2 Samuel 6 Don't just do right, do it right

Theological Proposition/Focus: Doing the right thing in the wrong way leads to devastating consequences.

Christ Focus: Christ exemplifies perfect obedience and submission to the Father, providing us with the model for true worship.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: Doing the right thing in the wrong way leads to devastating consequences. We must ensure our actions align with God's standards.

Introduction

Image: Training for a run the wrong way

A few years ago, I set a goal to improve my running and hit a certain weekly mileage. I had the motivation and the right intentions—I wanted to grow stronger and healthier—but I didn't always follow the proper plan. One day, I tried to push myself on a long run without pacing or fueling properly, and it turned into a painful struggle. My motives were good, but the way I went about it caused real consequences.

Tie-in: "It's the same in our worship and in life. God sees not just our hearts, but also our methods. Doing the right thing in the wrong way can have consequences—even when our motives are good."

Setting the Stage:

We've been tracing the life of David and his rise to become king over Israel. Last week, we left off with the death of Israel's rival puppet king, Ish-Bosheth. Today, as we turn to 2 Samuel 6, we see David firmly established on the throne.

Chapter 5 fills in the gap between those moments. At the beginning of the chapter, David is anointed as king over the united nation of Israel. In the middle section, he conquers Jerusalem and establishes it as the new capital. And in the closing section, David defeats the Philistines, driving them back and reestablishing Israel as a major power in the region.

Now in chapter 6, we come to David's first significant act as king over the united kingdom. The question before us is this: "What will this new king do? What kind of kingdom will he build? Will David finally be the ruler who rightly governs the people God has chosen as His own?"

Body

Holy — God is completely worthy of our worship, but He rejects wrong worship (1-7).

Right motives are not enough—God calls us to worship Him in the right way.

David's motives and goals were right (1-2).

In chapter 5, David had accomplished great things: unifying the nation, declaring Jerusalem the new political center, and driving the Philistines back to their borders. The stage was set for a golden age of prosperity and freedom. But one question remained: "What about God?"

For a hundred years, the ark of God—the symbol of His presence—had been tucked away in Kiriath Jearim (also called Baalah in Judah). The ark represented God Himself, as even its name reminds us: "the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim." Yet the reality was this: for generations, God had not been the center of Israel's life.

David wanted to change that. His goal was right, his desire was right, and his heart was right: he wanted to bring the ark of God back into the center of Israel's worship.

David's methods and means were wrong (3-5).

But good intentions are not enough. In Exodus 25:10-22, God provided Israel with detailed instructions regarding how the ark was to be designed and handled. Of central importance, the ark was to have metal rings on its side in which poles could be inserted so that the ark was carried between two poles being held up by Levites bearing the ark on their shoulders. This was God's way!

Instead, David put the ark on a brand-new cart. The text emphasizes it was new—David wanted to give his best. And the parade that followed was impressive: music, instruments, celebration. Everything about it looked and sounded right.

But it wasn't God's way. The problem wasn't David's effort or his motives—it was that he didn't obey God's instructions. And the result was devastating.

God's response reminds us that He is holy and uncompromising (6-7).

Disaster strikes; the oxen make a misstep, and the ark looks like it might fall out of the cart. One of the men, Uzzah, responds by reaching out to steady the ark and touches it. Instantly, Uzzah is struck dead. The crime that is worthy of death, according to verse seven, is irreverence. Notice, nothing suggests that Uzzah was being intentionally irreverent; in fact, the text is pretty clear that Uzzah was intending to help the situation. But the reality is that God is absolutely holy and holds us to an absolute standard.

As worshippers of God, we should absolutely draw near to God to worship Him, but only on His terms!

Hebrews 4:16 states, "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Notice that confidence is not in ourselves—it's through Jesus, our great High Priest and mediator.

Within context, the whole passage is about Jesus as our great High Priest, our mediator. Here is the reality I want us to understand: we can and should worship God, but only on His terms, and the first step is accepting Jesus as personal Savior. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior by placing your complete trust in His life, death, and resurrection, then you are placing your worship on the cart—and beware.

Image: Aslan is not a tame lion

One of my favorite lines from C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is when Susan asks if Aslan is safe. Mr. Beaver replies, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

Years ago, Emily and I went on safari in Africa. We found ourselves just feet away from lions—an incredible sight. But then some other tourists pulled up. They were loud, obnoxious, and doing everything they could to provoke the lions. Finally, our guide said, "Let's go—this is dangerous. If the lion responds, someone will get hurt, and then they'll blame the lion."

