Reading: 2 Samuel 6: 1-5
Verse Five: “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord”.
Quick history review: When Israel was fighting with the Philistines, they sinfully brought out the ark of the covenant basically as a good luck charm. The battle did not go well and the Philistines captured the ark. But the ark was a curse because they put it in one of their god’s temples. So they returned it. Years later Saul dies and David becomes king. He defeats the Philistines and begins to consolidate his power to Jerusalem. In today’s passage David is bringing the ark to Jerusalem, aligning his political and spiritual power.
To the Israelites, the ark represents God’s presence with the people. It is one of the most holy and sacred objects for the Jews. Instead of just sending some priests or Levites after the ark, David makes a big deal out of it. As we read today, he gathered 30,000 men to parade the ark ‘home’. It had been residing in Abinadab’s house in a small town near Jerusalem. The return was a joyous and festive occasion. Verse five tells us, “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord”. All of Israel came to the parade. It was a great event to bring the ark to the capital city. This action brought exuberant praise and worship if God. It was like a homecoming for the presence of God.
Today we feel like the sanctuary is the place where we most easily and readily find and experience God’s presence. It is a holy space frequently home to prayer and praise and the sharing of God’s Word. It makes sense that we feel God’s presence in the sanctuary. The questions that come to me through this passage today are: Do we worship in the sanctuary with “all our might”? Do we come to joyously celebrate God’s presence with us? Are we exuberant each Sunday in our worship of God?
Today may we wrestle with these questions and where our thoughts and the Holy Spirit take us.
pastorjohnb 
July 9, 2018 at 3:37 pm
I BELIEVE THE SANCTUARY IS A VERY HOLY ROOM IN THE CHURCH, IT IS TO BE VERY RESPECTED,
EACH TIME YOU WALK IN IT , YOU WALK BEFORE OUR HOLY GOD, IT IS NOT A ROOM TO RUN AND PLAY IT. IT A ROOM TO WORSHIP, AND PRAISE OUR HOLY GOD, TO SHOW HIM RESPECT, OUR LOVE. FOR HE HAS MADE US, WE ARE HIS,
IT IS HOLY GROUND, GODS SPIRIT WALKS AND LIVES THERE. HE WATCHES HOW PEOPLE TREAT HIS HOUSE. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVES , I LOVE HIM. I BELONG TO HIM.