THE ARK BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM Having become greater and the Lord of hosts was with him, granting him victory and triumph ; until he settled down in Jerusalem, as capital of his kingdom, David intended to confirm that the Lord is the real King; the administrator of the people’s affairs, and the Grantor of their conquests. That is why he thought of bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, as a sign of the unseen power of God. 1- The procession of the ark 1-5. 2- Striking Uzzah 6-11. 3- Bringing the ark to Jerusalem 12-15. 4- Michal despises David 16 – 23. 1- The procession of the ark: David gathered 30,000 of the chosen men of Israel, not to fight, but to celebrate the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem; to honor the Lord, the secret of joy for his people. Here the spiritual wisdom of David was apparent; as he did not want the people to get preoccupied by their victory over enemies, as a personal glory for them, but intended to draw their hearts to God Himself, to rejoice in the Lord their true Savior. The ark of the covenant represented the divine presence, carrying the name of the Lord of hosts, as the true spiritual leader of His people; “Who dwells between the cherubim” (2 Samuel 6: 2); through whom, the glory of God appears, to proclaim His mercy to His people, as from the throne of mercy, or the chair of mercy. God, the awesome Lord of hosts with His heavenly cart being the congregation of the fiery cherubim, dwells amid His people by His mercy, as a compassionate Father, to support them and to put joy in their depths. The procession started from ‘Baale Judah,’ or ‘Baale,’ or ‘the village of Baal,’ or ‘the village of Jerarim.’ It was one of the cities of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9: 17), on the border of the territories of both Judah and Benjamin, where the ark was put after bringing it back from the land of the Philistines (1 Samuel 6: 19; 7: 2). It is probably the village of grapes or ‘Abagosh,’ 8 1/3 miles north-west of Jerusalem1. They set the ark of God on a new cart, probably following the lead of the Philistines (1 Samuel 6: 7); But by that they did not keep the law as it should have been carried on the shoulders of the sons of Kahath (Numbers 1: 51), and not on a cart. Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab (most probably his grandsons) drove the new cart: Ahio went before the cart to lead it, while David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord, on all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, on harps, stringed instruments, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals2. 2- Striking Uzzah: When the procession came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled; namely they got terrified, and started to run and kick. The anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, He struck him 1 Ibid, p. 541-2. . 2 كتاب السنن القويم في تفسير العهد القديم- صموئيل الثاني 6 39 dead there, for his mistake. Why did God strike him? Was not that to be counted as a cruel chastisement? a- The ark should have been carried on the shoulders of Levites, and not on a cart. God allowed the heathens to put it on a new cart, drawn by two oxen, as it symbolized the Church of the New Testament that carries the Person of Christ in us, being its Head. That Church embraces two peoples: the Jews and the Gentiles. The heathens, at that time, were not worthy to carry the ark of the covenant; as there is no fellowship between God and Bilaal (2 Corinthians 6: 14). But the sons of Kahath, represented the Congregation of believers, who became worthy of being a second heaven, carrying God in them; That is why they should have insisted on enjoying their right to carry the ark themselves, instead of the cart. God does not seek a new cart, nor the offerings of this world, but He seeks the holy inner shoulders, that, like the cherubim, are worthy to carry God. God wants our hearts and not our capabilities. b- Uzza should have known the law, especially that the ark was placed in his father’s and grandfather’s house for the duration of 70 years. He should have known that whoever touched the holy things would die (Numbers 4: 15). c- Uzza, probably used to negligently put out his hand to the ark of God; before daring to do that publicly before the whole congregation. d- God intended to confirm the need for the ‘fear of God,’ beside the ‘love of God’; so that David and all the people would live in fear and dignity, beside love and daring. The lesson was severe, to let all learn from it; like what happened with Ananias when he lied to the apostles (Acts 5: 5). St. John Chrysostom says: [That man Ananias was punished to benefit all ... and Uzza was punished, and every one was afraid1]. David became angry because the joy of the people turned into grief and fear and because confusion prevailed, and everybody had to go home...David was afraid to move the ark of God with him into the city of David, before knowing for sure the secret of God’s anger against Uzzah. David took the ark aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite-most probably from Gath Rimmon, in the portion of the tribe of Dan in the south (Joshua 19: 45), given to the sons of Kahath (Joshua 21: 24). Obed-Edom (his name means ‘Edom worships’), was a Korahite, a descendent