DAVID #20-------"GOING AFTER GOD".......(2 Samuel  6:1-19)
Intro: When we last left David, he was secure in his position as King of Israel. The nation had gathered themselves around him and anointed him to be their king.   During the days of Saul, Israel had lost sight of their relationship with the Lord. David wanted to make that situation right. He wanted to bring his people back to God.
Our passage opens with David leading a massive army to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant from the house of a man named Abinadab. David knew that Israel would never be where they needed to be with the Lord until the Ark was restored as the centerpiece of Israelite worship and everyday life.  The CROSS is our centerpiece!!!
The Ark of the Covenant was built at the command of the Lord, Ex. 25:10-22. The word Ark means “chest or box.” The Ark was a box of wood that measured 45” long and 27” wide by 27” high. This box was overlaid in pure gold. It was topped by a golden grate called the Mercy Seat. One either side of the Mercy Seat, were two golden cherubim. Inside the Ark were a golden pot of manna; Aaron’s rod that budded and the two tables of the Law that were given to Moses at Mount Sinai. It was here that God promised to meet with His people. It was here that the blood of the atonement was place on the Day of Atonement. It was here that the shechinah glory of God rested as the child of Israel journeyed through the wilderness.   This Ark was vital to worship in Israel. It was symbolic of God’s presence among His people. 
Way back in the days of Eli, some 75 years earlier, the Ark had been taken by the Philistines...and since had not been in its rightful place.  We do not have an Ark like Israel did; but we still need the presence of God just as much as they did!  This passage has something to say about this matter of going after God and bringing back His presence and His power.
I. v. 1-2 THE DESIRE OF DAVID’S HEART
A. David Possessed A Holy Desire – David’s desire is clear and simple. He wants the Ark returned to its place as the centerpiece of worship and devotion in Israel. He wants God placed back in the center of the national consciousness.
B. David Possessed An Honest Desire – David was motivated by no ulterior motives. 
C. David Possessed A Humble Desire – David knew that neither he nor Israel would amount to anything without the presence and power of God. Like David and Israel, it is high time the church rose up and went after the Lord! 
II. v. 3-10 THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF DAVID’S HEART
(Ill. David’s motives in bringing the Ark to Jerusalem were proper; but his methods were faulty. Instead of being successful; David’s methods for transporting the Ark resulted in the death of a man named Uzzah. 
A. v. 3 Created By A Faulty Decision – The Bible says that they “set the Ark of God upon a new cart…” David’s first problem was rooted in the fact that he either forgot or ignored the clear command of God as to how the Ark was to be transported.  David made good plans and good preparations, but he neglected to do it God’s way. He paid a high price for this decision.
David made the mistake of following the same methods that had been used by the world. When the Philistines had the Ark and wanted to return it to Israel, they had placed it on a new cart as well, 1 Sam. 6:7-15.

B. v. 4-7 Caused By A Foolish Disobedience – For the first two miles of their journey, then the oxen shook the cart and threatened to dump the Ark off the cart. At this point, Uzzah reached out his hand in an effort to steady the Ark and prevent it from falling. This seems like a logical thing to do, but apparently God did not agree. He killed Uzzah on the spot!   It was never to be touched by human hands, Num. 4:15.
Does God’s reaction seem harsh to you? After all, Uzzah was merely trying to do a good thing. Failing to seek God’s will is just as dangerous as ignoring what He has already told you to do. Trying to carry out God’s business using the methods of the world is a recipe for disaster. Like Uzzah, we are often guilty of reaching out with our hands instead of reaching up with our hearts.
C. v. 8-10 Culminated In A Fleshly Display – David became angry. Possibly he was angry with the Lord; more likely he was angry with himself and his own foolishness. 
III. v. 11-19 THE DEVOTION OF DAVID’S HEART 
David was afraid to bring the Ark up, but a man named Obed-edom was glad to have it in his house. He knew that a clean heart and a pure life had nothing to fear from the Lord. When David closed the door to God, Obed-edom opened his door and God blessed him as a result.
A. v. 11-12 Manifested In A Change In David’s Attitude – David had forgotten the reasons why he went after the Ark in the first place. 
B. v. 13 Manifested In A Change In David’s Approach – Apparently, during the three months that passed between the death of Uzzah and David’s decision to go get the Ark, he had been doing his homework. 
C. v. 14-19 Manifested In A Change In David’s Actions – It seems that David has given up music, v. 5, and has taken up dancing, v. 14.  . He has laid aside his pouts and replaced them with shouts. David’s heart has been transformed and he is getting what went after.