2 Samuel Ch6/ Mark Ch14
One Beautiful Thing, One Wrong Thing, And One Evil Thing
2 Samuel 6/ Mark 14
3 Sections V.8 vs. V.25
David gathered 30 thousand chosen men to bring up the ark of God from the house of Abinadab. The ark of God was captured by the Philistines when Eli was still a priest of Israel. (1 Samuel 4: 11) Then God showed His glory and forced the Philistine to return the ark of God to Beth Shemesh, Israel. But the men of Beth Shemesh was scared, therefore it was taken to the house of Abinadab since then. It was there for a very long time. When Saul was king, he did not care about it. Now David was king, he decided to bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 13: 1-4) Everyone agreed with him and thought it was a right thing.
What is the ark of God? Inside the ark there were two tablets of stone. They were the work of God, the writing of Ten Commandments was the writing of God on the tablets. Therefore, the ark of God is the Word of God which is also the Name of God. (Rev. 19: 13) The two tablets of stone stands for God Himself.
This ark of God is the Holy Bible of our time which has been written by the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is God-breathed” according to 2 Timothy 3: 15a. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this, “This is the covenant I will make with them…, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Hebrews 8: 16) To bring up the ark of God to Jerusalem applies to us that the Church or all of God’s children will keep God’s word from the heart.
It was a very good thing that David wanted to lead the whole nation to put God’s words first which meant to put God first in Israel. But David did not pray to God whether he should do it at that time or not. Nor did he ask God how to bring up the ark of God.
The ark of God is holy. Therefore, God had instructed Moses that only the Levites who had consecrated themselves could come and carry it with poles on their shoulders. But David brought up the ark of God on a new cart. And he put two sons of Abinadab who were not Levite, Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the new cart, one in the front and the other at the back. Then the oxen stumbled on the way, Uzzah reached out to take hold of the ark of God. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because he did not respect God. God struck him and he died. Then David was angry and scared.
Mark 14, V. 1-25
The chief priest and the teachers of the law in the Temple observed the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread from outside. But inside they did not confess their sins by the blood of the Passover Lamb. Nor did they obey God’s commands. They talked about what was written in the laws by their mouths but in their hearts they wanted to find some sly way to kill Jesus.
There came a woman, Mary, with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She had listened to what Jesus said quietly, and she knew that two days later Jesus would be nailed to the cross. She grabbed the chance while Jesus was in the home of Simon, and broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
Some of those were angry at her and said to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?” But Jesus praised her and told them that she had done a beautiful thing. She did what she could. She sacrificed everything she had and poured her true love on Jesus. The Lord told the disciples that wherever the gospel was preached throughout the world, what Mary had done would also be told.
But one of the Twelve, Judas did the worst evil thing of the world. He was called by Jesus and could hear every day what Jesus taught and did. But he was not grateful or touched by Jesus’s love. He betrayed Jesus for money. His mind was occupied by making money for himself.
Before the disciples did anything, they asked Jesus, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” Jesus gave them clear instructions about which house to go and what to say. They found things just as Jesus had told them.
When they were at the table, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him. Jesus said, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man.” (V.21) How deep, wide, and high the love of Jesus is. He loved Judas to the last. Jesus gave Judas a final reminder and hoped that he would repent. God’s love is not easily angered. Jesus had no bitterness when he faced an ungrateful disciple who wanted to betray him. Jesus took bread and then the cup. He gave thanks and broke the bread for the disciples. He also gave thanks and offered the cup to the disciples. Jesus willingly laid down his life and bled so that he became the randsom for everyone. But Jesus had foreseen that he would drink the new wine, a new glory, in the kingdom of God. Our Lord sacrificed himself to obey the will of Father God. He was willing to be born in a manger. When he was on earth, Jesus preached day and night to save people at the risk of his life. He had no place to rest. At the end he laid down his life and was nailed to the cross. But he had committed himself to accomplish the salvation plan of God for the world. What Jesus has done is the greatest and the most beautiful thing of the whole world.
