Let's open up to 2 Samuel 6 this morning, as we continue in the biblical account of King David and the people of Israel during his reign. And this recounting today of these events, they might make us wonder if there's ever been times in our life where there's been a time in our life where God just did something that was displeasing to us. Has God ever done something that you didn't like? That happens here with King David. And it's quite an interesting account of these events, quite mixed with Many different happenings and emotions. And so let us dive in here. We'll begin reading in 2 Samuel 6. Again David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000. 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 chair of hymns." This chapter begins on the heels of David coming into the reign over all the tribes of Israel, a recounting of David's victories against his enemies. So we're seeing that this is happening in the midst of David's triumphs. And in the midst of his triumphs, David arises and gathers together 30,000 of the chosen men of Israel. This is striking because we can remember back to when David early on in the chapters of these books, how he was recorded as dwelling in the caves and hiding out in exile. And at that time, he had a band of followers that gathered himself to him. And I believe it was 600 men that were gathered to him. And so there's a great contrast here. He goes from being in exile, where the men that were, it says, that were in distress or were in debt, the disaffected, they gathered themselves. And he had a small band, a ragged band of loyal followers, of bold and mighty people that gathered themselves to him. And now we see that he has 30,000 chosen men to gather with him. And what they undertake to do is to rise and go and to bring up the Ark of God. We haven't seen the Ark mentioned in quite some time. We haven't seen it come into the account of the events that unfold. But the Ark of the Covenant, which this refers to, the Ark of the Covenant, was something of great significance to the people of Israel. It was something that God had given to them to create back in the days of Moses. And by God's instruction through Moses, they had built the Ark of the Covenant. And the Ark of the Covenant was placed in the heart of the tabernacle in a place called the Holy of Holies, which was inside another place called the Holy Place, which was inside the tabernacle, which was the place where God had given to be His meeting place with the people of Israel as they went about their wanderings through the wilderness and then later on when they came into the Promised Land and settled there. And the Ark of the Covenant was designed in such a way that it was a kind of box, I think something like maybe two and a half feet by one and a half feet, and a rectangular box. And on top of it, it had the lid, and the lid was called the Mercy Seat. And on the Mercy Seat was when the high priest went in once a year, the Mercy Seat was the place where the high priest sprinkled the blood, And it was over the blood of the sacrifice that God said He would come and He would meet with the people there. He would make Himself present with the people. It was His meeting place. The Ark of the Covenant was signifying to them the place where God's presence was to come, but the Ark of the Covenant was not like the graven images of the nations around them. The Ark of the Covenant was not a material representation of God himself, but rather it was a signification of where his meeting place was with them. In fact, the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies, the veil that marked the division between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, which we saw was rent from top to bottom at the crucifixion of Jesus, the furnishings that were in the temple, the altar, and the candlesticks, and there was something called the showbread with 12 loaves of bread signifying the tribes of Israel, all of these things were designed to signify a heavenly reality. They were pictures on the earth of a heavenly dwelling place of God. And that's how they're designed. The New Testament book of Hebrews explains this in some amount of detail, how the things that were on the earth were created as a pattern of things in heaven. So God showed to Moses heavenly things and had them make an earthly picture of those things. And it was there in God's mercy, in God's willingness to come down and make his presence with mortal creatures, that God made his dwelling place there with them. And in the Holy of Holies, on the sides of the Ark of the Covenant, there were carved two cherubims on the two sides of the Ark. But there was no image of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There was no image of God Himself inside the tabernacle. Rather, if you were to put it in purely human terms, on top of the mercy seat, Between the cherubims, there was, in human terms, empty space. But it was a place where God said, over the blood of the sacrifice, he would meet with his people there. In the New Testament, it sometimes uses a big word, propitiation, to speak about Jesus being the propitiation for our sins. And that word comes from the same word, same concept as the mercy seat. And we are said to have still a mercy seat, a throne of grace that we can come to to find grace and help in time of need as we come to our Savior, Jesus Christ. So I recount these things so that you would remember what great significance the Ark of the Covenant had to the people of God. It had great significance. But we are now at the reign of David. And it was back in the times of the prophet Samuel, before Saul was king, that the Ark of the Covenant had gone into captivity at the hands of the Philistines. God had afflicted them such that they wanted nothing to do with the Ark anymore, and they