4 Aug. David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem
“David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel – 30,000 of them. Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah to bring back the Ark of God. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the LORD All-powerful, whose throne is between the gold creatures with wings.”
“They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, led the new cart which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the LORD. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.”
“When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark of God. The LORD was angry with Uzzah and killed him because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God. David was angry because the LORD had killed Uzzah. Now that place is called the Punishment of Uzzah.”
“David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, ‘How can the Ark of the LORD come to me now?’ So David would not move the Ark of the LORD to be with him in Jerusalem. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, a man from Gath. The Ark of the LORD stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his family.”
“The people told David, ‘The LORD has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.’ So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with joy.”
“When the men carrying the Ark of the LORD had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fat calf. Then David danced with all his might before the LORD. He had on a holy linen robe. David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the trumpets as they brought the Ark of the LORD to the city.”
“As the Ark of the LORD came into the city, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of the window. When she saw David jumping and dancing in the presence of the LORD, she hated him.”
“David put up a tent for the Ark of the LORD, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD All-powerful. David gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to every Israelite, both men and women. Then all the people went home.”
“David went back to bless the people in his home, but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, ‘With what honour the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!’”
“Then David said to Michal, ‘I did it in the presence of the LORD. The LORD chose me, not your father or anyone from Saul’s family. The LORD appointed me to be over Israel. So I will celebrate in the presence of the LORD.’”
“’Maybe I will lose even more honour, and maybe I will be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will honour me!’ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.”
(2 Samuel 6:1-23)
David brought the Ark of the Covenant from Kireath Jearim where it had been kept in the house of Abinadab for about 20 years, ever since it was returned by the Philistines some months after the Battle of Ebenezer (see 1 Samuel 7:1).
The oxen pulling the cart stumbled at the threshing floor of Nacon. Uzzah, Abinadab’s son, reached out to steady the load, touched the Ark and was killed because he had not paid sufficient respect to the resting place of the LORD. The place was called ‘Perez Uzzah’ (meaning ‘punishment of Uzzah’).
David was frightened by what had happened, so there was a three month delay during which the Ark stayed at the house of Obed Edom
The Ark eventually arrived in Jerusalem to great rejoicing (see 7 on the map on 27 July). David offered sacrifices to the LORD, and jumped and danced before the LORD in thanksgiving.
This exuberant behaviour, however, offended David’s wife Michal, who felt it was undignified for David to dance in public. David however, pointed out that the LORD had chosen him as king rather than any of her father Saul’s descendants.
The photo shows a sculpture at Capernaum depicting the Ark of the Covenant being pulled on a cart.
You can read more @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/30-israel-becomes-a-kingdom-under-saul-and-david/the-ark-of-the-covenant-is-brought-to-jerusalem/