Good afternoon, everyone. Today's sermon passage is from 2 Samuel 6, verse 1 to 15. 2 Samuel 6, verse 1 to 15. David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000, and David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Balejuda 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 Caribbean. And they carried the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Utsa and Ahyo, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart. with the Ark of God, and Ahio went before the Ark. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with the songs and lyres and then harps and then tambourines and then castanets and then cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of the Nakhon, Utzah put out his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error. And he died there beside the ark of God, and David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Peretz Utza to this day. 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, but David took it aside to the house of the Obed-Adam, the Kittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of the Obed-Adam, the Kittite, three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Adam and all his household. and he was told of King David, the Lord has blessed the house of hold of Obed-Adam and all the belongings to him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of the God from the house of Abed-Adam to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and fed an animal. And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with a shouting and with a sound of the horn. This is the word of God. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you. We humbly ask you to open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we can clearly discern your will and obey it with our faith. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. If you haven't noticed already, I like to sing loudly, not just loudly, very loudly. Since I came to United States, I lived in apartments or townhouse style home, so I rarely sang loudly praise in just my house. Then my wife, Yoon, from her work, and then parked the car in the parking lot, which was fairly distant from my house, and then our house, so she told me that she could hear the sound of my singing. I denied every time that, how can you hear my singing? Even my, just our house's door is already shut in and then it was wintertime. So I denied it, but just, I knew that it might be true. So at one time, I felt so cramped, and so I went to a state park in the middle of the winter, and on a hiking trail, just nobody there. And then just we were holding, at the time it was Jeremiah, just holding my chest. And then just, I just praise God and just sing a song, just praise that at the top of my lungs, it get. At one point, I quit because I feared just park rangers just all of a sudden coming to me and then just find me and then just give me ticket and just give me. So I just quit there. Just for disturbing the peace. I know it is a huge crime in United States. So in addition to just wearing masks to prevent the spreading of the virus, if you look at the Church Bulletin's front page, and it is recommended that Worshippers sing hymns in humming or quiet voices while wearing masks. If I ask, what is the most thing that you miss most about the worship service, people may respond that I miss singing freely in worshiping time. So it is the same to me. However, if we believe that God is allowing us to worship in this context, we might have a great opportunity today to think again about what it means to praise God. So today's context was that it begins with a scene of the moving of the Ark of the Covenant, which had been in Abinadab's house for about 70 years, to the city of David, Jerusalem. What is the Ark of the Covenant? It is an ark, easily you can imagine it is chest wood box. It is covered with pure gold containing the 10 commandments that God gave the Israelites to live like God's people after coming out of Egypt and making a covenant with the gods in the wilderness. According to the first Samuel chapter four, this ark of the covenant was located in Shiloh, and was moved to Apek in the battle against the Philistines. The Israelites, who thought of the Ark of the Covenant as a talisman of victory, fell down violently in the battle against the Philistines at Apek, and the Ark of the Covenant was captured. While the Ark of the Covenant remained in the Philistine region for seven months, God brought disaster in the region of the Philistine. When Philistine saw and realized that the hand of God was severe on them, they returned, which is return to Israelites, was a place in the house of Abinadab, as appeared today. Levites living in Kiriath-Jerim, today is Bar-le-Judah, is the same place. It is 10 miles, it is west side of Jerusalem, From that moment, Abinadad sanctified his son Eliezer to keep this Ark of Covenant, Ark of God. A very sad point of history is that after Ark of Covenant, Ark of God, went into the house of Abinadad, there was no mention of this Ark of God until David, today's text, brought it up. From 1 Samuel chapter 8 to 2 Samuel chapter 5, it was a time of Samuel's reign of Israel as judge, and King Saul became the king of Israel. This time period that has passed was about seven years. First, this is from 1 Samuel 3, verse one. Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli, and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no frequent vision. During Samuel's reign, the word of the Lord appeared again, but soon after, King Saul became the first king of Israel. It was a time when the word of God was so rare that people could not hear it, And none of these leaders made an effort to teach the word of God to the people. As prophet Amos described this kind of situation in the book of Amos, chapter eight, verse one, it was not a famine of the bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. Meanwhile, the Philistines came to meet David when they heard the news that David became the king of Israel. But David, who asked God for strategy, won the war against the Philistine by God's helping. After the diplomatic stability, David's first step was to move the Ark of the Covenant, which had been in Abinadab's house for over 70 years, to his city, the city of David. Today I want us to go through and ask three questions from the text which eventually lead us to an answer for what it means to