sent it back. And it came back into the land of Israel, and then they brought it into the house of, into the household of Abinadab. And it was there through that whole time. And it says, all throughout the reign of Saul, he never sought to bring the ark back. all throughout the reign of Saul. So we, again, I believe that's in Chronicles or one of the other places that records that says this, we see from that that Saul did not have a heart or an interest in restoring the proper worship of God among the people of Israel. But David did have that heart. David did have that desire. David, as soon as he is in a position to gather the people of Israel, he calls them together and he inspires them and he encourages them to be of one mind and to come together. And he says, if it seemed good to you, let us go and let us return the Ark of God with the intention that they would bring it into the city, into the capital city, and there restore the center, the earthly center of the worship of the living God. So it's a good intention that he had. David's desire and the people's desire was a good desire. They wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant. They wanted to restore the worship of God. And so he arose, and he went with all the people, and they go 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. When we are given a heavenly vision of God in the Bible, as we are in a few places, we see that God in the heavens is seated upon His throne, and He is surrounded by heavenly creatures that ceaselessly worship Him and adore Him. And they cry out, Holy, holy, holy. And they worshiped God and His holiness and His majesty and His glory. Said He's surrounded by a heavenly host and He is glorified and honored. And certainly the idea of the holiness of God ought to be at the forefront of our minds and our hearts as we consider who God is and what it means to worship Him. And the holiness of God is at work here in the things that unfold. Well, it goes on, it says, 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, the new cart, 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." So we have the sons of Abinadab. This has been a period, a great space of time has occurred since it came into the house of Abinadab. And so that would mean that these sons of Abinadab They have grown up in a place, they have grown up in a place where they were constantly in the presence or exposed to the things of the Lord and to the Ark of the Covenant, which was the blessing and privilege that God had given to the people of Israel as a center of the place of worship. So they were familiar with these things. Maybe they were too familiar with these things. But if we were just reading this in isolation and we knew nothing else of what God instructed the people of Israel regarding how they were to handle the Ark of the Covenant, then we might read this far and think, Everything is going fine. Everything is going well. They put it on a new cart. Well, setting it on a new cart was something that had been done before, and it had been done before by the Philistines after they had captured the Ark, and they sent it back into the land of Israel. They set it on a new cart. So we could notice right there that what the Israelites here are doing is they're doing the same thing the Philistines did, rather than what God had told them to do. Now you might not recall this, but God gave very specific instructions for how the Ark of the Covenant was to be transported when it was moved by the people of Israel. And it was not only how they were to move it, but who was to move it. It was a family of the tribe of Israel of the Levites, but not just any family of the Levites, but a very specific family of the Levites, who were the ones that were to transport the Ark. And they were to do it in a particular way. They were walking on foot. and they were carrying the Ark, not by touching the Ark, but the Ark of the Covenant had these rings of metal that stabs went, these long staves went through and they were to bear the weight of the staves and the Ark upon their shoulders as they walked the Ark of God from place to place. And they did that for many years because they carried it without them through the wilderness. Now, we're spending some time recounting this because it is such a significant series of events and illustrations for us of how God was at work among his people at that time. The place of worship, the place where the priests offered the sacrifices at that time was called the tabernacle. It was a tent and it was a tent that they carried with them. They carried the tent and the holy place and the Ark of the Covenant. They carried these things with them as they wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. And I believe that was a powerful image to them of many things. But maybe most interesting about it is that God was signifying to them that God was going with them wherever they went. That the presence of God was with his people where they went. And it was not until a later time when that tabernacle and ultimately the temple of wood and stone would be built at a fixed location in the city of Jerusalem for the worship of God there. And so there was a way that they were supposed to do this, and they were not following that way. Well, let's read on. