Here are two parallel accounts, with the Chronicler giving more detail..David moves into his "united kingdom" and sets up Jerusalem as hus political and religious capital. David prepares a place to have the Ark of the Covenant moved to Jerusalem...remember that this has the stone tablets of the 10 commandments the jar of manna and the sprouted rod of Aaron.....the ark had been stored away for many years and this symbolized Israel 's neglect of God....
David's intentions were probably in the right place, but either he didn't remember or didn't know the law where God commanded how the Ark was to be handled. They put it on a cart....this is how the Philistines captured and transported it....it was supposed to be transported by pole on the shoulders of Levites....Scripture doesn't say whether Uzzah was a Levite, but he touched the Ark to prevent it from falling over.....God struck him dead for his disobedience....David was mad......God had his attention, though.....David, as king, should have known the law and respected it. David was. Afraid to have the Ark near him and so it stayed at the home of Obed-Edom.......I bet he respected the Ark, don't you????
David inquired of the Lord about what to do with the Philistines, and the Lord delivered them to David in battle.....King Saul never inquired of the Lord beforehand.......David cools down and realizes he is at fault for the whole Uzzah thing...he repents. David has the ark brought to Jerusaelem following the law to the letter......ther is great rejoicing.....David dances his heart out in thanks.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
His love endures forever
Is repeated again....we should take notice of this.......do you believe it?
David's first wife Michal (Saul's daughter) looks out the window and sees what she perceives to be a spectacle of David 's goofy behavior.....seems like she is bitter.....why? She loved David at first....Scripture tells us she helped save David's life from her father.....she was given to someone else in marriage and David brought her back....we don't really know why she was bitter......she wasn't feeling the love for David or God in worship....as a consequence she didn't bear David any children......
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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It doesn't appear that the scripture tells us anymore about the feelings of Michal - why she "despised" David. Maybe her idea of a king was more like that of her father, who did not consult God and did not prepare a place for the Ark of God. Possibly, she thought David was weak and unking-like because he would not take action without consulting God and moved the Ark to Jerusalem, singing praises and dancing in celebration.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right on.......You know Saul never took off his clothes and danced joyously.....he probably thought it was undignified......I'm just sad that the original feelings of liove turned to Michal "despising"........it must be tough to be the daughter of a king and to also be married to a king........I have to talk to my husband about it all the time....hahahahahahah
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