TEACHINGS FROM COMPARISON OF THESE TWO PARTS:
It was a right thing that David led the Israelites to bring up the ark of God. That was to regard God’s Word as the most important thing. But he did not go to God for guidance or sought His will before he did it. Though David wanted to love God more, he did not always pay attention to God’s words. Therefore, he used new cart a method of the Gentile, and allowed ordinary people to handle the ark. He should have used the consecrated Levites to carry the ark of God according to His instructions. Though David celebrated it with songs and all kinds of music instruments, he did not please God. God was provoked to anger by the mistake of Uzzah. What God wants is that we humble ourselves and contrite in spirit, and tremble at His word. What God desires is we carefully listen to His word and work according to His instruction. Though David loved God, he made a mistake by ignoring God’s word. Therefore, David did a wrong thing before God.
The chief priests and the teachers knew all of the laws in their head. But they were wicked in their heart, they wanted to find ways to kill Jesus out of jealousy. Judas was called by grace but he was ungrateful. He betrayed Jesus for money. He refused to accept the last warning and love from Jesus. Judas and the chief priests and the teachers of laws determined to do evil. They chose their own destruction.
But this woman who listened to the word of Jesus, so that she understood what Jesus’ heart desired at that moment. She grabbed that chance and did all she could for Jesus. Therefore, she did a beautiful thing that would be remembered by the Lord and men forever. Our Lord Jesus fully obeyed the Father to the end. He willingly laid down his life to fulfill God’s plan to save the world. What he did is the most beautiful thing.
2 Samuel 6, V. 9-15
Then David was afraid of the Lord and he did not want the ark of God to be with him. Therefore, he sent it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. But the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his entire household when the ark of God remained in his house for three months.
When David was told about it, he went down to bring back the ark with rejoicing. This time David used consecrated Levites to carry the ark of God on their shoulders with poles according to what God had instructed Moses. (1 Chronicls 15: 1-28) When those who were carrying the ark of God had taken six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. He wore a linen ephod that meant David also purified himself. He danced before the Lord with all his might. He and the whole house of Israel brought up God’s ark with shouts and the sound of trumpets. Here we see how careful David was and how he trembled with fear in serving God after the Lord disciplined him.
Mark 14, V. 26-46
Jesus knew what he had to go through for carrying out God’s will. This is the true meaning of carrying the ark of God, that is to fully obey the word and the will of God. Jesus led his disciples to give thanks to God and to sing a hymn. Because he did it willinly. However, Jesus was very careful in doing God’s will. He went the Mount of Olives and prayed for strength at the Gethsemane. There he prayed in a manner as man pressing and curshing the olives to have olive oil. An angel came to strengthen him. Jesus prayed more watchfully and earnestly for the help of the Holy Spirit to endure the suffering pain on the cross and the great darkness.
Though Peter loved the Lord dearly, he ended up denied his Lord three times in darkness. It was because he did not pray watchfully by grasping God’s word. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. The rest of the disciples also fell away.
TEACHINGS FROM COMPARISON OF THESE TWO PARTS:
David did not lose hope when he was disciplined by God. As soon as he heard that the Gentiles were blessed by the ark of God, he at once returned to God and went to bring up the ark joyfully. He then worked with fear. He carefully did everything as God’s instruction. He made offering to God for every six steps. He no longer depended on his good intention but on God’s strength to bring up the ark. He also purified himself more. At the same time, he danced with all his might before the Lord to bring up the ark of God to the tent he had prepared for.