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord in all manner of instruments made of firwood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. So this is quite a joyful scene here. This is quite an impressive sight. There's singing, there's playing, the people are all together, there's a great multitude, there's a great crowd. And to the appearance, it might seem that God would be pleased with all of the activity that's going on. And their intention, ultimately, was a good intention to bring the ark of God back and to restore the worship of God. But, It is so important that in worshiping God that we follow after obedience to His Word, obedience to what He has given to us. It is more important that we obey the Lord than it is that there is great excitement and great activity. It is more important that we obey the Lord than even just that we have a sincere or a good intention in our hearts. Now, we ought to, of course, have a sincere and a good intention. But that sincere and good intention must be joined together and married together with obedience and a humility that causes us to follow God's Word as He has instructed, and so that our worship would be right, and it would be complete, and our service to God would be in accordance with His will. It goes on, it says, and when they came to Nashon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. Now, this is significant here. They're coming into a threshing floor. And what is a threshing floor? Well, a threshing floor is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. And it is in the providence and sovereignty of God that this particular event is happening right at this place, because God is going to make a separation. He's going to make a separation between life and death. He's going to make a separation between right and obedient worship of Him, and that which is done with a wrong spirit, a wrong desire, and a disobedient heart. And so it comes to the threshing floor, and the cart is going along. And all of a sudden, it shakes. The oxen shake the cart. And perhaps as a thought, the ark is going to fall off. The ark is going to tumble over. And so he reaches out his hand to steady it, he reaches out his hand to help God, to do what he thinks is going to be the best thing at that time, and it says, verse 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. Now, here is something that takes what was for the people a joyful, exciting time. They thought that a great thing was taking place. David was excited to gather the people. They were gathered together with one mind to bring the ark of God. And in the midst of all of their activity and excitement, God makes what David called, God makes a breach upon Uzzah. God breaks through all of what they were doing and he strikes down Uzzah and And he dies, it says there, right next to the Ark of God. We see that this is a serious thing. If you were someone in this time, if you were there observing these things, maybe like Uzzah's brother and all the other people there watching these things, Maybe you had too casual a view of who God is. Maybe you had too light a view of what it means to deal with the things of God. And suddenly, in an instant, your whole view is changed and transformed. Suddenly now you're perhaps afraid of God. Afraid of God. You realize that God is not someone to be trifled with. And sometimes it is necessary. God is so patient with us, and God is so merciful, and God is so gentle with us. But God is also a holy, and a righteous, and a fearsome God. God is sovereign. God created the heavens and the earth. God can shake the very earth itself. And sometimes God reminds his people of his majesty, of his fearsomeness, of his holiness. And It does so, perhaps, lest we would become too casual in our view of who God is, that we would view the things of God too lightly, too loosely. You know, people will refer to God in very light terms at times. The man upstairs. God is not the man upstairs. God is the almighty creator of heaven and earth. He is the maker of all things. He is the sovereign God that dwells between the cherubims in heaven. And He is to be feared with a godly fear, with a right fear. And that right fear does not preclude us from having a love and a closeness with God. But in fact, it is necessary for it. Because how can you have a closeness with God? How can you have a love for God if you don't know and respect who he really is? Even David in this moment was displeased on that day because of what had happened. And David was displeased, verse 8, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah, and he called the name of the place Perez-Uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? Now, we might read that and we might think this was a bad thing for David to be afraid of the Lord, but David might have needed a little more fear of the Lord in that day. And that fear that God put into David could be a foundation for a deeper and a greater appreciation and reverence for God that was necessary for He and the people He was to lead to honor and serve the living God. David was afraid and said, how shall the ark of the Lord come to me? So now he's going to change the whole plan. The ark was going to come into Jerusalem, but now instead he's going to change the plan. How can this come to me? Is he thinking he's not holy enough for the ark to come to him? Is he thinking the ark is going to be a source of destruction and devastation to him? Perhaps because he sees that I, King David, am no greater than this Uzzah, and God could just as quickly strike me down if I do not rightly follow His ways. Whatever the case is, it says, David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David, that is Jerusalem, if you recall from the previous chapter, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. And so we have on display here both the goodness and the severity of God. The goodness and the severity of God. And if you were living through this and you were watching these things unfold, perhaps you would think that arc of God is a source of no good to those that are around it. I mean, we heard about what happened in ancient times to the Philistines when they tried to take the Ark of God and make it into a kind of trophy in their cities, and God smote them with all kinds of afflictions. And now we see that these men just trying to bring the Ark into