2 Samuel 6–7

6TH CHAPTER

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem—1 Chronicles 13:5–14; 15:25–16:3, 43

¹David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men. ²He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah^ato bring God’s ark ⸤to Jerusalem⸥. (The ark is called by the name of the Lord of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels.^b) ³David and his men put God’s ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the new cart. ⁴They brought it from Abinadab’s home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark. ⁵David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the Lord’s presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood^cand with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,^dand cymbals. 

⁶But when they came to Nacon’s threshing floor,^ethe oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it. ⁷The Lord became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God. 

⁸David was angry because the Lord had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah ^[The Striking of Uzzah^[ today.) ⁹David was afraid of the Lord that day. “How can the ark of the Lord come to my ⸤city⸥?” he asked. ¹⁰So David wouldn’t bring the ark of the Lord with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. ¹¹The ark of the Lord stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed Edom and his whole family. 

¹²King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed Edom’s home and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom’s house and bring it to the City of David. ¹³When those who carried the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 

¹⁴Wearing a linen ephod,^fDavid danced in the Lord’s presence with all his might. ¹⁵He and the entire nation of Israel brought the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams’ horns. ¹⁶When the ark of the Lord came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in the Lord’s presence, so she despised him. 

¹⁷The men carrying the ark set it in its place inside the tent David had put up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. ¹⁸When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Armies. ¹⁹He also distributed to all the people—to the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women—one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home. 

²⁰When David returned to bless his family, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How dignified Israel’s king was today! He was exposing himself before the eyes of the slave girls of his palace staff—like a mindless fool might expose himself!” 

²¹David answered Michal, “⸤I didn’t dance in front of the slave girls but⸥ in front of the Lord. He chose me rather than your father or anyone in your father’s house, and he appointed me leader of Israel, the Lord’s people. I will celebrate in the Lord’s presence, ²²and I will degrade myself even more than this. Even if I am humiliated in your eyes, I will be honored by these slave girls you speak about.” 

²³So Saul’s daughter Michal was childless her entire life. 

7TH CHAPTER

David’s Wish to Build a House for God—1 Chronicles 17:1–27

¹While King David was living in his house, the Lord gave him peace with all his enemies around him. ²So the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent.” 

³Nathan told the king, “Do everything you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.” 

⁴But that same night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan: ⁵“Say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one who will build me a house to live in? ⁶I haven’t lived in a house from the day I took Israel out of Egypt to this day. Instead, I moved around in a tent, the tent ⸤of meeting⸥. ⁷In all the places I’ve moved with all the Israelites, did I ever ask any of the judges^aof Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people Israel why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’ 

⁸“Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name famous like the names of the greatest people on earth. ¹⁰I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer oppress them as they used to do ¹¹ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. So I will give you peace with all your enemies. I, the Lord, tell you that I will make a house for you. 

¹²“ ‘When the time comes for you to lie down in death with your ancestors, I will send one of your descendants, ⸤one⸥ who will come from you. I will establish his kingdom. ¹³He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. If he sins, I will punish him with a rod and with blows inflicted by people. ¹⁵But I will never stop showing him my love as I did to Saul, whom I took out of your way. ¹⁶Your royal house will remain in my presence^bforever. Your throne will be established forever.’ ” 

¹⁷Nathan told David all these words and everything he had seen. 

¹⁸King David went into the tent and sat in front of the Lord. “Who am I, Almighty Lord,” he asked, “and why is my house so important that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And even this you consider to be a small act, Almighty Lord. You’ve also spoken about the distant future of my house. Almighty Lord, this is the teaching about the man. 

²⁰“What more can I, David, say to you, Almighty Lord, since you know me so well! ²¹You’ve done this great thing because of your promise and your own desire. You made it known to me. 

²²“That is why you are great, Lord God. There is no one like you, and there is no other god except you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²³Who is like your people Israel? It is the one nation on earth that God came to free in order to make its people his own, to make his name^cknown, and to do great and wonderful things for them. You forced^dnations and their gods out of the way of your people, whom you freed from Egypt to be your own. ²⁴You created the people of Israel to be your people forever. And you, Lord, became their God. 

²⁵“Now, Lord God, keep the promise you made to me and my house forever. Do as you promised. ²⁶Your name will be respected forever when ⸤people⸥ say, ‘The Lord of Armies is God over Israel.’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your presence. ²⁷You, Lord of Armies, God of Israel, have revealed it especially to me, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ That is why I have found the courage to offer this prayer to you. 

²⁸“Almighty Lord, you are God, and your words are trustworthy. You promised me this good thing. ²⁹Now, please bless my house so that it may continue in your presence forever. Indeed, you, Almighty Lord, have promised it. With your blessing my house will be blessed forever.”