Text: 2 Samuel 6:1-15
In the text above, we see the story of how David led the children of Israel to the house of Abinadab to retrieve the Ark of God, which had been abandoned there for a long time (1 Samuel 7:1). Though the Bible records that David and the children of Israel were ‘celebrating’ as they brought the ark up from Abinadab’s house, we know that the story did not end well on that first attempt. One of the sons of Abinadab touched the Ark of God when it was about to fall in an attempt to prevent it, but he died.
This story is one of the many in the Bible that you read and don’t know exactly how to feel or respond to God as a Christian. It's not at all helpful that the Bible describes that God was angry and struck him dead for touching the ark. But let’s try to understand what happened in this story.
The Ark of God was a wooden structure that God instructed Moses to build in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s presence and a depiction of the throne room of God (Exodus 25:10). There were strict instructions on how this ark was to be treated because it was considered holy, being the symbol of the presence of God (Yahweh). For example, only the tribe of Levi was allowed to carry the ark using two long poles placed on their shoulders at each side. Just like you see people lift a coffin on all four edges, that is how it was carried then, but using the poles. This way, they wouldn’t touch the ark in the process. However, on this day, David and the children of Israel decided to be innovative; they carried the ark using a cart—a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by mules. Because of the unstable terrain where they might have passed through, the cart shook, and the ark was about to fall. Uzzah, one of the sons of Abinadab, tried to save it and touched it, but the instructions were clear: Numbers 4:15 states, “the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die…”
The root cause of the problem here was the nonchalant attitude with which they brought the Ark of God in the first place. In 2 Samuel 6:5, the root word used to describe how David and the children of Israel praised God is synonymous with derision, scorn, or laughing in pleasure or detraction. Worship requires intentionality; you don’t just happen to worship God. It requires your heart, and this is important to always keep in mind. The song you sing, your dance, or your physical posture are all important, but most important is the posture of your heart.
The issue was that if they had been a little more intentional in their approach, they might have realized how risky this was—the terrain was rocky, and they were in a ‘celebratory mood’ with laughter and jesting. You might have wondered if the praise was to God or just sheer excitement and joy at everything coming together for them as a nation, making the chances of the ark not falling very unlikely. This is equally true for us;
Although praise or worship—regardless of the terminology you use—may involve gestures and emotions akin to having fun, we must never forget that it is sacred. It is unto the Lord, and the posture of your heart MUST always reflect this.
As you will see in this series, worship requires thoughtfulness, but we should also be careful not to get too creative, making it difficult to discern whether it aims to make us feel good or to extol the name of God. Worship is about God, not about the congregation being sung over or the minister leading; it is unto our God. When you compare the approach they took on the second attempt to bring the ark into the city, you will see a sharp contrast in their intentionality. Though it also involved dancing and rejoicing, in fact, the rejoicing was so exuberant that the king’s wife felt he was embarrassing himself—yet this time, they succeeded. This shows that it wasn’t about the dancing or their excitement; it was the posture of their heart.
So, whether it’s during your personal devotion, in church services, or if you are being led by a minister or choir, or you are the one leading people, reckon within yourself that it is about God and not you.
Have an amazing week, and please remember to like, drop a comment about what you learned, and share this devotional.
Thank you.
You nail it, more anointing 🔥🙏📢❤️.
What happened it just dropped on my mail this very night since morning 🌅