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July 6, 2021

Grace Runs Down

Rosalind C. Hughes   |   Read 2 Samuel 6:1-19

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Lectionary Week
July 5–11, 2021
Scripture Overview

Two readings this week focus on welcoming God’s presence. David does this by bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. As the ark arrives, David dances, worshiping God with reckless abandon. The author of Psalm 24 poetically calls a city to open its gates and welcome the great king. These passages invite us to consider how willingly we receive God into our lives. The reading from Ephesians speaks of God’s eternal plan. While circumstances may seem chaotic, God holds an eternal perspective and has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Mark tells the sad story of the execution of John the Baptist, yet another example of a righteous person experiencing persecution.

Questions and Suggestions for Reflection

Read 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19. How do you bless others in your daily life?
Read Psalm 24. In what ways do you honor the Creator in the ways you care for God’s creation?
Read Ephesians 1:3-14. Where have you stumbled on your faith journey and found God ready and willing to help?
Read Mark 6:14-29. When have you experienced a guilty conscience? Did you resolve the issue that was causing the feeling?

Respond by posting a prayer .

2 Samuel 6:1-19

1 Once again David assembled the select warriors of Israel, thirty thousand strong. 2 David and all the troops who were with him set out for Baalah, which is Kiriath-jearim of Judah, to bring God’s chest up from there—the chest that is called by the name of the LORD of heavenly forces, who sits enthroned on the winged creatures. 3 They loaded God’s chest on a new cart and carried it from Abinadab’s house, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were driving the new cart. 4 Uzzah was beside God’s chest while Ahio was walking in front of it. 5 Meanwhile, David and the entire house of Israel celebrated in the LORD’s presence with all their strength, with songs, zithers, harps, tambourines, rattles, and cymbals. 6 When they approached Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to God’s chest and grabbed it because the oxen had stumbled. 7 The LORD became angry at Uzzah, and God struck him there because of his mistake, and he died there next to God’s chest. 8 Then David got angry because the LORD’s anger lashed out against Uzzah, and so that place is called Perez-uzzah today. 9 David was frightened by the LORD that day. “How will I ever bring the LORD’s chest to me?” he asked. 10 So David didn’t take the chest away with him to David’s City. Instead, he had it put in the house of Obed-edom, who was from Gath. 11 The LORD’s chest stayed with Obed-edom’s household in Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom’s household and all that he had. 12 King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s family and everything he has because of God’s chest being there.” So David went and brought God’s chest up from Obed-edom’s house to David’s City with celebration. 13 Whenever those bearing the chest advanced six steps, David sacrificed an ox and a fatling calf. 14 David, dressed in a linen priestly vest, danced with all his strength before the LORD. 15 This is how David and the entire house of Israel brought up the LORD’s chest with shouts and trumpet blasts. 16 As the LORD’s chest entered David’s City, Saul’s daughter Michal was watching from a window. She saw King David jumping and dancing before the LORD, and she lost all respect for him. 17 The LORD’s chest was brought in and put in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Then David offered entirely burned offerings in the LORD’s presence in addition to well-being sacrifices. 18 When David finished offering the entirely burned offerings and the well-being sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of heavenly forces. 19 He distributed food among all the people of Israel—to the whole crowd, male and female—each receiving a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. Then all the people went back to their homes.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible. Used by permission.

Sometimes when the lectionary skips a few verses, they hold arcane detail unlikely to illuminate any but the most dedicated archaeologists of the Bible. Other times, they reveal uncomfortable information that would interfere with the simple, smooth story that we prefer to tell. In this week’s passage from Second Samuel...

Gracious God, fear of you is only the beginning of wisdom; perfect love dissolves fear. Help me to shed the falsehoods that fear tells me. Show me how to bare my soul to you, trusting your affection. Amen.


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