2 Samuel 6:1-5 – Good intention is not enough

The  Ark of God mentioned in these verses refers to the Ark of the Covenant, the holy furnishing that God had instructed Moses to make. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And inside the Ark were the golden jar of manna, the rod of Aaron that had budded, and the two stone tablets of the law or covenant. The cover of the Ark was a plate with two cherubim with raised wings facing each other, all made with pure gold. The area between the cherubim was also known as the mercy seat, the place where God promised to speak to Moses. This Ark was a symbol of God’s presence among His people as they journeyed through the wilderness into the promised land. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat to make atonement on behalf of the people of Israel. In the early chapters of 1 Samuel, we saw how the Ark was abused and not treated with the reverence that it deserved. So, God allowed it to be captured by the Philistines. The last we learned where this piece of holy furnishing was located was in the house of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim, which was situated on the route between Jerusalem and Joppa. Baale-judah mentioned in 2 Samuel 6:2 was probably another name for Kirjath-jearim.

It is interesting how the Ark is referred to in verse 2. It is described as “the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.” Through this matchless God whose great Name, the LORD of hosts, Israel had experienced many miraculous deliverances. They were indeed privileged to have His presence among them, always ready to bless them. David desired to bring the Ark nearer, so in 1 Chronicles 13:1-3, it is said that he consulted with the captains and leaders to bring it to Jerusalem. So in 2 Samuel, we learn that 30,000 chosen men of Israel together with David assembled to bring the Ark back. The occasion was accompanied by music and great rejoicing. The last time the Ark was thought of was during the time of Saul. Here we see a resurgence of interest in the Ark because David prized the presence of the LORD. Like him, we too must realize how needful it is for us to have the presence of the Lord with us. We must make time to recover the lost discipline of practicing the presence of the Lord.   

In these verses, we are told how they transported the Ark. It was the wrong way to transport it. In God’s earlier instruction, it was the Kohathites who were assigned to bear the Ark on their shoulders. They should not ferry it on a cart like the pagan who would use that way to ferry their gods. Regardless of whether the cart was new or old, it was not God’s appointed way to transport the Ark. Their intention to bring the Ark from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem was good. But is intention alone enough? Accompanying the Ark were Ahio and Uzzah, the two sons of Abinadab. The former was in front probably to drive the cart while the latter was behind, to ensure that the Ark would not topple off. Because the house of Abinadab was located on a hill, we sense that this was a calamity in the making. How could David and the people tasked with bringing back the Ark overlooked so serious a business and not make sure it would be rightly transported? Herein is a lesson for us. We cannot afford to take the thing of God for granted especially dealing with coming into His presence. It behooves us to tread gingerly before the Lord. Good intention is not enough. It must be accompanied by the right action. We must always give God our very best. We must come prepared for He deserves only the best that we can bring - our attitude and all.