The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 186
SECT. CLXXXVI.
DAvid now enjoying peace and quietneſs began to take into his pious thoughts the bringing up the Ark from Kirjath-jearim▪ and placing it in the Fort of Sion, which he had lately taken from the Jebuſites. The Tabernacle was now at Gibeon, [2 Chron. 1.3.] whither it had been removed from Nob, after that bloody ſlaughter of the Prieſts by Saul, 1 Sam. 22. And there was the great Altar for Burnt-offerings, to which the people frequently went, contenting themſelves therewith, and not regarding the Ark (the principal evidence of Gods preſence among them, and whereat Divine Oracles and directions were given) it being now lodged in a private houſe. Upon what occaſion the Ark was removed to the houſe of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim, we may ſee Sect. 153. and 1 Sam. 7. where it continued about fourtyſix years (ſaving only when upon extraordinary occaſions it was brought into the Camp, ſee 1 Sam. 14.8.) viz. thirtynine in the days of Samuel and Saul, and ſeven in the days of David. David therefore judged it more for the honour of God, and of the Ark, that it ſhould not lye hid in a private family (which poſſibly had occaſion'd the people ſo much to neglect it) but be ſetled in the chief City of the Kingdom, in a place purpoſely appointed for it, that the people might more conveniently reſort unto it; wherefore calling his great Commanders, and the Elders, and Heads of the people together, he imparted his deſign unto them, and deſired their advice upon it. He told them that if it ſeem'd good to them, and they apprehended it to be agreeable to the will of God, he deſired the Ark might be brought up to Jeruſalem. For (ſays he) from the days of Saul (a)Indeed ever ſince the days of Samuel the Ark had been in the houſe of Abinadab, but he deſired rather to accuſe themſelves that were then living, than their forefathers. Beſides in the days of Samuel by reaſon of the wars they had continually with the Philiſtines, they had not ſo good opportunity to remove the Ark as they had afterwards.hitherto we have ſuffered the Ark to continue in a private houſe, and have not inquired at it, nor ſought Oracles of God from it as we ſhould have done, but have contented our ſelves to worſhip God at the Tabernacle in Gibeon, though the Ark (the Teſtimony of his Preſence) was not there. Let us therefore ſend to our*David though a King accounts his Subjects (who came from the ſame Father) to be his Brethren. Brethren in the land, and to the Prieſts (b)V. 2. In urbibus, & ſuburbanis ſuis, — q.d. ad omnes ubicunque habitant.and Levites to gather themſelves to us, that we may in a ſolemn manner bring up the Ark of God hither. The propoſal highly pleaſed all the Congregation there preſent, and they declared themſelves very willing to have it done. Sometime after therefore David ſent forth his Meſſengers through all the land of Iſrael, from Shikar a river of Egypt, (which was the utmoſt Southern bound) unto the entring of Hamath, (which was the utmoſt Northern) to invite them to come up to Jeruſalem upon this ſolemn occaſion. And the people came in a vaſt number, no leſs than thirty thouſand of Nobles, Magiſtrates and chief men, with many of the common people. David being come with all that great multitude to Baal of Judah, that is Kirjath-jearim, [ſee 1 Chron. 13.6.] he aroſe and went with them from thence to carry the Ark to Jeruſalem, (at which the name of the Lord of hoſts, who dwelleth between the Cherubims was called upon) intending to place it in a Tabernacle or Tent that he had prepared for it. In order hereunto they having taken the Ark out of the houſe of Abinadab that was in Gibeah, (viz. an hill ſo called in Kirjath-jearim) they placed it in a new Cart *It ſeems they thought they might ſafely do what the Philiſtines had done before them without any danger. How eaſily may multitudes of Gods people err if they do not examin things by the rule of the Word?