In the last chapter, we saw all the men of Israel go to David and anoint him as king of Israel, 2 Samuel 5:1-3. This chapter begins with David gathering thirty thousand young able men to go and collect the ark of God from Baalah, 2 Samuel 6:1-2 / Joshua 15:9 / Joshua 15:60 / 1 Chronicles 13:6. The ark had been there for around twenty years, following the removal of it to that place at the request of the men of Beth Shemesh, 1 Samuel 6:19-7:2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning ‘Baale of Judah’, KJV.
‘This is supposed to be the same city which, in Joshua 15:60, is called Kirjah-baal or Kirjath-Jearim, 1 Chronicles 13:6, or Baalah, Joshua 15:9.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning the Name, 2 Samuel 6:2.
‘The literal rendering is, ‘Upon which is called the Name, the Name of Yahweh of Hosts, who sits upon the cherubim,’ i.e. the ark which is called after the Lord of Hosts and bears His Name, Deuteronomy 28:10 / 1 Kings 8:43 / Isaiah 4:1.’
David wanted Jerusalem not only to be a political and military centre for Israel but a religious centre too. This is the reason why he wants the ark of God to go to Jerusalem, where it can be the focus of Israel’s faith.
This becomes clearer later when he decides he wants to build a temple in Jerusalem as a home for the ark. David’s plan was to bring everything and everyone together in one place, but this wasn’t God’s original plan for Israel, 2 Samuel 7:1-7.
The text tells us that they set the Ark of God on a new cart, 2 Samuel 6:3. The problem with this was it was only the priests who were allowed to carry the Ark on poles, which they carried on their shoulders, Exodus. 25:12-15 / Exodus 37:1-5 / Numbers 7:9.
The priests weren’t even allowed to touch the Ark, and if they did touch it, they would die, Numbers 4:15. Another problem is that the Ark was always to be covered in goatskin, Numbers 4:6.
David knew exactly what he was doing here, and so, he sinned by moving the Ark on a cart, and he was fully aware that what he was doing was wrong, 1 Chronicles 15:12-13. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it, 2 Samuel 6:3-4.
David and all of Israel began celebrating before the Lord, 2 Samuel 6:5 / 1 Chronicles 13:8, which is ironic because they had disobeyed God’s law concerning moving the Ark.
When they reached Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God to stop it from falling as the oxen stumbled, 2 Samuel 6:6. This again was another mistake the Israelites made, because it was only the Levitical priest who could move the Ark, using only poles, Exodus 25:14-15 / Numbers 4:15 / Numbers 4:20.
As a result of touching the Ark, God became angry and struck Uzzah down dead, 2 Samuel 6:7 / 1 Chronicles 13:1-14. Even the Levitical priests couldn’t touch the Ark, or they would die, Numbers 7:9.
Uzzah must have known he wasn’t allowed to touch the Ark, or God wouldn’t have killed him for doing so. This act of God would certainly send shockwaves throughout Israel, as they were reminded that they can’t just do things any way they want and ignore God’s commands.
We could also say that this act of God would also remind all of Israel that God was still in their presence. David now gets angry too because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah, 2 Samuel 6:7, which means ‘outbreak against Uzzah’.
David asks how the Ark of the Lord ever came to him, on the surface, 2 Samuel 6:9. It appears that David may have acted in ignorance about how the Ark was to be moved, or the Levitical priests didn’t inform him of how the Ark was to be moved. But the truth is, David was fully aware of God’s command concerning moving the Ark, 1 Chronicles 15:12-13.
It’s possible that Abinadab, 2 Samuel 6:3, knew nothing about what God said concerning moving the Ark, and so he and his household weren’t blessed, and when David took the Ark to the house of Obed-Edom, God blessed him and his household, 2 Samuel 6:10-11.
Obed-Edom may have been a priest and must have treated the Ark of God with respect, knowing that it symbolised God’s presence and because of this, the Lord blessed him and his household, 2 Samuel 6:11 / 2 Samuel 6:12.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Obed-Edom was a Levite of the family of Merari, being, 1 Chronicles 15:18-24 / 1 Chronicles 16:38, a son of Jeduthun, who was a Merarite. He was a porter, a player on the harp, and was one of the Levites especially designated to take part in the musical services on the occasion of bringing up the ark to Zion, and to minister before it when brought up. He is called a Gittite, perhaps from Gath-Rimmon, in Manasseh, which belonged to the Kohathites, Joshua 21:25. Marriage with a Kohathite, or some other cause, would account for his dwelling in a Kohathite city.’
After being told that the Lord has blessed Obed-Edom and his household, 2 Samuel 6:12, he decides he wants to move the Ark of God again to the city of David, 2 Samuel 6:12 / 1 Chronicles 15:25, that is, Jerusalem. Those who carried the Ark took six steps, then David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf, 2 Samuel 6:13 / 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:43.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning the ‘six steps’, 2 Samuel 6:13.
