1 Samuel 6

Chapter 6. The Ark in ZionArise, O Lord, and come to your resting place,you and the ark of your might.(Psalms 132:8; compare with 2 Samuel 6:1-23)After the capture of Jebus and the establishment of the national capital at Jerusalem, David’s next great public act was to remove the ark of the covenant from its resting place in the house of Abinadab to its permanent abode in Zion. This was an act of great significance, expressing in the most emphatic manner the covenant of God, of whose presence the ark was the special symbol, as the Sovereign of His theocratic people. Removal of the Ark Its removal was accompanied by the most stately ceremonies. The king himself, with his courtiers and ecclesiastical officers, went down to Gibeah and accompanied the ark on its journey. They seem to have overlooked the special command of God in the Levitical law, that the ark should be carried only by the Levites. Instead they put it upon a cart borne by oxen, and on the way the oxen shook it so that Uzzah, one of the sons of Abinadab, in attempting to steady it touched it with his hands, and was suddenly stricken down by the hand of God for his presumption. This so appalled the king and his attendants that they left the ark for a time in the house of Obed-Edom, but three months later, learning that God, instead of letting it be a curse, had made it a blessing to Obed-Edom and his house, David renewed the attempt, and, with imposing ceremonies, the ark was finally transferred to Jerusalem. David participated in the dances with unreserved joy and ecstasy in the public procession, disgusting his wife, Michal, and bringing upon himself her scorn and rebuke. Psalms of Commemoration Some of the finest Psalms were composed in connection with this event, and sung in the responsive service connected with the ascension of the ark. One of these is the 24th Psalm, where the two choirs of priests sing in response: Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty- he is the King of glory. (Psalms 24:7-10) Another of the ascension Psalms is the 15th. “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” (Psalms 15:1). Still another is the 132nd, expressing in the sublimest poetry the joy of David’s heart when he is permitted to “find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob” (Psalms 132:5). As they ascend the heights of Zion they sing, “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool” (Psalms 132:7), and the chorus resounds, “arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy” (Psalms 132:8-9). And then from a responsive choir comes the answer, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it— I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy” (Psalms 132:14-16). The 68th Psalm is also connected with this occasion. It commences with the old glorious shout of the wilderness which they used to sing when the ark began to move, “May God arise, may his enemies be scattered” (Psalms 68:1), and it rises with the ascending ark to the elevated prophetic height of Christ’s ascension until the seer beholds in the distance the chariots of the angels that attended the ascent from Mount Olivet to heaven. “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious— that you, O Lord God, might dwell there” (Psalms 68:18). But let us pass from the historical circumstances to the spiritual significance of this scene.

Section I: the Significance of the Ark Itself

Section I—the Significance of the Ark ItselfIt was the most significant of all the symbols of the Jewish ceremonial system. Reconciliation

