees
[4] 6:8 Perez-uzzah means the breaking out against Uzzah
[5] 6:19 Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain
[6] 6:21 Or leader
[7] 6:22 Septuagint; Hebrew my

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, De’Andre, Love this from your devo, “…our bodies are made for holiness. We should not use our bodies for wickedness, but instead for God's righteousness.” The idea that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit is frightening when I think about what I put into it the first 55 years of life. Q1. Are God’s commands a burden or a gift? Paul teaches me that once I am saved, I am no longer a slave to sin but am still subject to sin. In this, obeying is a gift. In the difficulty of denying self, it’s a burden, I’ll take the burden as it makes the gift so much sweeter. Q2. Make my body more of a temple? Re-lose the 10-15 pounds I re-gained in 2022. Way better food choices and more exercise. Q3. How has God disciplined me? Probably firstly teaching me that discipline and discipling have the same root. Further, showing me how suffering purifies me, (Malachi 3:3).

Hugh Stephenson

Remember the end of the first Indiana Jones movie? The Nazis finally get their hands on the Ark of the Covenant. As they celebrate and prepare to open it you just know it’s going to be very different than they think. Sure enough they open it and the spirit beings come out and their flesh melts right on the spot. Not good. Take-a-way--- God is very serious about holiness and purity. When He gives me a clear commend or directive, he means for me to follow it. No half-measures allowed. Partial obedience is disobedience. A really great short piece on Holiness via Leviticus- https://www.gospelrelevance.com/2018/08/06/what-ive-learned-about-leviticus-after-studying-it-for-over-a-decade/ The amazing Albert Mohler has a sermon series https://albertmohler.com/sermon-series/leviticus His “must listen to” daily podcast. About 20 minutes each day. If I miss this I catch up. Always. https://albertmohler.com/the-briefing A great and funny book on spending a year living out the 613 laws of Leviticus. https://www.amazon.com/Year-Living-Biblically-Literally-Possible/dp/0743291484/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580629639726&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026924&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3638357724250654549&hvtargid=kwd-4858551704&hydadcr=8265_13500916&keywords=year+of+living+biblically&qid=1694118464&s=books&sr=1-1

Hugh Stephenson

One theory about the ark is that after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. that it ended up in a small church/temple in Ethiopia; https://www.britannica.com/story/where-is-the-ark-of-the-covenant If it is, I am guessing that they never opened it to see what was inside. Some great notes from Constable on the movement of the Ark, (https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/ot/2samuel/2samuel.htm). “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, as the Philistines had done (cf. 1 Sam. 6:7-8). Priests were to carry it on poles (Exod. 25:14-15; Num. 3:30-31; 4:1-15), not on a common cart—even a new one. “ “Furthermore, no one was to touch it, or they would die (cf. Num. 4:15).” “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.” “David was apparently angry because he expected God to bless his efforts. God taught him that obedience is more important than good intentions (cf. 1 Sam. 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." “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: wholehearted commitment to God's will, as His disciples.” “The bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem was an event of major theological significance. ... David wanted to make the Jebusite city not only the center of his rule but also the center of the worship of the Lord.” "By bringing the Ark to his new Jebusite capital, David was attempting to bind the tribes and the central government more firmly."

Michael Sisson

Re: 2Sam 6:2 c.f. 1Chr 13:3 Re: 2Sam 6:3 See Ex 25:14 Re: 2Sam 6:16 2Sam 6:16 (NASB) Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and >>>she despised him in her heart.<<< At this point, Messiah is still in David's loins. 2Sa 6:23 seemingly ties this incident to Michal's lifelong fruitlessness. The implication may be that, because Michal despised the L-rd’s Anointed (both David and the Son of David), she did not become the vessel through whom the Messiah was brought forth from David. See also 1Chr 15:29