That stuck with me. I serve the Lion of Judah. He isn't tame. He isn't safe. But He is good. And my worship must reflect that truth. Yes, it is exciting; yes, I have freedom to worship, but no matter what, I must hold that in balance with an appropriate level of reverence.

MTR: Look beyond good motives and goals—examine your practices and evaluate your worship critically.

We often say things like, "As long as you do your best," or, "As long as your heart is in the right place." But are those sayings really true? Scripture teaches us something deeper: God isn't just after our best efforts or good intentions—He's after our obedience. We must take a hard look at our practices and ask, "Am I worshiping God His way?"

Master — God's holiness demands our submission (8-15).

True devotion requires submission to God's ways, even when it challenges us.

At first, David resisted submission (8-11).

Verse 8 tells us that David's response was anger and fear. He cried out, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" In that moment, David was unsure of himself, unsure of the right next step, and perhaps even hopeless.

I think David may have believed he had forfeited God's blessing altogether. His words sound like defeat: "It's hopeless—I can't bring God into the center." But here's the danger: refusing God's grace is itself a form of unsubmissiveness. When we pout, sulk, or give up in response to God's discipline, we are not submitting—we are rebelling in a different form.

Verse 10 tells us David "was not willing" to move the ark. That sounds less like confusion and more like resistance—a kind of pity party. He didn't want to try again, at least not God's way.

Yet God is both worthy of submission and abundantly forgiving (12).

But even while David hesitated, God kept working. Obed-Edom cared for the ark, and God poured out blessings on his household. That blessing was a message: God is still good. God is still gracious. God is still worthy of your submission.

David's earlier words were hopeless: "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" But God's blessing reminded him that grace was still available. Thankfully, David learned the lesson—he got it—and he responded with action and rejoicing.

So David began again—this time doing things God's way (13-15).

Finally, the ark was moved properly. This time it was carried, not carted, and sacrifices marked the journey. David humbled himself, wearing priestly linen instead of royal robes—not claiming to be a priest in the line of Aaron, but choosing to appear as a servant of God rather than a king over men.

The point is simple: submission means doing things God's way. And that principle touches our lives too.

Have you ever given up on submission? Maybe there's an area where obedience feels impossible. You've thought, "I can't do it. I'll never measure up. I keep failing." So you stop trying. Or maybe you've begged God to take away a temptation, but it feels like nothing changes, and you feel like David: "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?"

Here's what we must remember: if God is truly our Master, submission is not optional. But we must also remember: God is forgiving and abundantly gracious. Sometimes, like David, we simply need to reset—turning anger and hopelessness into fresh submission and joyful obedience.

I think this is Paul's heart in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

As you beg God to help you obey, realize there is hope, but that hope only comes through the grace of God. The reality is that you need God's help to properly obey!

Image: Giving up on submission—like abandoning tithing when it gets difficult.

I've seen this story play out with tithing. Many people intend to give—setting aside 10% for God. But then life happens: an emergency here, an unexpected expense there. Tithing slips from a command to a hope, to a pipe dream, and finally onto the back shelf. At some point, you quietly decide it's impossible, and you just stop trying. Meanwhile, others are experiencing God's blessing, and you're sitting in frustration on the sidelines.

Maybe that's your story with giving—or maybe it's some other area of obedience. Either way, the call is the same: don't give up. Reset. Submit again.

MTR: Ask yourself: have you stopped fully submitting to God in some area of your life?

• Maybe it's in your finances—you know what God has said about generosity, but you've pulled back and told yourself, "I'll do it later."
• Maybe it's in your relationships—forgiving someone who hurt you, or reconciling with a family member. Instead of submitting, you've decided, "I just can't."
• Maybe it's in your purity—you've struggled with temptation, failed a few times, and now you've given up hope that real obedience is even possible.
• Maybe it's in your time—God calls you to prioritize Him, but prayer, Scripture, and serving keep sliding to the margins of your calendar.
• Maybe it's in your calling—you sense God leading you to step out in faith, but fear has kept you from fully obeying.

Honor — Worship is only ever for one individual - God (16-23).

Worship is for God alone, offered sincerely and shared in community, not for personal glory.

We need to see two key truths here: worship is both God-directed and community-shaped, but never self-promoting.

True worship is directed to the LORD yet shared with others (17-19).

Two things stand out in verses 17-19. First, David's worship is thoroughly God-centered. He erects a tent, prepares burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and presents them to the LORD. The name of God is mentioned three times in these verses, emphasizing that the focus was never on David, but on Yahweh alone.