1. It expressed as no other object in all the Mosaic ritual the first principle of the blood—reconciliation to God through the atoning blood. It was a little chest of precious wood covered with gold, and contained the tables of the law and some sacred memorials from the wilderness. Its lid or cover of solid gold was called the mercy seat or propitiation, and was the especial symbol of the atonement. It was always covered with blood, and was peculiarly fitted to suggest the idea of the covering of human guilt by the vicarious sufferings of Christ. Underneath that cover of gold lay the broken law in the ark, that broken law, the witness of the mercy seat, and the sprinkled blood; and God saw not the iniquities of His people, but the sacrifice of His beloved Son. This is the idea of propitiation. It is expressed in the 32nd Psalm, “Blessed is he… whose sins are covered” (Psalms 32:1). It was finely expressed in the prayer of the penitent, “God be,” not merciful, but “God be the propitiation for me, the sinner.” It is expressed more perfectly still by the Apostle John in the simple evangelical statement, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Sanctification
2. The ark expressed the idea of sanctification. That ark was the type of Jesus Christ, and it was the sacred depository of the law of God. The first time the law was given at Sinai and the tables were committed to the hands of Moses, as we read in the narrative, he let them fall upon the rocks as he descended from the mount, and they were broken. This was no mere accident, but it was the sad symbol of the broken law which man had already shattered by his transgressions. The second time that law was given by God on Mount Horeb and written on new tablets of stone, but this time He did not commit them to Moses to keep, but He commanded them to be put in the ark and there preserved. The ark, therefore, was the repository of the law. In this it is a perfect type of Christ, our Sanctifìer. God gave us His law the first time and we broke it. He does not now in our sanctification trust us with it, for we should break it again; but Jesus keeps it for us, and keeps it in us. We receive Him into our hearts as an indwelling Presence, as our holy Ark, and in His heart that law is hidden and kept; and He, keeping it in us as once He kept it for us, becomes our sanctification. And so it becomes true, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4-5). Indwelling
3. The ark also signifies God’s dwelling in the midst of Israel. It represents not merely the blessings of salvation and sanctification, but the supreme blessing of God Himself, the glory and strength of Israel and of His people. It means that we have God in His personal Presence and in His infinite all-sufficiency to be our all in all. There were several occasions in the history of Israel when the ark came signally to the front. One of these was when Moses had invited Hobab to be their guide through the wilderness, adding: “You can be our eyes” (Numbers 10:31). In the very first place we are told that the ark of the covenant removed and went before them to seek out a dwelling-place for them. God was thus emphatically teaching them that He was to be their God, and that no man could be the eyes to the people, to whom He says, “I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalms 32:8). Again, when they crossed the Jordan the ark went before them, and as the feet of the priests that bore it touched the waters they rolled aside and made a pathway for the people to go over. But when they came to the middle of the stream, to the deepest and most dangerous place, then the ark paused in midstream and waited in the depths of the Jordan until all the host had clean passed over. This beautifully sets forth the precious truth that Christ not only goes before us, but holds for us the hardest place and sees us through in the darkest and most dangerous crisis.

Section II: the Removal of the Ark

Section II—the Removal of the ArkThe removal of the ark to the very citadel of the nation and the throne of Israel was an act of great significance. Jehovah, Their King

1. It recognized the fact that God Himself was King over Israel. They were seeking out a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. They were installing their theocratic King on His own throne. It was the inauguration of theocracy on a public and permanent basis, and the handing over of the scepter to their heavenly King in the most solemn and impressive manner. Christs Ascension
2. It was a type of Christ’s ascension to the right hand of God, and, therefore, in the 68th Psalm, the thought of the prophet sweeps forward to the glorious hour when He led captivity captive and ascended on high, taking possession in behalf of His people, not only of the throne of earth, but of the throne of the universe. The Enthroned Christ
3. It represented the enthronement of Christ in the human heart. It is rather striking that this did not take place until after Jebus was taken from the hands of the Canaanites and the last relic of the ancient foe was cast out. And so the full enthronement of the Lord Jesus Christ in the human soul must be preceded by a surrender of the last remnant of the life of self and sin. Not only so, there had to be a time of testing. The Philistines came up against David even after the fall of Jebus, and they were driven back and David proved that God was Israel’s Almighty King. And so the full government of Christ in the human heart comes after seasons of testing and proving. The baptism of the Spirit came to Jesus on the banks of the Jordan, but it had to be followed by the 40 days in the wilderness before the fullness of the power was manifested. We receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of surrender, but we do not realize the fullness of His power until we have been fully tested and have stood triumphant with Him in the conflict with evil. There are stages in the manifestation of God’s presence and power in the human soul long after the crisis of a spiritual life is passed, and the wise and watchful disciple will be ever pressing on from strength to strength, proving not only that good and acceptable but also the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2).

