¹² Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-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. ¹³ After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. ¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. ¹⁵ 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.

¹⁶ But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.

¹⁷ They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. ¹⁸ When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹⁹ Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.

²⁰ When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”

²¹ David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. ²² Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” ²³ So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.

2 Samuel 6:12-23

Dear God, this story has so many parts that are interesting. I think what I want to focus on today is David’s desire for the blessing that comes from having the Ark around. Now, I don’t know why Obed-edom experienced good fortune while he had the Ark. Maybe it was because the Ark was there and maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was because how he behaved while he had the Ark. Maybe it was so that you could inspire David to get the Ark all the way back to Jerusalem. Or maybe it was for another reason altogether. I think there’s enough evidence to show that having the Ark in one’s presence doesn’t guarantee success. It was lost to the Philistines, after all, with the sin of Eli’s sons. Later, David will still get run out of Jerusalem by Absalom even though the Ark is there. It’s easy and even tempting to think of the Ark as this little prosperity-gospel trinket that we can use for our own goals, wants, and desires, but that would be a fallacy.

Are there any Arks in my life? Is there anything I look at and think, “Oh, I’ll get what I want if I do this or that”? I know there used to be some. I used to have some expectations of you that were unreasonable. I used to think I would be guaranteed some of the outcomes I wanted with my marriage, children, job/career, etc. if I did the right things. But you’ve ground that out of me over the last 16 years. I don’t really feel that way anymore. Now, I just look at the resources you’ve given me to steward and I ask that you help me to be a good steward of them. Whether it’s the wife and children you’ve given me to love, the job you’ve given me to work, or the friends and community you’ve given me to serve, I just want to rise to what you need me to be for them.

Father, I give you what I have. I’m not looking for what David was looking for. But David was in a different position than I’m in. He was leading a nation. I’m just serving a family and a community. My life is much smaller than his. Much, much smaller. We all know who he is thousands of years later. My own family will forget about me within three generations. And that’s okay. I don’t need to be remembered. I just want to live a life that knocked over a domino that you eventually used to bring about your kingdom and will being done on this earth.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen