ANOTHER ARGUMENT WITH GOD

Like many of the Bible characters who walked closely with God, David also had times of argument and even anger with God at some points.

As part of establishing the city of Jerusalem as his capital, David wanted to see the symbols of God’s presence with Israel in the city. So, with a large group of people, including a 30,000-strong army, he set out to collect the ark of the covenant from where it was being kept. It was a time of celebration, music, and worship—until it wasn’t.

As he tried to steady the ark on the cart that was carrying this precious object, a man named Uzzah was struck dead, and the celebrations suddenly ceased. There are different explanations of why God was justified in His action, but regardless of any, David was angry at God. In his mind, he and his people had been trying to do the right thing, seeking to worship and honor God by moving this symbol of His presence and law to the new capital of the nation. David’s anger soon turned to fear. He left the ark at the nearby home of Obed-Edom for the next three months. It seems that there must have been further arguments between David and God during those three months. But after that time, David was convinced to try again.

He took the added precaution of making a sacrifice after every six steps taken by those who were carrying the ark. Albeit slow, this journey turned into another celebration. Something had changed. David began “dancing before the LORD with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets” (2 Samuel 6:14, 15).