Week 22 Day 2 Long Live the King

2 Samuel 5-6


I actually read this a week ago.

And I have re-read it.

And re-read it.

But I have had trouble posting about it.

This was a hard passage for me to read.

It starts off good.

After all of these years of running and hiding and defending himself, David is finally declared king.

God's favor is obviously with him as he continues to defeat his enemies and his power and his kingdom grew stronger and more powerful.

But even in all of this, David was very human.

And that begins to show through his leadership.

It started with the moving of the Ark. 

David wanted to move the Ark to Jerusalem. 

So he gathered men (like 30,000 of them) and they had a huge procession to move it.

Except that one of the oxen pulling the cart stumbled.

And a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark.

He was struck dead. On the spot.

I just researched that a little bit to find out why.

I can see how that would be instinct. Something is tipping, I reach out to steady it.

I don't claim to be a scholar but from what I read the Ark was being moved improperly (via cart rather than carried).  Only descendants of the Levites should have been moving it.  And there were specific instructions from God to not touch it with hands.

All that leads to one dead man and one very angry David.

Isn't it funny how we get angry when we are the ones who are sinning?  David should have known better.  And maybe deep down he did.  I imagine this was all a shock to a man who was watching his kingdom blossom due to his favor with God.  Even when we have favor, we still can fall.  And we will.  And there will be consequences.

The last part of the passage is the part I had a hard time with.

Michal.

Now remember Michal has been removed from her life and returned to this life, the wife (one of many) of David.

She is at home watching the celebration as the Ark is finally brought to Jerusalem.

And she doesn't care for the way David is celebrating.

She feels he is acting improperly.

From these verses, it is hard to know what her thoughts were.  Or her motives. 

But she reprimands David.

And he rebukes her.

And she died childless.

So in a way God rebuked her too.

And that is where I am...trying to understand all of that.  Trying to digest the whys and hows...

Any thoughts out there?

Tomorrow's reading:  2 Samuel 7.

Reba