A Christian Woman Thinks (And It's Dangerous)

My Favorite King David Story

Anyone here have The Message version of the Bible? I have one & use it often, I love the way it reads. When I just don't get something, I can look there & most times it makes sense.

Anyway, one of my favorite stories is of King David going to recover the Chest of God (or the Ark of God) after the Philistines had removed it during battle. Remember, this Ark was a holy thing - there were rules about how you could touch such a thing. As our story begins, David takes a bunch of his best men, a cart, and some oxen... and he expects to recover the chest with this.

Using The Message, here's the text (any comments of my own will be in itallic):

2 Samuel 6:

David mustered the pick of the troops of Israel - thirty divisions of them. Together with his soldiers, David headed for Baalah to recover the Chest of God, which was called by the Name God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who was enthroned over the pair of angels on the Chest.

They placed the Chest of God on a brand-new oxcart (first mistake!) and removed it from Abinadab's house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were driving the new cart loaded with the Chest of God, Ahio in the lead and Uzzah alongside the Chest. David and the whole company of Israel were in the parade (they made a parade out of this deal! How cool! Everyone went along -), singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals (not a bad band). When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God (second mistake! You know, the chest was supposed to be carried only by certain people, not by a cart, or any other persons - the penalty for touching the holy objects of the tabernacle was - well, we'll see soon enough). God blazed in anger against Uzzah and struck him hard because he had profaned the Chest. Uzzah died on the spot, right alongside the Chest. (WOW! Wouldn't you have reached out to keep it from falling?)

Then David got angry because of God's deadly outburst against Uzzah. (Can you believe the nerve of David?) That place is still called Perez Uzzah (The-Explosion-Against-Uzzah). David became fearful of God that day and said, "This Chest is too hot to handle. How can I ever get it back to the City of David?" (too hot to handle - I love that) He refused to take the Chest of God a stop further. Instead, David removed it off the road and to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Chest of God stayed at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months. And God prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household.

(Can you imagine? You're having dinner, there's a knock on the door, it's the KING OF ISRAEL and he hands you this chest .... well, he probably rolled it in, afraid to touch it... it's like being handed the hot potato in a hot potato game. Here you go, says the king, be sure not to touch it)

It was reported to King David that God had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, "I'll get that blessing for myself," and went and brought up the Chest of God form the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. (Again, can you believe the nerve of this guy? Now he's jealous of Obed-Edom's propsperity!) David, ceremonially dressed in priest's linen, danced with great abandon before God (this is why God loved him anyay, despite all his quirkiness). The whole country was with him (not just the thirty divisions this time) as he accompanied the Chest of God with shouts and trumpet blasts. But as the Chest of God came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, happened to be looking out a window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before God, her heart filled with scorn.

They brought the Chest of God and set it in the middle of the tent pavilion that David had pitched for it. Then and there David worshiped, offering burnt offerings and peace offerings. When David had completed the sacrifices of burnt and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies and handed out to each person in the crowd, men and women alike, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then everyone went home. (Maybe we should try this! After worship on Sunday everyone gets a couple of cakes)

David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to greet him: "How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today - exposing himself to the eyes of the servants' maids like some burlesque street dancer!" (are you getting a mental image here?) David replied to Michal, "In God's presence I'll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our familly and made me prince over God's people, over Israel. Oh yes, I'll dance to God's glory - more recklessly even than this. And as far as I'm concerned... I'll gladly look like a fool... but among these maids you're so worried about, I'll be honored no end." (Guess he told her)

Michal, Saul's daughter, was barren the rest of her life.

(You can almost feel for Michal - like Uzzah, the punishment seems so harsh)

What can we learn from this story? That David's heart towards God was worth more than what he did for God. No matter what, he worshiped God, with "reckless abandon." No matter who was watching. No matter what they thought about him.

Untitled Comment

{ 12:40, Friday, August 18, 2006 } { Posted by thatday }

I have a The Message and just love it. Love how the Psalms read - one of my favorites is the 40th - love the last part -
"And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you've got what it takes -- but God, don't put it off."
With all the mess I have made in my life, only God can make something beautiful for His glory.

Sippin coffee and readin your blog :)

{ 06:14, Friday, August 18, 2006 } { Posted by Darcy }

For Christmas last year Sam got me two books I had really been wanting...Carla Emery's book The Encyclopedia of Country Living, and .......you guessed it.....The Message bible. Don't know what it says about me that I wanted them both equally as much but there you have it! The Message is so nice to turn to for ease of understanding but I like the way the more traditional versions sound when you read them. I love your retelling of the story of David with all your thoughts put in. I don't think they're dangerous at all!

Darcy