Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 6

David’s great procession for the ark of the covenant

2 Samuel 6:1

In war, David was very careful to do only what God directed him to do (5:17-25). However, at other times, David still thought that he should choose himself what to do. He still desired to please God in everything that he did. Like many people, David then thought that he must try to please God by his own efforts. In his opinion, God would be pleased if David organised a great and impressive ceremony to give God honour.

So, David decided that he would bring the sacred object called the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. An ‘ark’ is a box; the covenant is God’s special agreement with Israel. So, the ark of the covenant was a box that was evidence of God’s special relationship with Israel.

We last read about the ark in 1 Samuel 7:1, when it was in a private house in Kiriath Jearim. That may have been as much as 65 years before David finally decided to bring it to Jerusalem. Psalm 132:6 seems to show that Israel’s people did not even know where to find it. David had to look for it before he found it, still at Kiriath Jearim. That town is also called Baalah of Judah (6:2).

When David found it, he decided to bring it to Jerusalem with a great procession. He would normally only gather such a large group of men to fight in war. So it was a truly splendid procession that he organised for the ark. 30,000 men would bring it into Jerusalem, his new capital city. That was his plan.

Next part: About the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 6:2)

 

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