Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 156
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IMMERSE
•
KINGDOMS
2S
| 5:22–6:16
But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the
valley of Rephaim. And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not
attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind
and attack them near the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the
signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine
army.” So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the
Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He
led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears
the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the
cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from
Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons,
were guiding the cart that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front
of the Ark. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the
Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical i nstruments—lyres,
harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen
stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.
Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him
dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.
David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against U
zzah.
He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against
Uzzah”), as it is still called today.
David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring
the Ark of the Lord back into my care?” So David decided not to move
the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house
of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-
edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and
his entire household.
Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed O
bed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went
there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the
City of David with a great celebration. After the men who were carrying
the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing
a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark
of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of Dav id, Michal, the