Jerusalem, Uzzah is struck down dead, and you might begin to think the Ark is a source of no good to those that carry it. That was not the case. That would have been a wrong conclusion, and God demonstrates that as well. God demonstrates that rightly honored and reverenced, the presence of God is the greatest blessing of all. The presence of God among His people is an abounding, overflowing blessing. It can be a fearful thing to those who treat it lightly or treat it with disrespect. And we don't know a whole lot about Uzzah. We're not told his whole backstory. But we know God is just, and we know that God does not treat his people more harshly than is deserved, even if we might not perceive or understand it. And so we don't know all that was in Uzzah's heart. I am convinced that it was not merely just on that day that Uzzah treated the things of the Lord lightly. But we're not told that. We don't know all that. But what we do see here is that to those with a proper reverence and honor for God, God's presence is the greatest blessing of all. I think about what it said of heroes of the faith of old, like Joseph, when he was going through all kinds of difficulties and trials throughout his life, being sold into slavery and being afflicted and being put into prison. But again and again in his story, it says, and the Lord was with him. And if the Lord was with him, then even his trials, even his afflictions and his persecution and his mistreatment were turned to his good and to the glory of God as he became second in command in all the kingdom of Egypt and was a means of salvation and deliverance for his own brethren. The Lord was with him. Well, the Lord pours out His blessings upon Obed-Edom, and David hears about it. And David hears, and this must have been a reminder to David that the Lord blesses those that are in his presence. And it was told King David, saying, the Lord hath blessed the house of Obed-Edom 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 Obed-Edom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so that they that bear the ark of the Lord had gone six paces. When they that bear the ark of the God, the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and flat and fatlings. So now they're going to undertake to do this again, but this time they're going to do it differently. They're not going to try to take a shortcut. They're not going to try to take the easy way. I mean, just in practical terms, if you had to transport the Ark of God a long distance, how much easier would it be to do that on the cart of oxen rather than to carry it on staves on the shoulders of men on foot? But this time, they're not going to use their own wisdom, their own judgment, and try to find a better way to serve God. They're going to serve God as He said. And not only that, but every time they walked six steps, they were offering sacrifices. David goes in many ways to the other extreme, and he treats this with great honor and great reverence, what was being done. And it says, and David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was girded with a linen ephod. A linen ephod, like one of the garments that the priests wore, like a long linen shirt without sleeves that he was wearing. So this is significant because David is not wearing his kingly attire as he's doing this. He was, in essence, humbling himself by wearing a linen ephod, and he was dancing before the Lord. He was doing something that to observers may have been considered undignified. And he was doing so without his kingly robes, but he is dancing before the Lord. And David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michael, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 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. 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. And he dwelt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well as to the... He dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well as to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed, everyone to his own house." So this is a great, joyful time now. Now it's truly a celebration. David is giving out gifts. People are enjoying the bounty of this day, as now this great step has been made in restoring the proper worship of God in the heart of the nation of Israel, in the city of David, the city of Jerusalem, in a tabernacle that was placed there. Now the Ark of the Covenant is there. And the people are joyful. The people are celebrating. They're shouting with joy. David is dancing before the Lord. And now everyone departs to their own house. But all is not well in the house of David. David's wife, Michal, despises him when she sees what happens here. and we'll see why she despises him, what was so upsetting to her about this. Then David returned to bless his household, and Michael, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself. What so what is what is she upset about with David? Well, we see it from her words. This sarcastic. greeting that she gives to David. How striking this must have been to him. How unsettling it must have been. Have you ever had this kind of experience in your life? When you are riding a high of experience, you are overflowing with joy. You have just experienced great triumph in your life. You've just experienced a great experience. You're feeling close to the Lord. And then, all of a sudden, someone who ought to be a support, an encouragement, and you come in, and all of a sudden, the mood just changes in an instant with bitter words, with words that despise everything that you're doing. That was David's experience as he comes in. She sarcastically greets him. And we see what she's upset about. What she's upset about is not that David brought the Ark back. She's not upset that David has united the people. She's upset because David ultimately had