(as the Philiſtines had before done, 1 Sam. 6.7, 8.) therein manifeſtly tranſgreſſing the Law of God, which required that the Levites ſhould carry it upon their ſhoulders, ſee Numb. 4.15. & 7.9. Ʋzzah and Ahio (the Sons of Abinadab) drave the Cart; Ahio went before to look to the Oxen, and Ʋzzah behind to take care of the Cart and the Ark that was in it. And David and all this great company went before the Ark (the Symbol of the Divine Preſence) playing on all ſorts of Muſical inſtruments then in uſe among them, and praiſing the Lord, and ſinging (probably) the firſt verſe of the 68 Pſalm, Let God ariſe, and let his enemies be ſcattered, and let them that hate him flee before him; which was to be uſed (as appears Numb. 10.35.) at every removal of the Ark. When they came to Nachons threſhing-floor the Oxen ſtumbling ſhook the Ark, whereupon Ʋzzah laid hold on it to ſtay it, for fear it ſhould have fallen; and God ſmote him dead †Some think God only took occaſion from hence to puniſh him for ſome former fault. Sic Auguſtine.upon the place for his raſhneſs (c)By this judgment executed on one he brought David and the reſt to ſee their ſin.in laying hold(d)Non legimus eum ſic percuſſum eſſe ut nihil ei fuerit temporis ad cognoſcendum & deplorandum peccatum ſuum. Probabile eſt hoc feciſſe Deum ad conſtituendum diſciplinam in populo ſuo. on the Ark, which no man might touch but the Prieſts only, ſee Numb. 4.15. David was much diſquieted and ſtartled at this heavy judgment, wherewith God had broken forth upon Ʋzzah, and he called the name of the place Perez-Ʋzzah, or a breach upon Ʋzzah, in memorial of Gods judgment upon Ʋzzah. And David was ſore afraid leſt the anger of the Lord ſhould fall upon himſelf that day, and that he was not pleaſed that the Ark ſhould be carried to Jeruſalem. But it was not the act it ſelf, but the ill manner of performing it, that diſpleaſed God. However David thought it ſafer at preſent to deſiſt from his purpoſe, and ſo he carried it aſide to the houſe of Obed-Edom (e)A Levite, and one of the Porters and Singers, 1 Chr. 15.18, 21.the Gittite, (that is of Gath-rimmon, a City of the Philiſtines near Gath, and appropriated to the Levites, Joſh. 21.24.) who conſidering there was no danger in harbouring the Ark, provided they carried themſelves with that reſpect and reverence towards it which God required, he gladly received it into his houſe, where it continued three months, and God wonderfully bleſſed(f)They ſhall be no loſers that give to God, or any belonging unto him due intertainment. As we ſee the inſtances of Potiphars entertaining Joſeph, and Laban, Jacob, and the widdow-woman, Elijah, & the Shunamite, Eliſha. him and his houſe, viz. his wife, children, ſervants, cattel, and all that he had, and all his affairs for the Arks ſake. And this bleſſing was ſo remarkable that it was not only diſcerned by himſelf, but by his neighbours alſo, who acquainted David therewith. David now ſaw there was no danger in removing or entertaining the Ark, but only in the miſcarriages about it, which he now purpoſed to avoid; for he ſaw that none ought to carry the Ark of God but the Levites, whom God had appointed to that miniſtry as long as the Moſaical diſpenſation laſted; therefore ſetting afreſh upon the work, and aſſembling the people, he taketh order to have it brought from Obed-Edom's houſe to Jeruſalem with all ſolemnity, as is more fully expreſt, 1 Chron. Ch. 15. & Ch. 16. In order hereunto he calls for Zadock the High-Prieſt, and Abiathar his Deputy, and the heads of the Prieſts and Levites, and requires them to ſanctifie and prepare themſelves for this holy ſervice by outward ceremonial purifications, and by inward purifications of ſoul. For becauſe it was not ſo done at firſt, he ſays, God had made a breach upon them, even becauſe they had not Religiouſly examin'd what the Law of God required of them in that caſe, and had not performed this ſervice in a right manner according to his will. Accordingly the Prieſts and Levites did ſanctifie themſelves, and then the Levites did bear the Ark upon their ſhoulders. He appointed alſo that ſome of the Levites ſhould go before the Ark ſounding with Pſalteries, Harps, and Cymbals, and ſinging thereunto with joyful and chearful ſpirits. The ſeveral Singers played upon ſeveral inſtruments, ſome with Cymbals of braſs, and ſome with Pſalteries on*Alamoth ſignifies young maidens or Virgins; and therefore Expoſitors hereby underſtand the Treble, becauſe their voice is ſhril and fitteſt for that part in Muſick. See Tit. of 46 Pſal. Symphonia acuta, quam virgines edunt argutiſſime. Alamoth (ſinging the Treble) and others on Sheminith, or an inſtrument of eight ſtrings (playing the baſs) to make the Muſick more excellent and delightful; and ſome of the Prieſts did blow with Trumpets. And Berechiah and Elkanah were appointed to do the office of Door-keepers to keep the people off from preſſing upon the Ark, and ſo were Obed-Edom and Jehiah, two of them going before, and two behind. And when the Levites who carried the Ark perceived after they had gone a little way with it, that God was with them, and did not ſtrike them with death, as he did Ʋzzah, but manifeſted his