Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 6
In the first battle of Rephaim, David saw how suddenly God could act against his enemies (5:20). David compared it to the sudden way that a flood breaks out. Nothing is able to oppose the power of God.
Now, David had seen that same power again - but it was not against his enemy. God had acted in his anger against Uzzah. Uzzah was at that time carrying out an important task during a sacred procession that David had organised. Uzzah acted in an unholy manner towards a very holy object - and he died at once.
Of course, that stopped David’s joyful procession at once. David’s first reaction was to be angry. However, he did not direct his anger against God. Instead, he became afraid of God.
David had learned that he must respect God deeply. Previously, he wanted God to be pleased with the procession - but he was not obeying God’s instructions about such a procession. So, previously, he was not truly respecting God.
David was not just afraid of God’s power. He was, perhaps, even more afraid of the fact that God is holy. In other words, God is perfect in every way, and that fact separates him from us. God’s holy things belong to him - so we cannot use such things in the way that we use other objects. Before this incident, David was eager to bring God’s most sacred objects into Jerusalem, his capital city. Now he was afraid to do that. David was not perfect, so he would try to separate himself from holy things. God himself would have to show David what David should do with Israel’s sacred objects.
Next part: The ark in the house of Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:10-11)
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