Don’t give way to bitterness, choose to be sweet natured instead; it’s much more appealing. 2 Samuel 6
David set out with 30,000 chosen men, to bring the Ark of God up to Jerusalem (the Bible always talks about ‘Going Up’ to Jerusalem). They were celebrating, singing and dancing, with all their might before the Lord as they brought the Ark back. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen drawing the cart on which the Ark rested stumbled. Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark and God slew him. He’d been disrespectful, too familiar and God struck him down. David was angry because God’s wrath had broken out (Peres Uzzah) and a man had died. David then refused to bring the Ark to the City of David and left it at the house of Obed-Edom. We could say that this experience was Fearful or Bitter.
11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.
God didn’t argue or try to explain Himself (He seldom does), He simply blessed the entire household where the Ark was resting. They had a SWEET EXPERIENCE of God’s presence at that time.
12 Now King David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.’ So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
David wanted the blessing of God in capital of the nation, so he decided to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem. This time he had the Levites carry the Ark on their shoulders and repeatedly offered sacrifices along the way.
They placed the Ark inside the tent David had pitched for it and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord.
19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
The people were blessed as David celebrated the coming of the Ark into the city. They all received SWEET dates and raisins as a free gift on the day of the Ark’s arrival, that day would have been remembered with joy for a long time.
Unfortunately one other person’s response, to the celebrations is recorded, Michal daughter of Saul and David’s Queen.
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul CAME OUT TO MEET HIM AND SAID, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’
Michal couldn’t even wait for David to come inside, she had to go to meet him and scold him outside (She’d allowed Bitterness and Anger to rule her heart) She had despised his dancing in a linen ephod before the Lord, but Milcah remained barren until her death.
’STAY SWEET IN YOUR SOUL. Russ’. The advice of Roy Walden senior to his son, good advice for all today.
The Lord bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you today.