Sermon: Worshiping God in the Light of His Holiness (2 Sam 6)

Worshiping God in the Light of His Holiness (2 Sam 6)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003

We all have a particular understanding of God that is a composite of everything we have read or heard, and that is further shaped by our experiences.

A little girl was working hard on a drawing, and her father asked her what she was doing so intently. "I'm making a picture of God," she replied. "You can't do that," he said. "Nobody knows what God looks like." Completely undeterred, she kept right on drawing. "They will when I'm done."

We may not be able to draw a picture of God, but if we continue to study about Him and experience life with Him, our understanding of Him grows and becomes clearer. Occasionally, we encounter something that does not fit with what we know about Him and that even seems contradictory. The text of this morning's message may contain such information. It is certainly disturbing, because God appears to act in a cruel and capricious way toward someone who had the best of intentions. The events show a side of God's character we have encountered before, yet one whose implications we tend to avoid. Nevertheless, coming to grips with it here may answer some questions that relate to other events also difficult to understand.

The two books of Samuel contain a continuous narrative from the birth of Samuel, the last of the judges, through the events of King David's reign. The First Book of Chronicles contains another account of this same period. In 1 Sam, the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. In so doing, they got much more than they expected, as a plague swept through the community.

1 Sam 5:7 ...The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.

Out of desperation, they returned the ark, but the Philistines continued to oppress Israel. They had apparently destroyed the Israelite shrine at Shiloh during the war, so when the ark came back, the house of Abinadab in Kireath Jearim saw to its care. The ark remained with Abinadab for twenty years as Samuel, then Saul, and finally David sought to defeat the Philistines.¹

At last, in 2 Sam 5, we read about a decisive battle that marks a turning point in the Israelite-Philistine wars. David's forces gained the upper hand, and "he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer," in the very heart of Philistia (2 Sam 5:25). At this point, there is a respite in the fighting² that allows David to consolidate his authority and to revitalize Israelite worship. To that end, he decides to move the ark to his new capital, Jerusalem. 2 Sam 6 records the move (see 1 Chr 13-16 for a fuller account of this same event), when...

I. David retrieves the ark from the house of Abinadab (2 Sam 6:1-11).

2 Sam 6:1 David...brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2 He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah [= Kireath Jearim] to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. 3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart 4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with [all kinds of instruments].

Unfortunately, as David retrieves the ark....

A. His method is wrong.

He sets it on a cart, which is contrary to the Lord's command. God instructs Moses in...

Num 4:4 "This is the work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: the care of the most holy things. 5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.... 15 "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting.

God had commanded one of the Levitical families, the Kohathities, to carry the ark. Moreover, God designed the construction of the ark for this particular method of transport. He told Moses,

Exod 25:12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it.

Whether David is unaware of these instructions or views them as recommendations rather than requirements, he moves the ark on an ox-drawn cart.

Does it really matter how David gets the ark to Jerusalem? The chief concern is restoring Israelite worship of the true God. After all, David got this job as king because of his attitude not his appearance. God told the prophet Samuel...

1 Sam 16:7b-c The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

Surely, David's method for transporting the ark is a minor issue, because...

B. His motive is right.

David knows the ark is the most important religious article in Israel, the focal point of the LORD's presence with His people. It is "the ark of God...who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark" (v. 2). As God moves to Jerusalem, it is only fitting that He do so with all due ceremony, so David makes suitable arrangements for the ark.

• He escorts it with an honor guard of elite troops (v. 1), to discourage any interference by the Philistines.
• He sets it on a new cart (v. 32), perhaps made for this express purpose.
• He attends it with representatives from all the Israelite tribes (v. 5), so they may witness the grand event.
• He precedes it with enthusiastic worship (v. 5 12v sb;), for God deserves no less.

