2Sa 6:3 | KingComments | STEP | It is possible to do good things in a wrong way. This is what is happening here. David’s wish to bring the ark to Jerusalem is good, but the way he does this isn’t. The ark must be borne. In a spiritual sense this means that the bearers must feel the weight of the glory of the LORD. It is about a service being performed to the Lord in the way He Himself indicates. We must feel the importance of it. For God to accept a service, it must be in accordance with His Word. David works here in a Philistine way. He uses their method to transport the ark ( ). He imitates the Philistines and makes a new chart for it. It speaks of the work of man, of a way of serving God that appeals to man. Here we see that the danger of the Philistines does not only come from outside, but is also in one’s own heart. The dangers of the flesh and sin are in our own heart. To fight the Philistines, in the previous chapter he asked the LORD twice for His guidance. Now that it’s about the ark, we don’t read about it. David goes to work without asking the LORD. Maybe it is because it is obvious that he wants to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This can only be good, can’t it? It indeed is good, but the method must also be good, and that is not the case here. If anywhere the guidance of God and the directions of His grace are needed, it is in His own service and the worship brought to Him. We can compare this to giving or organizing Bible lectures. Those are good things, aren’t they? But is it not important then to ask the Lord if and how He wants it? It is about knowing that we are in His way. If we do not do it in dependence on the Lord, it goes wrong.

‏ 2 Samuel 6:3

The Ark Transported on a New Cart

It is possible to do good things in a wrong way. This is what is happening here. David’s wish to bring the ark to Jerusalem is good, but the way he does this isn’t. The ark must be borne. In a spiritual sense this means that the bearers must feel the weight of the glory of the LORD. It is about a service being performed to the Lord in the way He Himself indicates. We must feel the importance of it. For God to accept a service, it must be in accordance with His Word.

David works here in a Philistine way. He uses their method to transport the ark (1Sam 6:7-12). He imitates the Philistines and makes a new chart for it. It speaks of the work of man, of a way of serving God that appeals to man. Here we see that the danger of the Philistines does not only come from outside, but is also in one’s own heart. The dangers of the flesh and sin are in our own heart.

To fight the Philistines, in the previous chapter he asked the LORD twice for His guidance. Now that it’s about the ark, we don’t read about it. David goes to work without asking the LORD. Maybe it is because it is obvious that he wants to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This can only be good, can’t it? It indeed is good, but the method must also be good, and that is not the case here. If anywhere the guidance of God and the directions of His grace are needed, it is in His own service and the worship brought to Him.

We can compare this to giving or organizing Bible lectures. Those are good things, aren’t they? But is it not important then to ask the Lord if and how He wants it? It is about knowing that we are in His way. If we do not do it in dependence on the Lord, it goes wrong.