Greg Jones

Really like your preface, “The author of 2 Samuel wrote this by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to someone else at the time, but God knew that we would read this over 2,000 years later and have questions about what we all just read together.” Restating, 2 Samuel 6 wasn’t written, to, us, it was preserved for us. When I read Chronicles parallel to Samuel/Kings I see that idea at work. Where it’s really easy to make the bad king of Judah list in Kings, Chronicles cleans up a lot of that history. Most Bible scholars would tell us that for the ancient writers the way to cast a vision for a greater future was to recast the past to look better. So in a different day Samuel Kings written to one group is preserved for anther that Chronicles is written to. Both are preserved for us. I see that at work here. For the original Samuel writer/reader in my eye David really stinks the place up. Samuel, David’s described as only wearing a linen ephod. I picture a x-small hospital gown wrapped around a xxx-frame. 1 Chronicles 15:7 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. David’s got a bath robe wrapped around that gown. Samuel, When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he (David) sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 1 Chronicles 15:26 Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. I picture that sacrifice happening a little bit past the six steps point. Back to Samuel, Uzzah reacts when the oxen stumble and touches the ark. That’s disrespectful, the Lord strikes him down, David leaves the ark then returns later to retrieve it when the house it’s left at starts to be blessed. It sounds like second move isn’t really any more respectful than the first. It’s not honest respect. When David is called out by Michal he tells her,” 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.” I think those slave girls are going to feel the same way about David that Michal did the difference is if they react as Michal did they could end up like Uzzah. As for “I will become even more undignified than this…” foreshadow Bathsheba whom David will have a child by while Michal will be childless. Chronicles doesn’t mention Bathsheba as it cast a vision for a better future.

Michael Scaman

Ark goes to Jerusalem. Lots of joyful noise. 1 Chronicles 15 has musicians appointed to make a joyful noise with Asaph, Ethan and Heman among the wisest in the land playing the Cymbols with Asaph. Uzzah reaches out his hand. Music stops. RC Sproul says Uzzah made a mistake thinking his hands were less bad than the ground the ark almost fell onto. The ground never sinned. (Hollywood often makes a mistake when moving the ark. They often show it uncovered. In Numbers the ark is to be covered by the veil of the holy of holies and not looked at when moved. and the levites, not touching it but using poles resting the their shoulders ). The ark was moved for a while to the home of Obed Edom the Gittite where he is super blessed. Oddly, Gittite is similar to Gath where the ark was with the Philistines only tis is believing Gath. Gath means winepress. Gittite means of the winepress. Obed Edom means servant of Edom and sounds like a gentile who became a Jew. The name speaks of redemption. The ark moving from unbelieving Philistine Gath to believing Gath. Psalms 8, 81, 84. are sung on a Gittith, from the place of the wine press. Psalm 81 and 84 are both sweet Psalms. Psalm 8 a pleasant Psalm in many ways as well and Psalms 8, 81, 84 are all surrounded by laments as if something sweet in a winepress. Obed Edom being super bless impresses David and changes his mind about moving the ark. The ark goes up Mt Zion into Jerusalem and spoke of indirectly in Psalms 68. Mt Bashan is jealous of what's going on (Bashan meaning serpent mountain) . The ark travels through the dessert, God flies thorough the skies. It goes up Mt Zion ( Mount Zion meaning something like Mount drought, Zion related to dry or thirst) and is portrayed in Ephesians as Jesus ascending bringing us with. The ark going up Zion pointing to Jesus' ascension. The ark representing Jesus speaks to both Jesus divine and human nature, being made of Gold, precious materials and common materials like wood. Good old Obed Edom among the doorkeepers for the ark at the new taberncale of David on Mt ZIon. ( and.... There is a controversy. The tabernacle was not moved and 2 sets of levites ministered there while one set who were singers came to Mt Zion with the Ark. Where did they offer sacrifices? Tabernacle not on Zion or ark in Zion? There is another controversy. Is this Asaph the seer? Is this the Asaph who wrote about the fall of Jerusalem in Book 3 of Psalms. Was this prophetic work of Asaph the seer or another Asaph? )

Sue Bohlin

Good stuff, De'Andre! I especially loved how you linked the ark of the covenant to our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. As the temple > ark, we ought to be very sure to treat our own and other believers' bodies with deep respect and care! Reading about Michal's sarcasm and contempt for David made my heart heavy and sad. But it reminded me of a very important life lesson I learned on our wedding day. My beloved was so nervous about all that attention on him that he didn't sleep a wink the night before our wedding. He forgot to bring several things to the church, which was over an hour from his parents' home--including my ring. News of this "oopsie" traveled to me in the bride's room. I didn't have my dress on yet, so I opened the door, spotted my groom, and my first words to my almost-husband on our wedding day were, "Nice going, ace!" I instantly made a hard situation worse. He told me later, "If I never hear those words again, that would be okay with me." And he never did. I decided right then that if our future kids were to learn sarcasm, it wouldn't be from our home.

Amy Lowther

1.. Obeying God’s commands is a gift when I do it and a burden when I don’t it because I remember (after I didn’t) how good it was when I did. 2, As a believer, I can value myself as God does and make good choices. 3. God is not forceful with His ideas when you ask for His help. God leaves you plenty of space to complete your work from His ideas and His gifts within you.