This is an important moment, and David has gone to great lengths to see that it proceeds smoothly and with joy. Only in the matter of the cart does he err, and it is a detail of which he may not even be aware.³ Nevertheless,

2 Sam 6:6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah....

Israel is not known for the smoothness of its terrain. There is a midrash, a story, that at creation God sent an angel to distribute rocks over the surface of the earth, but as the angel was flying over Canaan, the bag broke.⁴ The supposed truth of that tale is evident throughout Israel; there are rocks everywhere, which makes walking in the countryside a potentially unstable affair. It is no wonder that "the oxen stumbled." There is no guarantee, of course, that Kohathites carrying the ark would not also have stumbled. In any case, Uzzah touches it and dies.

To David, this appears unusually harsh, and it angers him. Uzzah meant no disrespect. On the contrary, he was attempting to protect the ark. Surely, it would have been more dishonoring had the ark fallen to the ground and, perhaps, even sustained some damage.

This seems like such a senseless and unnecessary death—as, indeed, it is—except for its relationship to the holiness of God: God slays Uzzah "because of his irreverent act" (6:7).⁵ Of all the objects in the tabernacle, the ark is the most holy because it is the throne of God, and His instructions to the Israelites in this regard were quite clear:

Num 4:15b [T]hey must not touch the holy things or they will die.

When the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel...⁶

1 Sam 6:19 God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD.... 20 [In response, others] asked, "Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?

They realized that such an act violated God's holiness. Here, David, in the midst of enthusiastic praise, learns that...

Joy in the worship of God must never surpass fear for the holiness of God.

In many synagogues, there is an inscription from the Talmud on the eastern wall that people see as they face Jerusalem to pray, which reads, "Know before whom you stand" (b Ber 28b). It means that you must not allow the emotional excitement praise can generate to overshadow your awe of the One you praise.

This passage holds the answer to several questions people ask about God, especially as they try to reconcile what they think is a difference in how scripture portrays God—as wrathful in the Old Testament but loving in the New Testament.⁷ This distinction is false, of course, for God repeatedly makes clear statements about His wrath and love in both testaments. Nevertheless, you may still wonder about the disturbing things you read.

• How could God condone, even command, Israel to slaughter the inhabitants of Canaan, including women and children?⁸
• How could God command the Israelites to execute a so-called "false prophet" simply because he disagreed with the Lord? What ever happened to free speech?!
• How could God kill Uzzah for attempting to protect the ark?

Today, there are many who advocate the sanctity of life, as if it were the most important principle in God's eyes. Human life is important, but it is not, "the fundamental value" that some claim.⁹ As we see in this passage, and repeatedly elsewhere in scripture, the most important virtue in God's economy is holiness. Life has no value in comparison to holiness. Herein lies the answer to these questions.

• God commanded the slaughter of the Canaanites, including women and children, "on account of the wickedness of these nations" (Deut 9:4-5)¹⁰ by which "the land became defiled" (Lev 18:24-27).¹¹
• God commanded the Israelites to execute a false prophet in order to "purge the evil from among [them]" (Deut 13:15),¹² because God called them to be "a holy nation" (Exod 19:6).¹³
• God killed Uzzah because of "his irreverent act" (2 Sam 6:7); however well intended, Uzzah violated the sanctity of the ark.

In each instance, death was the result of people's violating the holiness of God.¹⁴

This is an uncomfortable concept. People prefer to think of God in warm and fuzzy terms, but that is not what He is,¹⁵ and passages such as these may alarm you and make you revise your understanding of God. They should also make you wonder anew how this same God does not simply kill everyone and be done with it. Instead, He provides the means for your atonement, so that you can be holy too. The death of Uzzah is tragic, but it is not the end for Uzzah. If, as is likely, Uzzah was a believer, then he is now enjoying eternal life in the presence of God. Uzzah suffered the immediate consequence of his action, but God had made provision for Uzzah, as He has for you, through "the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" (Rev 13:8),¹⁶ so that Uzzah would not suffer the ultimate consequence of his action.

Does this assurance of eternal life mean that you can be lax in this life? Quite the contrary, appreciating what God has done for you should compel you to "be holy" as well.¹⁷ As Paul says...

Rom 12:1 ...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God....