favour to them, ſo that they went on without interruption, (ſee 2 Sam. 6.13.) they made a ſtand, and offered Sacrifices to the Lord by way of thankfulneſs. David ordering it to be done by the Prieſts, who no doubt made an Altar there according to the Law, Exod. 20.24. David alſo clothed himſelf with a robe of white linnen, like to a Prieſts Ephod, and girded it to him with a linnen girdle, and ſo alſo the Levites and Singers were clothed with robes of white linnen; and David tranſported with an holy joy danced before the Ark of the Lord with all his might. It was in thoſe days uſual to teſtifie their thankefulneſs and joy by dancing *See Pſal. 149.3. & 150.4. & 30.11. Exod. 15.20., and ſo David did here, dancing gravely and decently, anſwerable to the Religious Muſick, and teſtifying his zeal for God and his Worſhip with all his might, and his thankefulneſs that the Lord would pleaſe to ſettle the Ark in his City. Thus David and all Iſrael brought up the Ark of the Lord with joyful acclamations and ſinging, and the ſound of Cornets, Trumpets, Cymbals, Pſalteries, and Harps. And when the Ark came into the City of David in this ſolemn manner, Michal, Saul's daughter looking out at a window, and ſeeing David dancing†Pra gaudio immenſo David vehementer ſaltabat, ita ut naſutis non, judicantibus recte de pio Davidis zelo regiae dignitatis oblitus videretur. and playing on his Harp before the Ark, ſhe deſpiſed him in her heart. So they brought the Ark and ſet it in the place or Tabernacle David had prepared for it, and then they offered Burnt-offerings, and Peace-offerings before the Lord, and then David like a pious Prince bleſſed the people in the name of the Lord, and prayed for their peace and proſperity. Then he royally feaſted them, appointing to each perſon both man and woman a loaf of bread, a good piece of fleſh, and a flagon of wine, and ſo he diſmiſſed them, and they departed to their own houſes with great content and ſatisfaction, having performed this publick ſervice. David then returned to bleſs his own houſe, viz. to pray with and for his family as he had done for the people. But Michal, Saul's daughter (too much reſembling her Father in evil qualities) goes out to meet him, and being no longer able to ſuppreſs her diſdainful thoughts, ſhe crys out, O how glorious was the King of Iſrael this day, who uncovered himſelf in the eyes of the handmaids of his ſervants, as one of the vain fellows ſhameleſly uncovereth (a)V. 20. diſcooperiens ſe— & nudatus eſt, non omnino, ſed quod depoſuiſſet extimam veſtem regalem ut Ephod indueret.himſelf; intimating that by laying aſide his Princely attire, and mixing himſelf with the multitude, and dancing and leaping in the open ſtreets as vain fellows uſe to do, he had thereby expoſed himſelf to the ſcorn and contempt of every girl that came to ſee the pomp of this removing the Ark. He tells her that what he had done, he had done as in the ſight and preſence of God, and for his glory; and he could never honour him ſufficiently who had choſen and appointed him to be King and Ruler over Iſrael, and had rejected her father and his houſe. And (ſays he) I am ſo far from thinking it a diſgrace to me to honour and glorifie my God, though among the meaneſt of his people, and making my ſelf therein (as it were) equal with them, that if that be to be vile, I will yet be more vile, and will be ready to humble and abaſe my ſelf more that I may glorifie him. And as to the Maid-ſervants of whom thou ſpeakeſt as if they laughed at this my carriage, I doubt not but the more I humble my ſelf for God the more I ſhall be had in honour of all my ſervants: For God hath promiſed that thoſe that honour him he will honour, 1 Sam. 2.30. Whither Michal was any thing moved with what David ſaid is uncertain, but certain it is, ſhe got nothing but a curſe for this her ſcorning of him, for the Lord adjudged her from henceforth to perpetual barrenneſs (b)Michal never had any child, thoſe 5 Sons mentioned 2 Sam. 21.8. were the Sons of Merab her ſiſter, whom Michal brought up for Adriel, Merabs husband, 1 Sam. 18.19. and are called Michals Sons becauſe ſhe did educate if not adopt them., which was looked upon as no ſmall curſe among the Hebrew women, but muſt needs be accounted a greater curſe in a Kings wife, and the daughter of a King, who being of a more Illuſtrious family than any other of David's wives; if ſhe had brought forth a Son he might in likelihood have been heir to the Crown.
2 Sam. Ch. 6. whole Chapter.
1 Chron. Ch. 13. whole Chapter.
1 Chron. Ch. 15. whole Chapter.
1 Chron. Ch. 16. from v. 1, to 7.