The lame and blind win a city? or Don’t touch that!

2 Samuel 5 & 6

- Chapter five opens with all the tribes of Israel finally agreeing with GOD’s selection of David as their ruler. Just like their desert wanderings and even in my own life, we tend to get brought into agreement with GOD through hardships and even though it’s for our own good, some of us only enter into it kicking and screaming.

- David was thirty years old when he became king over all of Israel and although he had already reigned over Judah from Hebron seven years and six months. If we go back to when Samuel initially anointed David as GOD’s chosen leader it demonstrates the principal of an already, but not yet timing from GOD’s perspective. There is as piece of scripture that reads as follows in Ephesians 2:4-6

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

 You see from GOD’s perspective he has already raised us up and we are living in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. An already, but not yet event depending on who’s perspective were talking about.

- At the time of David Jerusalem was held by the Jebusites and they considered their fortress so impenetrable that they told David and his men, “the blind and lame” among the Jebusites would be able to repel them.

- The Jordan at full flood season, Jericho, the Anakim, the Rephaim and many other obstacles in the promised land had proven no match for GOD’s people including Jerusalem. (because GOD was with them)

- David took up residence in the conquered fortress and called it the city of David and being aware of it’s weakness’ he built up the area around it.

- Hiram the King of Tyre a gentile recognized what GOD was doing in Israel and he sent envoys to David, carpenters and stonemasons along with cedars and they helped build the Palace of David.

- in verse thirteen it mentions all of the children of David, sons and daughters. At this point if the divine rebels were thinking if David isn’t the seed of the woman they need to watch out for, maybe it’s one of his kids, but their job just got a little bit more complicated with the abundance of his descendants. It was now the shell game on steroids.

- The Philistines hear about David’s success and decide to be preemptive with him, but David and his men flee to the stronghold and David did what he was know for, he trusted and inquired of the LORD for guidance and direction.

- David and his men defeated the Philistines in two separate battles. Once in Baal Perazim, showing all their idols and gods that they followed to be inferior to the one true God. Then at the valley of the Rephaim, basically on the enemies front door step, GOD proved to them who is in charge.

Don’t touch that!

- David desired to bring the ark from it’s vacation spot at house of Abinadab.

Even though the ark had been absent, David knew GOD had been with him the whole time. GOD is not limited to the location of the ark, though some Israelites had mistakenly thought that was the case. Just as David now had a permanent home, he also desired the same thing for GOD’s ark and the tent.

- This next part has always amazed me, at first glance when the Oxen stumbled GOD’s reaction seemed unfair to me. Uzzah appeared to be just concerned with the safety of the ark. David’s response also indicates this, he was afraid and then angry with GOD, because the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, but notice it says “because of his irreverent act.”

- Some would question where is GOD’s mercy and grace in this situation. That is until you take a closer look at the events leading up to Uzzah’s death. The easy explanation is that the Levites and the High Priest all should shoulder some of the blame for this, none of them stepped up to research, teach and direct David and his men about GOD’s prescribed method for moving the ark. It was to be wrapped up and then carried by the poles that were fashioned specifically for carrying it and then only by levites that were specifically given that task. See Numbers 4:1-6

- GOD’s patience and mercy are evident when you stop and realize that in Abinadab’s house people would have had to lift the ark, carry it out of the house and place it on the new cart. No poles are mentioned, so they would have had to touch it to lift it onto the cart, also there is no mention of any levites performing this task. The two people guiding the cart were Ahio and Uzzah, they were sons of Abinadab who was a man of Gibeah, not a Levite. There was pomp and ceremony, but it was all being done man’s way and not GOD’s way. The Holiness of GOD had been forgotten or worse ignored. The Threshing floor of Nakon was the last straw, yes Uzzah had reached out his hand to protect the ark, but GOD had protected the ark just fine without him. The ark had been captured by the Philistines, moved from city to city, stored in the temple of Dagon for a time, and not once did GOD require help. GOD’s patience had reached a limit and unfortunately for Uzzah, his death was used to hammer this point home. The Holiness of GOD is not to be ignored, the King would learn this along with the ones who should have known better, the Levites.

Final thought

- This incident serves as a reminder of the coming day of the LORD. When GOD’s patience and mercy will end and those that have chosen not to accept his free gift of mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ will be like American theologian Johnathan Edwards wrote in his sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an angry GOD.” Unfortunately Uzzah found this out first hand, it's not a good place to be.

Next – Promise, Prayer, and Prevail