Bible 203: The Ark Returns

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12-19

 

UP TO DATE

Last week David became King of all Israel

      It took a while > God picked him out years before it actually happened > 15-20 years

            Our narrator (The Voice) says David was only a lad when God first pointed him out to Samuel

            And when he was 30 Israel made him King > so reasonable to assume about 17-year-span

            David’s pre-king adventures work their way through 20 chapters in 1 and 2 Samuel

Rest of Chapter 5 tell how effective David is in his new role

      First thing > David captured Jerusalem > Renamed it City of David

      He ended the ongoing threat from those pesky Philistine [which Saul could not do]

      He built a palace of cedar > seems innocent enough

            Cedar was symbol of wealth and power

                        Jeremiah would later warn about kings who build palaces of cedar . . .

                        . . . but neglect matters of justice and righteousness

                                    This is not an issue now > but watch for it

        Under David’s leadership > Israel is no longer a conglomeration of tribes with “tribal chief”

            Israel is a nation with a King

                        Remember how some of them went to Samuel?

                                    “We don’t want judges any more > we want to be like the other nations . . .

                                    . . . We want a king!”

                                    And God gave them what they wanted      

            Foreign nations acknowledged David’s leadership by sending ambassadors

                        And they brought goods with them > Jerusalem became trade center

            David took more wives and concubines > fathered more sons and daughters

                        Life must have been great

            To his credit, David still recognized God as the power behind his success

                        Because of the important role God played in his life > we have “today’s episode”

Now comes our text for today

Read 2 Samuel 6:1-4 >

      “ Ark ” simply means a chest or a box or a vessel

            God told to build an ark > it was huge > 450’ x 75’ x 45’ > made of cypress [gopher]

            Moses’ mother built him an ark > much smaller > made of papyrus leaves

This particular ark was sacred > (go to wagon with Ark on it)

      Ark is sacred chests often used by ancient people

            They served as receptacles for whatever idol represented their gods

            But because God had forbidden idols > this ark contained Tablets of Stone

                        Moses had written “The Ten Words” on them

            Ark played most significant role as Children of Israel came into Promised Land

                        It was almost a “good-luck charm”

            Philistines captured The Ark  >

                        1 Sam 4:22 “Glory of God departed from Israel ; Ark of God captured”

                        After it brought death to everyone who kept it > returned it to house of Abinadab

Important to remember that the Ark was never really lost > just neglected > for 20 years

It took King David to bring it back > and what rejoicing > Read 2 Sam 6:5

Next section not in lectionary, for some reason

      Tells that the oxen pulling cart stumbled

      One of the Ark bearers, Uzzah, reached out to steady the Ark and he died

            Belief in those days > Power of God resided there > anybody who touched it would die

      So they left the Ark right where it was > for three months

            And it says the house of the man who kept it [Obed-Edom] was blessed those three months

            David apparently thought it was safe to bring it on to Jerusalem > Read 2 Sam 6:12b-19

                   [ephod > garment worn by priests > purpose to draw people’s attention to God]

That’s the end of the lectionary reading > but not the end of the story

      When David got home > Michal gave him a piece of her mind

            [or heart, as it were, considering verse 16 reports that “she despised him in her heart”]

            and finally > chapter ends > last verse tells the tale > 2 Sam 6:23

 

WHAT’S IN THIS STORY FOR US?

How can we get from gold-plated “hot-wired” box 1,000 years before Jesus to 8-10-2003 ?

      What can this story teach us in our day and time?

            To help us get to the answer > let’s focus on this Ark for a minute

                        Fancy outer covering

                        God’s word to the people on the inside

                        Other treasures inside > for 800 years contained bowl of manna and Aaron’s rod

                        For centuries

                                    Ark symbolized God’s presence with the people

                                    In it were God’s instructions for living

                                    And little reminders of how God made that living possible

                        Children of Israel carried Ark with them everywhere they went

                                    Until Philistines captured it > Finally brought it back 

                                    Israelites neglected it for years > eventually placed in Temple “Holy of Holies”

                                    Ark possessed great holiness and power > it was not to be treated casually

            What in this room has same properties as Ark ?

                        What has a fancy outer covering

                                    Contains God’s word to us on the inside

                                    Includes treasures from the past > proof of God’s amazing love

                        Essential to our ancestors in the faith > largely neglected and ignored in our own day       

            What in this room is for us now what the Ark was for the Children of Israel then?

 

THE BIBLE

Every Bible has a covering of some sort > some fancier than others, covers nevertheless

      Every Bible contains stories of God’s presence with the people

            God’s instructions for living

            And reminders of how God made that living possible

And hasn’t the Bible been pretty much neglected and ignored in our own day?

      For decades Presbyterians have not carried their Bibles with them to Church

      We have preferred studying subjects other than the Bible

      We have not read it with any kind of frequency

      Man in Wagoner congregation came to me after worship one Sunday

            He was disturbed > “Why do you read Bible and then close it up as if no longer relevant?”

            That was probably 10 years ago > every time I read Bible in worship, I remember his words

Now, I’m not quite willing to say the Bible has been captured by the enemy

      But it almost seems that way

Whatever happened > now there is a renewed interest in what the Bible really says

      I almost wish we would reenact this story every Sunday

            We would all gather in the narthex

            Acolyte would dance down aisle and light the candles

            Trumpets would play

            Bible-bearer would carry this big Bible to the lectern

            Rest would follow > dance our way into our seats

                        Shouting with joy > singing to the top of our voices

            Can you imagine???

                        Judging by the looks on your faces > you CAN imagine > shudder to think of it!

Lest you think I’ve gone off the deep end > remember what happened in today’s story

      Michal decided not to participate in people’s joyous celebration

      She remained in her room > watched the whole thing from her window > filled with hatred

      Last verse > “And Michal never had any children.”

 

LOTS TO REMEMBER

There are a lot of important points to remember from this chapter in Samuel

But the one I believe is most important is this:

      David knew his strength came from God; he celebrated the sacred text

      Michal, on the other hand, was Saul’s daughter

            Saul thought more of himself than he did of God

            And when it came time to celebrate the return of the ark, Michal stayed away

      We have before us the same choice

            To celebrate “return” of the Bible to the Church

            Or continue to neglect it >

                        Future of Church depends on what we do with the Bible

                                    how well we know it

                                    how effectively we pass it on to the children