And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim.
David is now king over all Israel, and his first great public act is to fetch the ark — the gold chest that stood for God's throne among His people. It had sat in a country town for years, and this verse names the place, the escort, and the One whose name rests on it.
Where the Ark Had Been
"Baale-judah" is one of several names for the same town:
Morrish Bible DictionaryCity in Judah on the border of Benjamin, Joshua 15:9-11 (called Baale of Judah in 2 Sam. 6:2), the same as KIRJATH-JEARIM and KIRJATH-BAAL.
The ark had sat in a private house there through Saul's whole reign. That neglect said something about the nation:
Leslie M. GrantThe ark was the symbol of God's throne, yet it had been hidden away in the house of Abinadab in Baale (or Kirjath-Jearim — Joshua 15:9). So the whole story of Saul kept God's authority out of sight, but David wants it in the place of highest prominence.
"Enthroned on the Cherubim"
The cherubim were the two figures on the lid of the ark. Older translations read "dwells between the cherubim," and the phrase describes a seat:
Samuel RidoutSo the two cherubim formed the sides, or supports, of God's throne. Scripture describes Him as "dwelling between the cherubim" (2 Sam. 6:2)... The cherubim seem clearly to stand for God's own righteousness and His carrying out of judgment. That is the basis of all true government, human or divine, and the only thing that keeps stable whatever lies under its rule.
That lid also received the blood of the sin offering once a year. One writer explains what that blood settled — propitiation, the satisfying of God's righteous claims:
C. E. StuartNow the mercy seat was the place of God's throne on earth... The blood of the sin offering, sprinkled on it and left there, was the lasting witness that God had been glorified and that propitiation had been made. So He could accept before Him a people who had sinned.
The Name Called Over It
The ark carried the name of the Lord of hosts. One writer says that name means more than a label:
H. L. RossierThere where David was established he now had with him the God of Israel, for the "name" (2 Sam. 6:2) represents the person.
David's care for the ark went back to his boyhood:
F. B. HoleAs a boy at Ephratah, long before he became famous, he heard of the ark and all that had happened to it. He realised that if God was to have His right place in Israel, then the ark, which was His throne, had to be brought back and publicly set up again... David knew that in finding a place for the ark he was in effect finding a place for the Lord.
Why So Many Went
The escort is large — larger than the forces God used to win battles. One writer draws a lesson from the contrast:
H. L. RossierWhen it is a matter of the Lord's battles, we do not see men of God gathering their whole army... But when the point is to bear witness to the God who sits between the cherubim, and to set up the place where He is to be worshipped, then all who represent the strength of Israel are not too many... Many would make the Christian life only a fight for the gospel. That fight is a blessed one, but it does not need "all the chosen men" gathered together.
The Right Desire, the Wrong Method
David's aim was right. Commentators point to what he did not do first:
William KellyIt is worth noticing that at first he did not ask. He plainly thought there could be no doubt about it. When it was a question of facing the enemy, he felt that he needed God's guidance. But when the point was setting the Lord's ark in its proper place in Israel, why would he need to ask the Lord about that?
David filled the gap with a method borrowed from Israel's enemies:
W. T. P. WolstonDavid thought, as many people do today, that the new cart was a very good way to carry that ark... The idea came from the Philistines — God's enemies — but that was a small matter in his eyes. What is the new cart? Anything that does not follow the pattern of Scripture.
Summary
- Neglected. Under Saul the ark lay forgotten in a house at Baale-judah, and God's authority over Israel faded from view with it.
- Enthroned. The cherubim formed the sides of God's throne, and the lid between them — sprinkled with blood — was where a holy God could receive a sinful people.
- Named. The name on the ark stands for God Himself, so finding a place for the ark meant finding a place for the Lord.
- Gathered. Handfuls of men won battles, but worship calls for all the chosen men — activity for God never replaces honouring Him.
- Uninquiring. David asked God about wars but not about this, so a right desire travelled on a cart borrowed from God's enemies.