‘The meaning is, not that they sacrificed oxen and fatlings every six steps, which would have been impossible, but that when after the arrangement made by David for the Levites to carry the ark, 1 Chronicles 15:2 / 1 Chronicles 15:12 / 1 Chronicles 15:15, they had borne it successfully and with visible tokens of God’s favour, out of the house of Obed-Edom and six ‘steps’ on the road to the city of David to the sound of the musical instruments then they stopped and offered solemn sacrifices. Possibly ‘the step’ may have had a technical sense, and denoted a certain distance, say a stadium. Six such distances would have been nearly a mile, and if the ground was difficult and steep, the successful progress of ‘those that bear the ark,’ so far, would have been a fit cause for a thanksgiving sacrifice.’
It appears he’s learned the lesson from what happened to Uzzah. This time, when he moved the Ark, although the text doesn’t tell us, he moved it properly. The Levitical priests must have moved it on poles, Exodus 25:14-15 / Numbers 4:15 / Numbers 4:20.
Notice he was wearing an ephod, 2 Samuel 6:14, and 1 Chronicles 15:27, tells us he was also wearing a robe. The ephod was made of linen and was worn by a priest; it was a small apron used on ceremonial occasions. Notice also that David was dancing, 2 Samuel 6:14 / 1 Chronicles 15:27, which was basically moving around in circles in an out-of-control fashion.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Dancing is a religious ceremony among the Hindus, and they consider it an act of devotion to their idols. It is evident that David considered it in the same light. What connection dancing can have with devotion I cannot tell. This, I know that unpremeditated and involuntary skipping may be the effect of sudden mental elation.’
This was obviously a religious ceremony because David danced before the Lord when the Ark arrived safely, 2 Samuel 6:16. Some believe at some point in David’s dancing he must have become naked, they believe that this is made clear from Michal’s reaction later, 2 Samuel 6:20.
He ‘exposed’ himself as some translations have it, because of his dancing, and because God had already commanded the proper attire to wear, Exodus 28:40-43. Because of this, they believed David once again broke God’s law in his excitement.
However, the text tells us David was wearing an ephod, 2 Samuel 6:14, and 1 Chronicles 15:27, tells us he was also wearing a robe, and I find no reason to believe otherwise.
There’s nothing in the text which suggests he was naked, the N.I.V. uses the word ‘half-naked’ in 2 Samuel 6:20, the K.J.V. uses the word ‘uncovered’, and other translations use the word ‘exposed’. None of these suggests that he was naked.
As everyone is celebrating, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, 2 Samuel 3:13-14, is far from being pleased. Her displeasure comes not only because of her husband’s behaviour, 2 Samuel 6:16, but also because her heart was far from God, she didn’t think that the Ark of God being brought to Jerusalem was worth celebrating, 2 Samuel 6:17. As we shall see in a moment, she is very sarcastic with David when he goes to her, 2 Samuel 6:20.
The priests take the Ark and place it inside the tent, 2 Samuel 6:17. This isn’t the original tabernacle, which was made at Mount Sinai, that was made around four hundred years before what’s happening here, 1 Chronicles 17:4-6. What David did here was make another tent so that God’s Ark could dwell in it, 1 Chronicles 15:25-16:3.
The problem here was that David wanted a permanent house for the Ark in Jerusalem, but the tabernacle was never left in one place; it was to be portable and continually moved around the different territories of Israel under the direction of God, so all the Israelites could get access to it. Notice David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD, 2 Samuel 6:17.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘David acted here as priest, for it was the general prerogative of the priests to bless the people, but it appears, by both David and Solomon, that it was the prerogative of the kings also.’
After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty, 2 Samuel 6:18 / 1 Kings 8:14.
Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women and all the people went to their homes, 2 Samuel 6:19.
It’s clear that Michal doesn’t love David as she did in the beginning, 1 Samuel 18:20, she’s upset with him because he danced around in front of other women 2 Samuel 6:20.
We must also remember that David had no right to take her back in the first place as his wife, Deuteronomy 17:17. She was probably struggling to forgive David for taking her away from her husband, Paltiel, 2 Samuel 3:15-16.
David tells Michal that the Lord chose him before He chose Saul, her father, 2 Samuel 6:21. He tells her that what he did wasn’t for his own pleasure or because he was trying to win people over, his motives were pure, he was simply excited about the Ark coming to Jerusalem because that meant God was with them again, and he did was glorify God, 2 Samuel 6:21.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He humbles Michal’s pride by the allusion to her father’s rejection, and shows by Saul’s example how little pride contributes to the stability of greatness. Therefore, for his part, he will not think anything done for the glory of God too mean for him; and if he cannot have honour from Saul’s daughter, he will be content to be honoured by the maid-servants.’
As a result of Michal’s resentment towards David, she was punished by not being able to have any children, 2 Samuel 6:23, which was shameful for an Israelite, 1 Samuel 1:5-7.