Thursday, Dec 17: David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

2 Samuel 6:1-11

From The Message Translation

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 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, singing at the top of their lungs and playing mandolins, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.

When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God. 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.

Then David got angry because of God’s deadly outburst against Uzzah. 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?” He refused to take the Chest of God a step farther. 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.

Then I read it again (and again), and I saw something else. I saw a God in relationship with David. I saw a God who changes because of that relationship with David. Did David really give God a time-out?

God is a God who is changed by being in relationship with God’s people as much as God’s people are changed by being in relationship with God. God sent us Jesus so that God would know God’s people more fully; would know what it means to laugh and to cry, to hurt, to feel all the human emotions - and we would know God better through Jesus.

Now that is an Advent message. God’s light shining into dark places. God leading by God’s own example of being in relationship with God’s people. This is Good News. Good News for me, and maybe Good News for you. Surely Good News for our world.

Welcome to Our World (lyrics by Chris Rice)

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking,

How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child, welcome Holy Child

Hope that You don't mind our manger.

How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home, please make Yourself at home.

Bring Your peace into our violence,

Bid our hungry souls be filled
World now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world, welcome to our world