Study Desk

David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, my heart will be united with you, but if you have come to betray me to my enemies even though my hands have done no wrong, may the God of our ancestors look on it and judge.”

At that time, men came day after day to help David until there was a great army, like an army of God.

Then he said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if this is from the Lord our God, let us spread out and send the message to the rest of our relatives in all the districts of Israel, including the priests and Levites in their cities with pasturelands, that they should gather together with us.

Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of him in Saul’s days.”

So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor of Egypt to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.

David and all Israel went to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah) to take from there the ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim.

At Abinadab’s house they set the ark of God on a new cart. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart.

David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had reached out to the ark. So he died there in the presence of God.

David feared God that day and said, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?”

So David did not bring the ark of God home to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.

The ark of God remained with Obed-edom’s family in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his family and all that he had.

so David inquired of God, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

So the Israelites went up to Baal-perazim, and David defeated the Philistines there. Then David said, “Like a bursting flood, God has used me to burst out against my enemies.” Therefore, they named that place The Lord Bursts Out.

So David again inquired of God, and God answered him, “Do not pursue them directly. Circle around them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”

So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.

David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”

He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.