Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The Lord is not arbitrary. If He has done something or requested that we do something a specific way, it’s that way for a reason. We need to learn what that reason is instead of finding a ‘better’ way – in other words, doing it OUR way. It never goes well.

When we left David, Ishbosheth had just been murdered and the kingdom of Israel (every tribe except Judah) was kingless. They came down to Hebron where David had been ruling Judah for the last seven and a half years and asked him to become their king. This was at least twenty years after he had killed Goliath, up to twenty five since he was anointed king by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13). He was thirty-seven when he accepted their offer, and he reigned over a whole Israel thirty-two and a half years (forty years as a king in total).

One of the first things he did was conquer Jerusalem – making it seem like he’d been planning it for awhile. The residents of Jerusalem were the Jebusites, a people God had marked for death when the Israelites took the land (Exodus 23:23; Deuteronomy 20:17). They had been defeated, but not killed AND they had NEVER conquered the fortress of Jerusalem. David took it by having men climb up the water shaft and entering behind the fortifications. Once it was his, he renamed it the City of David, strengthened it, and expanded it.

Hiram, king of Tyre, sent David supplies and workmen. They built David a great house. David decided he needed more woman. So he took more concubines and wives (to add to the six he had already) and they gave him sons and daughters. This was in violation of the Lord’s command (Deuteronomy 17:17). It doesn’t state how many daughters David had (beyond Tamar – who may not even have been his. More in later chapters), but he had eleven more sons by these women.

The Philistines heard that David had been made king of the whole nation. I wonder how Achish took the news (1 Samuel 27). The rest of the Philistines didn’t like it much. They came up for war against him to the Valley of Rephaim – perhaps expecting an easy victory like the one against Saul (1 Samuel 31). But David wasn’t running the show. He asked God what to do. God said go, so he did and they won. Then the Philistines came again and went to the same place. But this time God didn’t give the same answer. This time David went around the back way, waited for the sound of marching in the treetops, and slaughtered the Philistines from the rear when it came. They thrashed the Philistines and drove them back as far as Gezer.

David had thirty thousand men with him and they went to the house of Abinadab to collect the ark – he lived on a hill. He had been the second stop for the ark way back when the Philistines had captured it and then returned it (1 Samuel 7). It had stayed there for twenty years before the people listened to Samuel and returned to a pure worship of Yahweh, burning the idols. But they didn’t move the ark. They left it there. It was there throughout the judgeship of Samuel (about forty-eight years, twenty-eight of them after the successful revival). It was there throughout the forty-year reign of Saul. And now, at LEAST seven and a half years after Saul’s death, they were coming to claim it. It is sad that throughout that whole up-to-ninety-six years, Israel didn’t really consult the ark. They didn’t really worship in the tabernacle as they had. They weren’t keeping to the proscribed sacrifices and ordinances laid down in the Law.

They built a new cart and put the ark on it. This was in violation of God’s statutes of how to move the ark (Numbers 4:5-15; Exodus 25:15). There was no real excuse for this. They didn’t even have Levites helping to move it. They had Abinadab’s sons (Uzza and Ahio) driving the cart. The Philistines had moved the ark with a cart, but they were ignorant of the Law. The Israelites were NOT. The cart went along, hit a bump, and the ark slipped. Uzza steadied it and was struck dead – just as Numbers 4:15 specified (none but the priests shall touch the holy things). The whole thing with the tabernacle is that ALL of it was symbolic. It was a living lesson that you had to approach God GOD’S way. You needed to follow the appropriate steps to get atonement for the defilement of sin. If everything wasn’t followed – or if there weren’t SERIOUS consequences for not following them – people would get the idea that God’s way was GOOD, but not absolutely necessary. But it is God’s way or NO way. The ONLY way to come to God is the way HE prescribes. It was true in the Old Covenant. It is true in the New (John 14:6).

David got angry at God, but it was DAVID’S fault. They left the ark at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. It was there for three months and Obed-Edom was HUGELY blessed by the Lord for it. Him and his whole household had great prosperity. David heard this, and had learned by this time how to move the ark, and returned with Levites, sacrifices, and all his men. David even wore the linen ephod, the garment (robe) that priests wore in service to God in the tabernacle. Every seven steps they sacrificed to the Lord. That’s a LOT of sacrifice. David had them play music and sing. He danced with abandon. They were shouting praise and singing and dancing and glorifying God every way they could think of, as loudly as they could manage, with all of their strength.

They set it in the holiest of holies in a tabernacle David had set up for it. David offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings there. Then he distributed among his people (at LEAST the 30,000 men and the priests, but also women are mentioned) a gift. Every single one got one ring-shaped piece of bread, one cake of dates, and one cake of raisins. David wasn’t stingy. Everyone went to their homes, and David went to his as well in order to bless it.

Michal had seen him entering the city from her window. She obviously didn’t appreciate her husband, the king, acting up and flailing about. I can imagine her thinking of her father and how he ran his court and had appeared to people. Also, she might have cared a lot of what people thought like her father had. Whatever the reason, she despised David for how he had acted. David told her in no uncertain terms that he would do ANYTHING and act ANY WAY if it gave God glory and praise – even if he made a total fool of himself. This seems to be the final split between them. They never had children together, she makes no real appearance after this, and we know nothing about her life at all. It is a sad, SAD tale.

“Now, my Lord Yahweh, you alone are God, and your words are true. You have promised this good to your servant.” (2 Samuel 7:28)

David now has another good idea that isn’t a God idea. He wants to build God a house. He doesn’t think it’s right to live in a great home when God was in a tent. The prophet Nathan was with him and agreed. Great idea. Do what you like. But when Nathan left, God gave him God’s opinion. Nathan dutifully came back and told David the skinny. David was NOT going to do it. But God liked that David thought of Him. So He told David a secret. Since David had wanted to build God a house with all of his heart and with pure intentions, God was going to build David a house.

It would start with a son (Solomon) who would establish the throne even more AND build God the Temple. God would not take the throne from him because God loved David – not on Solomon’s own merits (spoiler: good thing, too). There would also be the Messiah who would establish David’s throne forever. David would have an ETERNAL line. Interestingly, Mary was descended from David’s son Nathan (so the right to hold the throne) and Joseph was descended from Solomon (the TITLE to the line, but no right to hold the throne – we’ll get there). Jesus was of the line and the legal heir of the throne of David.

David was overwhelmed and went to the tabernacle and worshipped before the Lord (the ark) there. He praised God and was very grateful and almost astounded that God would do this great thing for him. He sang praises, agreed with the Lord, and Blessed the Lord for blessing him.

Summary

Key Players: God, David, Michal, Ussa

Key Themes: Proper Worship, Victory, Kingship, People Pleasing

Key Verse(s): 2 Samuel 5:3-4, 9-10, 17-19, 22-25; 6:3, 6-7, 12-15, 21-22; 7:1-2, 11-13, 16, 27-29