David Stumbles: 2 Samuel 6:1-11
Sometimes our sin is not disobeying God, but making assumptions about what God wants in the first place. We can be lured into places certain activities into the categories of always good or always bad. That’s not necessarily true, though. To be good, it needs to originate with the heart of the Lord. We are good servants and follow Him only when our hearts align with His heart.
With David in Jerusalem, he desires to bring the Ark of the Covenant. If Jerusalem is David’s capital, shouldn’t the ark also reside in the nation’s center? If important people come to Jerusalem, doesn’t it make sense to have a place to honor God?
From a worldly perspective, it does make sense. People coming to see David would be important, and David wants the important people to worship God. As David’s success grew and the kingdoms send tribute to appease him, it is easiest to have a place for the Lord so tithes could be easily offered. If David was to be honored in Jerusalem, then God should be honored, too.
There are plenty of reasons to bring the ark to Jerusalem, but there is one simple reason to question David. Nowhere in scripture does David pause to check with God to make sure this is God’s desire. When making tactical decisions and putting his soldiers’ lives on the line, he checks with God routinely. It is strange he doesn’t check with God here.
There may be a simple reason he doesn’t check with God. David is trying to honor God. David is trying to elevate the worship of God in the Hebrew lands. David doesn’t check with God because he assumes God is fine with this decision.
However, moving the ark without consulting God has a potential dark side. People might see David as using God like a talisman. People could think David is controlling God and ensuring God defends Jerusalem by placing His ark there. This action could be the action of a faithful worshipper; it could also be the action of someone whose perspective is slipping into sin. This is why consulting the Lord is important.
In the end, David puts people’s lives at risk. The ark is moved without consulting God in a manner not designated by God. Instead of Levites carrying the ark, which is what God prescribed, David places it in a cart and drawn by oxen. The ark is treated more like baggage than a sacred item. When the cart falters, Uzzah reaches out, touches the ark, and dies. This wouldn’t have happened had God been consulted and handled according to God’s wishes.
Sin makes life difficult. With temptation always at the door, it is easy to find ourselves on the wrong path. The scary reality of life, though, is sometimes even when we think we are doing the right thing we are not. Sometimes our sin is not disobeying God, but making assumptions about what God wants in the first place.
