May 7th
Today’s Scripture is from 2nd Samuel 6–7 and 1st Chronicles 17. These chapters tell of David transporting the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem—an event that began with tragedy but ended in blessing.
David’s first attempt to move the Ark seemed right in his eyes but failed to consider God's desire. Rather than following God’s instructions to carry the Ark with poles on the Levites’ shoulders (Exodus 25:13–14), David placed it on a new cart pulled by oxen. When the oxen stumbled, a Levite by the name Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark. Though well-intentioned, this is not what God had instructed; He said anyone who touched it would die (Numbers 4:15).
As a result, the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he was struck dead. In 1st Chronicles 15:13, David later acknowledged what went wrong,
“Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule.”
Initially, David was angry with God over Uzzah’s death, but the real cause was David’s failure to prioritize God; the fault was David’s own error (2 Samuel 6:7). This moment became a powerful lesson: Prioritizing God is essential to walking in His favor.
The lesson is repeated with Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife. When she saw David dancing before the Lord, she viewed him as foolish and undignified. She failed to see that David’s motivation flowed from a heart fully surrendered to God. Her disdain for David’s humble devotion wasn’t just an insult to him—it was ultimately a rejection of the priority David placed on God. The consequence of her stubborn pride was the absence of a legacy,
“…Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” 2nd Samuel 6:23
In contrast, David’s humility before God was rewarded with one of the greatest blessings in Scripture. In 2nd Samuel 7:12–14, the Lord gave David an amazing promise of legacy,
When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
At the time, people would have thought this was fulfilled in Solomon, David’s son. Solomon did reign after David, he did build the temple and, like all people, he did fall into sin. However, Solomon’s kingdom did not last. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise came through Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. Jesus, born of David’s line, established an eternal kingdom and an everlasting throne, and He did suffer the punishment of sinners.
David’s story teaches us prioritizing God leads to spiritual growth. Michal’s story warns us that pride and misplaced judgment cut us off from God’s blessing. David made God his highest priority—and though he stumbled, he matured beyond His error. Michal never changed; she clung to appearances and missed the joy of God’s presence. One was given a promise of legacy; the other experienced the loss of the same.
Takeaway: When we make God our priority, humility becomes our posture, obedience becomes our response, and blessing becomes our promise.