This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the
books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for
COMMENTARY ON GENESIS to the address above.
2Samuel
1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.
3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
the ark of God had been in Kirjathjearim after it was returned from the Philistines (1Samuel 7). And the ark had been placed in the home of Abinadab.
6 And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.
9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
How David, a man of God, and a man of God's Word could miss the fact that the ark was supposed to be carried only by Levites (Numbers 4:15, 7:9) is beyond me. But he did.
11 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
There, the ark stayed for three months. And God brought word to David that He had blessed the house of Obededom tremendously. So David realized that he COULD bring the ark to Jerusalem.
14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
David, the Bible says, DANCED before the Lord. He was wearing a "linen ephod" which is a sort of apron worn over the sleeveless garment that extends to the knees. This apron represented holiness and servanthood.
20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
When David arrived home, Michal made a point of chastising him for his show of humility (NOT nakedness) (verse 20).
Please continue with us in daily Bible study.
CHAPTER 6
Saul had called for the ark while he was in Gibeah (1Samuel 14:18). And the Scripture tells us that the ark is STILL in the house of Aninadab, but that it is in Gibeah.
I may get into a little trouble here with some folk when I say this: But it is evident that the ark is NOW in Gibeah (verse 3) -- and probably Abinadab moved there when Saul called for the ark.
Also, the Bible plainly says that the ark remained in Kirjathjearim for 20 years. So we must also assume that the time between 1Samuel 7 and 1Samuel 14 was 20 years. And that probably places me "suspect" in the eyes of some people.
Nevertheless, we must all agree that WHERE the ark was at this time was not as important as the fact that David wants to move it (with some great fanfare) to Jerusalem.
David gathered about 30,000 men and makes a tremendous celebration of this transport of the ark. He, of course, uses Abinadab's sons to watch over the ark. But the ark itself is being transported on a "new cart." This was probably a cart made specifically for this purpose.
However, David hadn't been reading the WORD of God like he should. The Bible plainly declares that the only way to transport the ark is for the Levites to carry it on staves that were especially prepared for it. ((See Exodus 37:1-5 and Deuteronomy 10:8))
One cannot help but notice the atmosphere of celebration. It was almost a "parade," if you will.
Verse 5 tells us that people were playing all kinds of instruments and obviously were praising God loudly.
When the procession reached the area of Perez-uzzah, there was a threshigfloor belonging to Nachon. For some reason (unleveled ground perhaps) the cart shifted and Uzzah put his hand out to steady the ark. It was a normal reaction, especially of a Levite who was charged with the responsibility of caring for this monmumental representation of God's holiness.
David has long taken the blame for this. Some say that if it had not been on the cart, it wouldn't have happened. And that is certainly true. However, consider two suggestions here.
1) First of all, the Levites were supposed to KNOW the Word of God and be TEACHERS of it. How did THEY miss the fact that the ark should not be put on a cart?
2) Secondly, suppose two men WERE carrying the ark with the staves. If one of them stumbled, wouldn't Uzzah's reaction have been the same?
Yes it was partially David's fault. He was the king and he should have been reading the Word of God daily. However, far too many Christians depend far too much on leaders to know the Word and they don't study it either.
The REAL problem was that this symbol of God's Holiness and God's revelation to mankind of Himself was treated LIGHTLY! The Bible says WE are the temple of God today (1Corinthians 3:16), and if we DEFILE this temple we shall be destroyed (1Corinthians 3:17). I'm of the opinion that we Christians are all too often treating God's holiness in a commonplace manner. Let us be careful where and how we carry this temple (our body) today.
Now, David, being the man of great heart and conscience that he was, must have felt the blame was his. In verses 8-9 we are told that he was both "displeased" and "afraid of the Lord."
David felt unworthy of the ark being carried with him! Oh! How we need to sense the heart of this man in our Christian lives today!!
We need a great sense of unworthiness when we approach God and even His Word today!! We need to learn that to "fear" God is to have awesome reverence!!
As a result, David carried the ark aside to the house of Obededom, another levite.
Again, a great celebration was in order. David gathered another tremendous number of people. But this time it seems the ark was carried in the prescribed manner (verse 13).
According to verse 12, David was very sure this time to offer God sacrifices for HIS holiness. He did that right after they had marched the first 6 paces.
Anytime we do something for the Lord, we should be sure to give Him the praise for what is being done. For we can do nothing aside from the Lord.
"Abide in me, and I in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."(John 15:5)
This was the garment of the priests when they served the people and God.
Let me set the record clear -- David was NOT naked! He did NOT uncover himself!
However, he WAS uncovered from any ceremonial personage and any social status. Though he was the KING, he was showing himself as an humble servant before God.
Michal, Saul's daughter (and David's 1st wife), say the display and to her it was disgusting that David would lower himself from his kingly status (verse 16).
David continued to demonstrate a servant's heart even in the opposition of his own family. Verses 17-19 tell us that he offered sacrifices, and then made sure that everyone who had attended received part of the sacrifices. THAT'S WILLING SERVITUDE!!
Jesus said, "...whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:27).
David depicts the heart of a TRUE king. Later, his grandson Rehoboam would lose 5/6 of his kingdom because he would not be "servant," but rather desired to be served!
David's answer was that since God had seen fit to make him king, he would most certainly humble himself before the Lord and praise Him with all his being (verse 12).
David further said that he would even MORE humble hismelf because he knew that God would exalt the humble (verse 22).
"The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom: and before honour is humility."(Proverbs 15:33)
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (James 4:10)
Because Michal honored social standing above servantship to God, she never had any children. That may have been because God did not allow her to have any. Or it may have been because David never again visited her in marital communion.