1 Chronicles 15 explained: Bringing the Ark Home Properly

A place made ready (vv. 1-3)

The ark was a sacred gold-covered chest that stood for God's presence among Israel, and David set up a tent for it in Jerusalem. This time he insisted that only Levites, the tribe set apart for sacred work, could carry it, as the law of Moses required.

Learning from the first try (vv. 4-15)

Earlier the ark had been loaded on a cart and a man named Uzzah died when he touched it (chapter 13), and David now admits they had not done it the prescribed way. The priests and Levites set themselves apart for the task, which usually meant washing and abstaining from certain things, and then carried the ark on poles on their shoulders as Moses had instructed.

Music, trumpets and doorkeepers (vv. 16-24)

At David's request the Levite leaders appointed singers and players of cymbals, lyres and harps, and Kenaniah led the singing because he was skilled, while a separate group of priests blew trumpets and doorkeepers guarded the ark. Alamoth and sheminith seem to be musical directions, perhaps for higher and lower pitch, but their exact meaning is uncertain.

Sacrifices along the way (vv. 25-26)

David, the elders and army leaders went to bring the ark from the house of Obed-Edom, where it had been kept after the first failed attempt. The text says they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams because God had helped the Levites carrying it, which many readers take as thanks that this time no one was struck down.

The joyful procession (vv. 27-28)

David wore fine linen like the Levites and musicians, along with an ephod, a simple linen garment usually associated with priests. The whole nation brought the ark in with shouting, rams' horns, trumpets, cymbals, lyres and harps.

Michal's contempt (v. 29)

Michal, Saul's daughter and David's wife, watched him dancing and despised him. Chronicles gives no reason, though 2 Samuel 6 tells more of the story, and readers have suggested anything from wounded royal pride to the troubled history between her family and David.

Key verse: 1 Chronicles 15:13

Something to think about

When you have gotten something important badly wrong, what makes it possible to try again rather than give up on it?