Jesus was even more willingly and gratefully to obey Father’s will than David. He gladly laid down his life and bled to become the ransom for us. He loved his disciples and foresaw their falling away. He told them that he would rise up from the dead and meet them at Galilee. He foresaw the glory of God’s Kingdom. But Jesus did not rely on his own strength of flesh to endure the suffering of cross. He prayed watchfully and earnestly for the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s will. He knew it was a spiritual war against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Jesus had to put on the whole armor for this battle. Therefore, he faced the enemies calmly. He bravely admitted that he was the Son of Man. He committed himself in doing God’s will to the very end and died on the cross. Jesus was strengthened by the power of God so that he overcame and did God’s will to the end. Therefore, God puts Jesus to the highest place. God makes every knee bow at the name of Jesus in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Peter and the other disciples fell away because they depended on the strength of their own. Judas who betrayed Jesus surrendered himself completely to his sinful desires, so that he was used by the devil to do the wicked thing.
2 Samuel 6, V. 16-19
From a window Michal daughter of Saul saw David dancing and leaping before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. She truly lived according to her flesh so that she could not understand things in spirit. She felt ashamed of David about it. How sad that Michal did not see that she should be ashamed of herself and be grateful for David’s kindness. Though she had loved and helped David in the beginning, she remarried and followed another man later. In spite of this, king David still loved her and made her the queen. She should have humbled herself more before God and loved David more with a grateful heart. But she remained living in the flesh as a daughter of Saul. Therefore, she looked at David from a wordly viewpoint and despised his love for God. But David continued to do good. He blessed the Israelites and shared God’s grace with everyone.
Mark 16, V. 47-59
Peter cut off an ear of the servant of the high priest out of desperation. He wanted to save Jesus by his own strength. But it was of no use. Jesus had to heal that person to solve the problem Peter had made. Here we see there was a young man who was unprepared for darkness. It was because he had not paid attention to Jesus’ teachings. Nor did he pray and watch in Gethsemane. Therefore, he wore nothing but a linen garment to follow Jesus in darkness. And when people wanted to catch him, he could only run away nakedly. We learn a lesson from him: If we do not get ourselves ready for Jesus in good times, we will become a joke in darkness just like this young man. Now Peter followed Jesus at a distance because he was afraid of what happened to Jesus. He sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire, his heart was cold.
TEACHINGS FROM COMPARISON OF THESE TWO PARTS:
It was a big mistake of Michal that she looked down on David when she saw he danced and leaped before the ark of God. It was uselss when Peter used his strength to save Jesus by cutting of people’s ear. That young man became a laughing stock because he was not prepared for darkness. If we do not pay attention to God’s word nor pray and watch after we hear His words, we will have no strength to keep His word. Though David failed once, he repented and corrected his mistake. He obeyed and kept God’s word step by step. He was blessed by God and became a blessing to others.
2 Samuel 6, V. 20-23
When David returned home to bless his family, Michal laughed at him. Therefore, she had no children to the day of her death.
Mark 14, V. 60-72
The high priest forced Jesus to answer whether he was the Son of God or not. Jesus bravely admitted that he was, and foretold them that he would come on the clouds of heaven. The high priest then tore his clothes and condemned Jesus as worthy of death. Then some began to humiliate Jesus and hit him. During this time, Peter denied Jesus three times. But he remembered what Jesus told him when the rooster crowed. He broke down and wept.
TEACHINGS FROM COMPARISON:
Michal was as ungrateful as the high priest. They looked down on the Lord and persecuted the Lord. They refused to accept blessings and grace of God. They chose curse. Therefore, Michal had no fruit. Though Peter denied Jesus three time because he was scared in darkness, he wept and repented when he remembered God’s word. Peter became the pillar of the Church and was full of good fruit in spirit.
Our Lord Jesus knew God’s word by heart. He understood God’s will and God’s mind. He put God’s word in his heart all the time. Jesus always went to the desert by himself to pray and watch. He prayed watchfully by grasping God’s word. He prayed earnestly as man crushing the olives for olive oil. He was so prepared that he was more than conqueror when darkness came. He remained silent when peole made false accusations against him. But he bravely sacrificed his life and witnessed for the Truth that he was the Son of God. Jesus has become the best example of how to overcome and keep God’s commands to the end. Jesus is also the best example of how to do a beautiful thing for God.