David’s Dread of Yahweh
“And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and he said, ‘How can the ark of the LORD come to me?’ So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David.” (2 Samuel 6:9-10a)
Yahweh is a God who emotes dread in the Bible. A cursory scan of the Old Testament shows that he is a God who strikes down great kings (Psalm 136:17-20), produces dread in entire nations (Joshua 2:9), and sometimes even leaves his own people in fear and trembling (Exodus 20:18). God’s fearful presence comes into stark focus in the book of 2 Samuel.
Reading through it recently, I noticed how dreadful God is in this book. Another significant realization was that ‘you can’t put God in a box.’ Notice a few of my observations:
> The strict holiness of God is on full display when Uzzah is killed on-the-spot for merely touching the ark (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Because he was trying to keep it from falling off the cart (onto the dirt below), we are naturally sympathetic to his plight. But, as R. C. Sproul famously noted, “he assumed that his hands were less polluted than the dirt.” Suddenly, we realize that the God we are dealing with is a powerful – even dangerous – power. Good and righteous, yes – but dangerous beyond our imagination.
> I find it puzzling that Uzzah’s transgression is so clearly condemned, but when David’s wife is concerned about his seemingly inappropriate behavior in the presence of God, she is the one who is cursed (2 Samuel 6:23). What are we to make of this? I’m as challenged by this as anyone. It seems like the fault (if any) goes to David. God, however, knows the heart – and clearly, David’s action is a legitimate display of his love of God, while Michal’s intentions are focused on human dignity, without a concern for God’s honor. For me, the takeaway is this: God knows, and judges, the deepest human motives. Sometimes severely.
> The Bible makes it clear that God isn’t a respecter of persons. He doesn’t play favorites. But he does keep his promises, and he does view people within the light of covenants. David, being the inheritor of a wonderful covenant, receives God’s mercy when his sin demands death (2 Samuel 12:13). Saul’s sons, however, must die because, years earlier, their father Saul provoked God – and until they die, Israel must suffer (2 Samuel 21:6). Again, it’s challenging to understand how this work. God won’t fit in our ‘box.’ What is clear is that mercy and judgment are His to dispense.
> God is willing to relent concerning calamity, but he doesn’t always. Even in the presence of David’s genuine repentance, God doesn’t call off his judgment until thousands have already fallen (2 Samuel 24:15). Again, God isn’t in a box; you can’t just say some words and get the outcome you want. Here is a power and force that is dangerous to disobey.
> In fact, when David begs for mercy, from a genuinely repentant heart, God will not be entreated to spare an innocent life (2 Samuel 12:22-23). It’s not, of course, that God is unwilling to be merciful – his mercy is on abundant display because he chooses David’s line for eternal kingship, when the man himself will later be deserving of death, according to the law. Rather, God has his purposes, and sometimes those purposes involvement chastisement for sin.
> And what are we to say of this God who directs a man to wickedly curse David, so that David can be looked at with compassion by God for his unfair suffering (16:11-12)? Even the most die-hard Calvinist will probably be unsettled by how directly the author of 2 Samuel attributes evil actions to the cause of God. In fact, God is presented as one who commands his anointed king to sin, so that he can smite down a people with whom he is angry (2 Samuel 24:1)! The problem is only marginally solved by a reference to 1 Chronicles 21:1, which imputes the ‘cause’ to Satan. If anything, this only makes the question knottier, since now God is supposedly associated with Satan’s crimes! The solution is that 2 Samuel cuts out all the intermediate causes; ultimately, everything comes down to God and his sovereignty – an uncomfortable reality that the author of this book is fully comfortable with. I can’t say that I’m fully comfortable with that myself, but the lesson is clear: God is sovereign and there is none who can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’
So, how do we make sense of this as New Testament Christians? A few suggestions come to mind:
> The dreadful character of God means that we need a Savior. Approaching a God like this without a mediator is fear-inducing. How can you know that you are perfect enough for him? Of course, you aren’t, and your eternal fate will resemble that of Uzzah’s destruction, unless you can find a suitable mediator. Reading about God’s character should remind you that Jesus isn’t optional; He is essential, because he is the only God-approved path to God.
> Our position is safe in Christ. I don’t think that we should walk around in constant dread that God will strike us down (unless, of course, we haven’t placed our faith in Jesus). In fact, Paul labors to prevent that kind of mindset in the book of Romans, particularly in chapter 8. Just like you can read through 2 Samuel to observe the terror of Yahweh, you can also keep reading and see (in books like 1 & 2 Kings) that God is eager to show mercy to his people because of David. Those who are represented by the Davidic king enjoy significant benefits – including head-scratching mercy, time and again. If you have believed in Jesus, this is the mental head-space that you should occupy.
> There is a legitimate place for ‘fear’ in the believer’s life. It is way too easy to cheapen God; to assume that he is understandable, predictable, and that certain inputs lead to certain outputs. But while God is never motivated by vengeance against those in covenant with him, he is faithful to chasten his people when it is necessary. Sin – especially willful sin – should provoke fear of God’s chastening. And in general, our worship should be reverent, serious, and sober, without being paranoid. It is reasonable to recognize the power, purity, and grandeur of God – in short, his holiness.
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