of Kahath (Numbers 16: 1), who enjoyed the blessing of the presence of the ark of God in his house for three months. We should point out here, that David did not inquire of God when he intended to move the ark to his city, although he was used to do that in every thing great or small. He probably assumed that God would definitely be pleased by that action, so there was no need to ask for His counsel. Or, probably because his great joy for moving the ark, and his wish for the divine blessing, led to that oversight. If he had asked for God’s counsel , He would have revealed to him the mistake of moving it on a cart ... and hence, Uzza would not have died, and the joy of the people would not have turned into grief and fear. David realized that Uzzah’s death was not just because he touched the ark but, that behind that touch, there was rebellion and corruption; That is why he wrote the psalm 15, saying: “Lord, Who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill / 1On Acts. hom. 12. 40 He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart” (Psalm 15: 1-2) 3- Bringing the ark to Jerusalem: Obed-Edom the Gittite received the ark of the covenant in his house with respect and reverence, so “the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, all his household ,and all that belonged to him”(1 Chronicles 13: 13, 14; 2 Samuel 6: 12); That is why David thought of bringing it into Jerusalem, as it was mentioned in detail in 1 Chronicles 15: When those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, they sacrificed oxen and fattened sheep-seven bulls and seven rams; a thanksgiving offering to the Lord who helped them and did not strike them as He did with Uzza. David danced before the Lord with all his might;. He took off the royal robe-a sign of greatness and haughtiness, and put on a linen ephod-a sign of purity, and a proclamation of humility, and rejoice before God’s presence. David danced before the ark, expressing his inner depths that were shaking in rejoice before the Lord. We did not hear that the prophet Samuel ever did that not because the latter did not rejoice in his depths, but, every believer would express his love and joy, according to his circumstances. St. Ambrose says: [When David danced before the ark, while Samuel did not, David was not blamed, while Samuel was commended1] . The blessed David expressed his joy with the ark in his thirtieth psalm; saying: “For his anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning ... You have turned for me my mourning into dancing. You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever” (Psalm 30: 5-11) Those amazing phrases reveal the extent of joy and gladness in David’s heart not only caused by the events he lived through, while bringing the ark into his city, but also, in a greater form, by the dwelling of the Savior Messiah Himself, in the inner city of the soul; namely, by the dwelling of the Lord in the heart, to set His Kingdom within us (Luke 17: 21). The Psalmist David says: “For His anger is but for a moment; His favor is for life”; referring to the divine wrath, as Uzza was struck dead before the ark, when he dared to touch it. That was only for a moment; Yet, the people, through that ark, enjoyed life, as they gained the pleasure of God. That was a symbol of what happened with Jesus, the Lord of Glory, as He bore the divine wrath on the cross; it was said: “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief, when You make His soul an offering for sin. ... For He shall bear the iniquities of many” (Isaiah 53: 10, 12). As His wrath was only for a moment, as our iniquities were put on Him; He rose and caused us to rise with Him, granting us life in His pleasure. What happened with Uzza was in the darkness of the evening; and what happened with David, as he brought up the ark, was in the light of the morning: “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” . That was strongly realized, when weeping prevailed, as the Lord delivered His Spirit on the cross; But by the dawn of Sunday, the Church rejoiced by His resurrection to remain forever enjoying the life 1Duties of the Clergy 1: 43: 23. 41 resurrected in Him. The Psalmist says: “You turned for me my mourning into dancing” ... He mourned internally as Uzza died, and was utterly confused; But he danced in his depths like the dance of John the Baptist in his mother’s womb, as he realized the incarnated Christ in the womb of the virgin St. Mary. David danced before the ark, as he saw it as a symbol of Christ, coming to the world, to dwell among mankind, to turn people to life after death, and to grant them joy in place of grief. He says: “You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” ; If he took off his robe of greatness and girded himself to dance before the ark, it was because he saw in this a symbol of his casting off the works of the ancient man; namely his corrupt nature, to enjoy the girdle of gladness, or the new man, or the renewal of human nature. Therefore in his thirtieth psalm, David connects between his dancing with joy for bringing the ark of the covenant, and his rejoicing for the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and the Renewer of human nature, through its enjoyment of His resurrection in it. St. Augustine says in his interpretation of this psalm: [It is the psalm of