Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20020908.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XLII: Learning Humbly To Heed Scripture Even When Blessed In Leadership
(2 Samuel 6:1-12)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God blesses us in oversight, we can tend not only to rejoice, but also to relax.
    2. However, even in such blessed times when we rejoice and relax, we must remember to heed humbly God's Word for blessing, a lesson king David learned the hard way in 2 Samuel 6:1-12:
  2. Learning Humbly To Heed Scripture Even When Blessed In Leadership, 2 Samuel 6:1-12.
    1. At the beginning of 2 Samuel 6, David was "on top" as far as his role of leader in Israel was concerned:
      1. David was beyond the threat of enemies in Israel as they were now all dead, 1 Sam. 31; 2 Sam. 2:8-5:5.
      2. He also enjoyed rest from Gentile enemy threats, 2 Sam. 5:6-9 and 2 Samuel 5:17-25.
      3. Besides, all Israel had formally accepted David as their King, crowning him as king in Hebron, 5:3.
    2. In this position, David arranged for a big celebration of returning the ark of God Who had established him as Israel's king to end the many years of its absence from the tabernacle since Eli's death:
      1. When Eli the priest died, the ark of God was taken by the Philistines to their territory, 1 Sam. 4:11.
      2. After the Lord plagued the Philistines to honor His Name, they delivered the ark by way of a cart driven by milking cows that God forced to return to Beth-shemesh in Israel, 1 Samuel 6:1-18.
      3. However, the Hebrews of Beth-shemesh erred by looking into the ark, and God slew some of them for this flagrant violation of the Mosaic Law, 1 Samuel 6:19-20 with Numbers 4:5-6, 20.
      4. Accordingly, it was moved to the home of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim where it stayed 20 years since others were afraid to move it due to this capital discipline of the Lord, 1 Samuel 6:21-7:2.
      5. Finally, David decided it was time to restore the ark of God to the tabernacle from where it had been missing since the priest, Eli had died, 2 Samuel 6:1-2 (Baale of Judah is another name for Kirjath-jearim, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 2 Samuel 6:2.)
    3. However, though basking in God's blessing, David FAILED to OBEY SCRIPTURE regarding HOW the ark was to be TRANSPORTED, and this led to tragedy and an obstructed effort:
      1. David copied the Biblically illiterate Philistines in placing the ark on a new cart to move it, cf. 1 Samuel 6:7a with 2 Samuel 6:3. He apparently assumed this was acceptable for him to do as well!
      2. Yet, SCRIPTURE dictated the SONS of KOHATH of the LEVITES were to bear the ark on their SHOULDERS by STAVES positioned through the ark's rings, Num. 4:4-15; Ex. 25:14-15.
    4. David's failure to heed Scripture in favor of following even respectable human precedent in the Philistine example cost Uzzah his life and David an upsetting postponement of his plans for the ark:
      1. As the ark's ride on the cart would have been rough anyway, when the oxen at one point stumbled, a Hebrew named Uzzah reached out to steady the ark from falling, 2 Samuel 6:6.
      2. Since this was a capital offense for a Hebrew according to the Law under which every Hebrew lived, God immediately killed Uzzah, 2 Samuel 6:7 with Numbers 4:15.
      3. This brought David's lavish transportation celebration to a sudden halt, 2 Sam. 6:4-5. He became upset and afraid to move the ark until he understood what had so displeased the Lord, 2 Sam. 6:8-10a.
      4. As a result, the ark stayed in the home of nearby Obed-edom, a Gittite or Gentile native of Gath, 6:10b.
      5. When it was reported that God blessed this Gentile, David properly moved the ark the right way, using the Levites that allowed for God's blessing and a steadier means of transportation! (2 Sam. 6:11-12)
Lesson: God REQUIRED Israel's KINGS to READ SCRIPTURE for blessing in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, so as David FAILED to DO this in favor of heeding "sensible human precedent" in the Philistines while basking in God's blessing, his failure to READ and HEED Scripture led to tragedy!

Application: (1) As God BLESSES us in oversight, we must FIGHT the temptation to go SOFT on humbly heeding Scripture, for God's blessing is ALWAYS in accord with His WORD! (2) Regarding how God dealt more graciously with the Philistines versus how He discipled Uzzah in the use of the cart, we see God holds those with greater access to His Word more accountable than those who do not to READ it and to HEED it, cf. also Luke 12:47-48 for a similar truth.