praise God. First question, how does the author of the book of Samuel view the ark of God? Expanding this question, what kind of Attitude did David have towards the Ark of God? This is verse one to two. David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000, and David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baal, Judah, to bring up there the Ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts, who sits enthroned on Cherubim. Shortly after summoning soldiers for the battle against the Philistines, 30,000 men were summoned again. The reason was to bring the Ark of the Covenant, Ark of God, to the city of Jerusalem. Some biblical scholars interpret it as David's effort to unite Israel by bringing the Ark of the Covenant into the city as good resources for David from political, economic, military, and religious aspects of time. Nevertheless, we do not readily agree with this interpretation It is not that the author of the book of Samuel in the biblical text shows us David's political perspectives, political actions. It records that David recognized that it is the place The Ark of the Covenant is a place where the God of hosts is enthroned. Similar perspective can be found in the Book of Chronicles of the same event, 1 Chronicles 13, verses 1 to 4. David consulted with the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds and with every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel, If it seems good to you, and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in other lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pastoral lands, that they may be gathered to us. Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it. We did not seek it in the days of Saul. Or somebody agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. The Book of Chronicles revealed that David did not think and thinking about carrying the Ark of God for his political power or political perspectives, but he is planning to move the Ark of God because he wants Israel to become God's seeking people. a new cart for carrying the Ark of the Covenant. And the king himself leads this plan, and with the consent of the whole people saying yes, and the band was mobilized to people's musical instruments in front of the Lord. In English, it has to be translated as before the Lord, but this before in Hebrew is lepane, which means that in the sight, the face of the Lord. So David recognized that we dance and we play instrument before the Lord. That's why we coming here and even we worship before, worship inside of the Lord. So it was David's attitude towards God, just the law, and now to try to move a cart. In such a joyful and blessed story, the author of Samuel brought a very sad, very heavy story of the death of Uzzah in Calvary. This is a second question. In today's text, what is the reason why God is angry with Uzzah? This is verse five to seven. And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of the Nakhon, Utsa put out his hand to the Ark of God and then took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Utsa, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the Ark of God. While everyone praised the Lord with joy, no one knew exactly the law of moving the Ark of God. This is from Numbers 4 to 15. And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after the sons of Gohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the Tent of Meeting that the sons of Gohad are to carry. According to God's law, when the Ark of Covenant was moved, it was not only covered with a tent and see-other skin so that no one could see it, the Ark of God, but the Levites, not a cart, had to carry it by their shoulder. It also stipulated that the holy object, any materials were not touched. This is the primary fact that, for this reason, God was angry with Utza's action. On the other hand, in this regard, some commentators argue that Utza did not die simply by touching the Ark of the Covenant. Before Uzzah died, they already moved the Ark of Covenant by a cart in which they already offended the law of God. Also, when David was afraid of the law after Uzzah's death, he again carried the Ark of the Covenant to the house of the Obed-Adam by using a cart. Therefore, scholars pointed out that he did not die simply because of the violation of the law. In other words, if he was killed because he did not keep the law properly, God would already intervene when they loaded the Ark of the Covenant on the cart, and David was also hugely responsible for it. Based on this, just here, Aria, there are two reflections why God is angry with Uzzah first. The meaning of Uzzah's name means strength. Sometimes it translates as stubbornness. and David called it Pert Utsa, which can be interpreted as God struck Utsa's stubbornness. We can visualize this situation that Abinadza's grandchildren, Utsas and Aihyo, who have never received attention and concentration in their lifetime, 30,000 men, 30,000 people gathered together and the king and his minister mobilized all the instruments and come down from the mountain while all the people were paying attention to this Ark of the Covenant. and Utsa died from touching the Ark of the Covenant due to accidents in a situation where Utsa put his hands on it, but his mind, put his mind above God's glory. It is by no means a coincidence that the oxen stumble, but that it is in all God's sovereignty. God struck Uzzah because of Uzzah's error, whether it was a failure of observing the law or the pride of the heart. This punishment of the law puts David in two emotions. So when I towards Brother Roman right now, Brother Roman, wake up! And suddenly, some people in sleeping here just awaken. It is happening right now. First, David's emotions. David was equally angry with the feeling that God was angry with Uzzah, who touched the Ark of the God carelessly. In English version, today version, ESV, it is translated as the anger of the Lord was kindled. and David was angry. If you refer to original Hebrew language, the beginning of the verse seven and verse eight, it is described in the same verb as by har. The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb har is to burn, to become extremely hot, and to become red, your face is red, which refers to extremely anger as if the whole body and heart are burning. Some commentaries interpret that David was angry toward God, however, which was followed by the phrase, perets