rejoicing for the resurrection, and the change, and renewal of the body to a state of eternity; not only for the Lord, but for the whole Church1]. And he also says: [You have turned for me my mourning into dancing”; namely, you have taken away the veil of my sins, and clothed me with the first robe, the eternal joy2]. David wrote a special psalm for the celebration of bringing the ark of the covenant into his city which he opened with the traditional text, that the congregation used, every time they set the tabernacle: “Let God arise; Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him” (Psalm 68: 1; and Numbers 10: 35). That psalm strongly expressed the blessings of the dwelling of the Lord in the midst of His people, as the secret of joy and rejoice (Psalm 68: 3, 4), and of the care for His people, especially for the fatherless and the widows, being “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows (Psalm 68: 5); “Provider for the poor “ (Psalm 68: 10); “The God of our salvation” (Psalm 68: 19); “Who gives strength and power to His people” (Psalm 68: 35); He scatters evil, the way wax melts before fire, and smoke is driven away (Psalm 68: 2); “Before Him the earth shook” (Psalm 68: 6); and ‘The kings flee” (Psalm 68: 12). He also wrote psalm 24 to proclaim that his great gladness for the ark of the covenant, does not imply that God can be confined in a certain place; but it is a symbol of God’s care for the whole humanity saying: The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24: 1). At the end of that magnificent psalm, the prophet David sees in the entry of the ark into Jerusalem, a symbolic portrait of the ascension of the Lord Christ to the Higher Jerusalem, after His triumph in the battle of the cross saying: “Lift your heads you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty; The Lord mighty in battle ... The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24: 7-10). 4- Michal despises David: The ark was brought into the city of David; namely, into the upper section of the 1On Ps. 30 (29). 2 Ibid. 42 south-west of Jerusalem, where the stronghold that David seized from the Jebusites, was; beside the dwelling place of David; and the Sanctuary of the ark, until the day it was moved into the temple that was built by King Solomon. Michal loved David (1 Samuel 18: 20), and saved him from the hand of her father (1 Samuel 19: 13); But she was given by Saul as a wife to ‘Paltiel the son of Laish’; then was given back to her first husband David. ... But as she was incapable of sharing his love of God, his zeal, and faith, she saw in his taking off his royal robe, and his dancing before the Ark of the Covenant, a shameful act that is not fitting for a king. She received him with despise, and said to him sarcastically: “How glorious was the king of Israel, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself! “ (2 Samuel 6: 20) What a great difference between David and Michal! The former withdrew with all his inner being, to see through the ark, the incarnation of the Word; the dwelling of the Messiah among His people; and a presentation of His salvation work. While Michal’s heart, on the other hand, was attached to the royal robe, that David took off, to see him shamefully naked, as she said to him!!! It seems that Michal expected to see her man, the king, stay in his palace, waiting to receive those who come to congratulate him for the arrival of the ark and not to get down from the place, take off his royal robe, and dance before the ark in the presence of the whole congregation. Michal represents the ‘Ego,’ retired and closed in within the soul; seeking what is hers, and not opening to God and men; Hence, her insight became blind, her heart turned stony, and her inner sense of the exalted divine work, was lost. The blessed David, on the other hand, represents the soul that takes off the worldly haughtiness, and opens up by humility filled with love toward God and men; to turn from the sackcloth of grief, to the girdle of joy; and to cross over from the mourning of the evening, to the joy of the morning of resurrection. On the arrival of the ark, burnt offerings and sacrifices of peace offerings, were presented (Leviticus 1 and 3); It is as though the ultimate goal of the incarnation of the Word, was the sacrifice of the cross, which is the subject of pleasure to God the Father; and capable of our salvation. David then blessed the people, and gave to everyone of them, a loaf of bread, a cup of wine, and a cake of raisins: A loaf of bread refers to the unity of the Church, and the exchange of love among its members; as the grains are gathered together in one loaf of bread; the cup of wine refers to the communion of joy by the Spirit; while the cake of raisin refers to the sweetness of the Church by its unity1. David returned to bless his household; but Michal received him scornfully; while he firmly rebuked her for her unfaithful views. The chapter ends by saying that Michal had no sons from David till the time of her death which was considered to be a disgrace in the Old Testament, a sign of God’s wrath as every woman believer was anticipating the coming of the Messiah from her offspring. The barrenness of Michal was probably a fruit of her pride and rebellion against the Lord.
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