If you want to please God, then be holy.

With Uzzah's death, the procession to Jerusalem stops. The ark goes to the home of Obed-Edom, where it remains for three months, while David considers what he should do next. During that time, "the LORD blessed [Obed-Edom] and his entire household" (6:11-12). When word of this reaches David, he realizes that God was not angry with Israel, and...

II. David retrieves the ark from the house of Obed-Edom (1 Sam 6:12-19).

1 Sam 6:12b So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD [Note the different mode of transportation.] had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

When David moves the ark this time...

A. His method is right.

He sets it on the Levites' shoulders, which is in accord with God's command. The parallel account in 1 Chr 15 records how David realizes the error he had made earlier.

1 Chr 15:13 It was because...the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." ...15 [So] the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.

On this second attempt, David's method is right; and again,

B. His motive is right.

Once more, he transports the ark with the proper ceremony:

• He escorts it with an honor guard (1 Chr 15:35).
• He attends it with tribal representatives (2 Sam 6:15).
• He accompanies it with sacrifices (2 Sam 6:13).
• He precedes it with enthusiastic worship (2 Sam 6:14)

As before, David goes to great lengths to see that the move proceeds smoothly and with joy.¹⁸

2 Sam 6:17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD.

Having rectified his previous error, David is successful in transporting the ark without incident, and He brings it to Jerusalem. What is interesting as well as instructive is that David's earlier attempt, ending as it did in the death of Uzzah, does not diminish the exuberance of the king's worship. However sobering that experience was, as it impressed upon David the fearful holiness of God, David still praises the LORD "with all his might" (v. 14),¹⁹ teaching us that...

Fear for the holiness of God should never quench joy in the worship of God.

The Bible admonishes you to cultivate a healthy fear of the LORD, and sometimes that dread may make you tremble before Him. You should also be in awe of the One you praise, and sometimes that wonder will leave you speechless before Him. In neither case, though, should your awareness of the profound difference that exists between you and God diminish your devotion to Him. On the contrary, dread and awe should compel you even more to worship Him with all your might. Do you worship God with all your might?

Some Christians say that God is more concerned about why you do things than He is about how you do them. This assumption often leads people to conclude that God is only concerned about the heart.

• David's heart was surely devoted to God. Why, then, would God not overlook this small difference in the way David transported the ark?
• Uzzah's intention was surely good. Why, then, would God not overlook this small affront to the sanctity of the ark?

The answer is that God places as much importance on method as He does on motive.²⁰

• Would a choir member be right in saying: "We don't need to rehearse that anthem any more. This is not a performance; it's worship. What's important is that we sing it to the Lord ."?²¹

• No, that would not be right, because the Bible states that God's musicians should endeavor to make their offerings skillfully,²² and that flawed offerings are unacceptable to God.²³

How we sing, and not just why or what we sing, is important to God.

• Someone asked me: "Why do you spend so much time on the sermon, checking all those little details? The people won't know the difference."

• That is probably true, but whether or not you notice, I am responsible before God to provide an accurate presentation of His word, which requires attention to little details. As Paul says to another pastor,²⁴

2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one...who correctly handles the word of truth.

How thoroughly I prepare is important to God, and not just that I am sincere in what I say.

God places as much importance on your method as He does on your motive.

Unfortunately, in many areas, people—God's people—have replaced a striving for excellency with a settling for mediocrity. Are you content to do only what you need to get by, rather than to give God your best?

• It shows in your attendance, your punctuality, and your giving.
• It shows in your care of this building, in how neat you leave your pew.
• It shows in your reliability in whatever commitment you make to serve.

In comparison to Uzzah's sin, these are small issues; but, how you handle matters great or small shows to any who may be watching, including God, how seriously you take Him, whether or not He is worth the best you have to offer.

The events in 2 Sam 6 demonstrate the importance of Worshiping God in the Light of His Holiness. We must maintain consistently high levels in our awareness of the holiness of God and in our excitement for the worship of God. He demands the one, and He deserves the other.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.