Section III: the Blessing and the Curse Brought by the Ark

Section III—the Blessing and the Curse Brought by the ArkA Blessing or a Curse We read in this chapter of both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing to the house of Obed-Edom, and the presence of Christ is the supreme blessing of a nation, a church, a home and a human life. But there was a curse as well as a blessing. It is in this chapter we read of the folly and fault of man and the judgment of God. The first was the presumption of Uzzah, for which he was stricken with death, because he tried to steady the ark of God. The next was the blight that fell upon Michal, the wife of David, because she looked with scorn upon the full and holy joy of the king, and felt no sympathy with the enthusiasm of this glorious hour. She was smitten with a withering curse that left her a barren and fruitless branch in the house of Israel. Both of them are fitted to teach us solemn and profitable lessons. Hands Off! The story of Uzzah leaves one brief and epigrammatic message to all the ages: “Hands off!” It tells us there are some things that we must not attempt to do, even with the best of motives and the most earnest, honest purpose. Uzzah, no doubt, felt that the ark was in danger, and that it was right for him to steady it; but it was none of his business. It was an interference with God’s work for which others were appointed, and his best service was to do nothing but the simple task that had been committed to him—to drive the oxen, and let God take care of His own ark. We, too, must keep our hands off God’s cause when it is not our business to interfere. There are many people who spend their lives trying to keep things straight, and they often get killed, like Uzzah, for their interference. Perhaps God does not always want things straight according to our standards of straightness. God has not only made straight sunbeams, but He has made zigzag lightnings. God has not only Moses and Aaron to prophesy in regular form, but an Eldad and Medad to speak out of time and out of season. God often in His work raises up special geniuses and irregular methods, and in trying to steady them we may destroy the work of God. Very wise was the counsel of Gamaliel, “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39). We must keep our hands off other people. We must simply let our brother alone, and remember that “to his own master he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4). Miriam, in trying to regulate matrimonial affairs for Moses, God struck with leprosy. And likewise many a man or woman has been withered for life spiritually because of interference, unkindly criticism, personal animosity, jealousy and bitterness. There are many things in life we must keep our hands off—cares and worries. Nine tenths of our troubles are troubles that never come. We get into all our hard temptations by touching things that we had better leave alone. A wise Christian will spend much of his life like a good, well-pitched roof, shedding things and letting them roll into the gutter and go into the sewer. Others spend their lives as gutters and sewers, catching all the devil’s rain and all the dirty water that his emissaries are so ready to throw out, and passing it on until their own lives become rusted, defiled and polluted. There are really very few things in the course of a day that we need to think about, and if we should confine ourselves to the actual realities of life we should find it possible to live well and to accomplish all life’s real work. There are innumerable worries, annoyances, anxieties, cares, troubles and fears that we can simply let alone. Refuse to think about them. Leave them to God. Hands off! A Christian woman who had been living a very unhappy life, and was always overwhelmed with burdens and with cares of the future, came downstairs one morning telling her family that she had had a beautiful dream, and that through it God had delivered her from all her fears and worries. She said she had seen a great crowd of people passing along a broad way, and weighed down by innumerable burdens they were carrying. To and fro in the crowd a lot of imps were passing, throwing these burdens all around, and getting people to pick them up and carry them. Among others she was carrying several of these loads of lead, and was almost worn to death. Suddenly, in the crowd she saw the face of the Lord coming toward her, and she eagerly beckoned for Him to come and help her carry her burden. He looked sternly at her and refused to touch it. He said: “I have no strength for that. I have no grace for loads like this. It is one of the devil’s bundles, and all you have got to do is to drop it and you will have plenty of strength for the loads that I bid you carry.” It was a revelation to her. She simply dropped the little black bundles, and instantly it seemed that she was winged with strength and gladness, while the Master looked in her face with inexpressible love and said: “Do not be anxious about anything,… And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). The Sin of Worry Once more, when we commit our way to God we must keep our hands off. We must let the Lord lead and work. Even though we may not understand His way, we must still believe that all will be well. We must learn the lesson that David has inscribed in the 37th Psalm, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this” (Psalms 37:5), and then we must add, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalms 37:7). Anxiety is as much forbidden as stealing. Worry is as wicked as worldliness. In the same breath in which He says, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24), the Lord Jesus also says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25). Now these sins are greatly aggravated in a life of consecration and dedication to God. It is not so strange that the world should worry, that people who know not their God should be continually struggling for themselves and fighting their own weary battles, but it is a dreadful thing for the child of God to commit his way to his heavenly Father, to confess his confidence in His power and love, and then to worry and fret and act as worldlings do. It is a shameful dishonor to Christ, and it is an aggravated sin by the very fact of our having received the Holy Spirit. It would have done little harm for Uzzah to have steadied his cart had the oxen been bearing a load to market, but it was a very awful thing for him to do so when the living God was in the midst of the burden that he was bearing. It is a very dreadful thing for one in whose bosom the Son of God is enthroned to be fretting and flurrying like the people who know not God. There is a fine story told of an old auntie in the South, who saw a young disciple who had just received the Holy Spirit, acting in some foolish and inconsistent way. “Go softly, honey,” she said, “go softly; mind, you are carrying the Holy Child in your arms.” Let us go softly, because we bear the mark of God, and in our bosom is enthroned that awful Presence before whom angels bow and veil their faces with their wings.