utza, literal in translation is a breach, a violation of the utza. Paraphrase, Lord breaks the stubbornness of Uzzah, is a statement emphasizing that David is not angry towards God, rather the situation which David himself and Uzzah bringing made him extremely angry. Not because of the Lord, but because himself and then just Uzzah's callous actions that David was super, super angry. And the second emotion David had was great fear before the Lord. Soon after the feeling of anger, David was in fear of the Jehovah. The text actually recorded the word which was in David's heart. How can the ark of the Lord come to me? As an interpretation, David thought that he should not proceed to bring the Ark of Covenant with anger, fear, and confusion because he does not know, he does not have a clear reason for whether God rejects himself or is a violation of the law in a situation where he does not know anything. So he took the Ark of God aside at the house of Obed-Adam the Kittite. In addition to above, in the battle against the Philistines, David always asked God first. But David did not ask God for moving the Ark of the Covenant. Uzzah died for his fault, but David, who was there, now was wrapped with the question of whether God was against David's plan. A biblical scholar interprets this event as follows. Through this event, God revealed that his ark could not be arbitrarily moved by the kingship, and that even David, whom God had chosen to be king of Israel, could not own the ark. Question number three, why did David dance before the Lord with exceeding joy? Through the sermon, David heard the news that God had blessed the house of Obed-Adam because of the ark of God. With the interpretation that God gave grace to a possession of the house of Obed-Adam that would be visible in three months, some scholars speculate that God gave this house the grace of the conception beyond the simply just abundance of the material things. Clearly, when he heard this news, David not delay to bring the Ark of God covenant again. From First Chronicle 15, where it record the same event of today's passage, we can see that David's perceptions changed within three months, in which he studied the law of God. First, the fact that the Levites must carry the Ark of God. with their shoulders. This is from First Chronicles 15.2. Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and minister to him forever. Second, David was convinced that God would show favor to him, although God could bring disaster, even death, to David's house because of his past mistake. Third, David's humbleness in his heart became a huge important role in carrying the Ark of the Covenant from Obed-Adam to his city. Because of David's ignorance, disaster could have come upon his own house. However, because of good news that the Lord will give his own house great grace through the Ark of the Covenant, he wore the effort of robes, instead of the warrior robes today, and dance with exceeding joy in the sight of the Lord, in front, before the Lord, and in the face of the Lord. I am the one who has to put to death but I have received God's forgiveness. Not only that, but God wants to show his favor, his grace. Hebrew verb mekarker means that dancing with jumping and then circling. I want to show you this verb meaning that he is not just singing with clapping, but before the Lord, David jumping and then circling, circling around the Ark of God, and then from Obed-Adam's house, and then about seven miles, he is not seizing, because it's a participle form of the word, from the Obed-Adam's house, and then the Linen-Klo Airport, and then he dancing and jumping, and then circling, And then he, and imagine that he's sweating, sweating, and then according to, because it just describes, and then he's showing his under, just under, just side, which means that how a king can dance before God like this. If you look at the story about the Ark of Covenant in the Bible, in Exodus and Numbers, it was driven by the sovereignty of God. If God said move, then move. And if God said stop, then say stop. But today, David tried to take the Ark of Covenant to his city with his kingship ahead of God's sovereignty because of his earnest desire for God. But he realized his crimes by God's grace and became humble in the heart again. In fact, he renewed his faith and confessed again that God is the true King of Israel by dancing before the Lord with exceeding joy. How many times do we sin a day? Is there a single day when we have not sinned in the sight of the Lord? We, who are to die by wrath of God right now, have not only been forgiven by redeeming grace of the cross of Jesus Christ, but live each day by being renewed and nourished by His grace daily. ever praise God by jumping and dancing like David before, just God, and for this gospel. When I put my kids in bed, I'm reading one or two children's books, and then the Bible every night. One day, there was a phrase in a children's book. This phrase is embedded in my mind, just caught my heart. So I wrote it down, and sometimes here and there, I'm reminded of this message. Just a sentence. It is, I think, book of the mystery of the human body. This is exact quote. Your body is meant to be busy. It's meant to move fast, lift heavy things, and walk and run for miles. Just look at it. You have hands for clapping, feet for stamping, legs for limping, and arms for swinging. You can jump, sprint, twist, and twirl. How much do we use our bodies to praise God? Today, David prays God with all his might while exceedingly rejoicing, thanks to God's grace. Let us go back to the first question, what does it mean to praise God? Wouldn't the moment of true praise be a moment when we realize the saving grace that God saves us, even though we are sinners? and give praise with all strength and whole spirit with overflowing joy. Even though we cannot sing loudly because of the current pandemic, I pray that you will remember this gospel and become true worshipers before God. Faith of God. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we want to be passionate worshipers of you. We want to acknowledge and discern your word rightly. We want to become a worshiper who is using our whole bodies to praise you, you who have saved us from our sins. We confess that all of these can be done by your Holy Spirit. Anoint us with your Spirit so that we may praise you wholeheartedly. We pray in the name of Jesus, amen.