Second, David's worship is not isolated. It overflows into blessing the people. Verse 18 shows David pronouncing a blessing on the congregation, and verse 19 shows him giving every person a generous meal—bread, meat, and raisin cake. David's devotion to God spills into tangible good for others.

This balance is instructive. Worship is not just a private act nor just a community event—it is individual devotion expressed in community, with all eyes together lifted toward God.

David's worship was not for self-promotion or appearances (16, 20, 22).

In contrast, verses 16, 20, and 22 show us another perspective. Michal looked at David's exuberant worship and despised him, thinking his behavior was undignified for a king. She accused him of embarrassing himself before others.

But David's reply is striking: he insists that he will become even more undignified if it means honoring God. His worship was not about appearances, reputation, or self-protection—it was about God.

This speaks directly to us:

• First, don't judge the sincerity of someone else's worship. Their worship is not for you! Too often Christians criticize worship leaders or congregants over style, posture, or even clothing. That is a dangerous mistake. As long as worship is "decently and in order," it is not your place to police it.
• Second, don't let fear of people hold you back from worship. If you are withholding your praise because you're worried about what others think, your worship is no longer fully directed to God.

His desire was simple: to give honor to God alone (21).

David's statement in verse 21 may be the key line in the whole story: "It was before the LORD…I will celebrate before the LORD." His worship was for God alone.

But notice the tragic outcome in verse 23. Michal's words cut David deeply, and the text notes that she bore no children to the day of her death. That's a sobering reminder: when we criticize someone else's sincere devotion, we are not only wounding them, we may actually place ourselves outside the blessing of God. We must tread carefully.

Let me give a concrete example:

Image: Clothes in worship, the fine line: don't dress to impress, don't dress to distract, instead offer your best to the Lord.

Clothing is often one of the most debated aspects of worship. Should you dress up for church? Dress casually? What's appropriate?

The key is motive. "Your best" doesn't always mean the fanciest. David wore priestly linen instead of royal robes—choosing what was most fitting for the act of worship, not what was most impressive.

• If I dress for convenience—so I can run errands or work on the car afterward—am I really giving God my best?
• If I dress to show off weight loss or impress others, who is it for?
• If I change shoes because last week's hurt and distracted me from worship—then yes, that may be my best, because it helps me give God my focus.

The bottom line: ask yourself, "Is what I am doing truly for God—or is it for others, or even just for myself?"

MTR: Evaluate your worship—are you giving it exclusively to God?

• Singing in worship: Do you sing boldly because God is worthy, or do you hold back because you're worried your voice isn't good enough? If your focus is on what others think, your worship has shifted away from God.
• Hands raised or body posture: Some of you feel prompted to raise your hands, kneel, or even close your eyes—but you resist because you don't want people to think you're "too emotional." If God is prompting you and you refuse, that's not worship directed fully to Him.
• Clothing in worship: Are you choosing what you wear for Sunday service to honor God, or are you dressing mainly to impress others—or to make worship more convenient for your plans afterward?
• Serving in worship: If you're on stage—singing, reading Scripture, playing an instrument—are you there to draw people's eyes to God, or secretly to yourself?
• Judging others' worship: Do you spend more time critiquing how others worship than actually worshipping yourself? That's a red flag that your focus has shifted off God.

Conclusion

When we step back and look at the whole of 2 Samuel 6, one truth shines through: doing the right thing in the wrong way can have devastating consequences. David's heart was right—he wanted God at the center of the nation—but his methods were wrong, and it cost Uzzah his life.

We saw first that God is holy. He is completely worthy of our worship, but He will not accept worship that comes on our terms. His holiness demands that our motives, methods, and hearts align with His way.

We also saw that God is Master. Submission isn't optional; it's the only proper response to His holiness. But even when David faltered, God's forgiveness was on display, reminding us that submission also means receiving His grace and starting over His way.

Finally, we saw that God alone is worthy of honor. Worship is never about us, our reputation, or our appearance. It is always directed to Him, even as it is shared in community with His people.

So here's the challenge: "Where do you need to reset?" Maybe you've been serving with the right motives but in the wrong way. Maybe you've given up on submission because it feels too hard. Or maybe you've let the eyes of others matter more than the eyes of God in your worship.

David's story reminds us that God doesn't want half-hearted worship or half-hearted submission. He wants all of us—our motives, our methods, and our honor—directed to Him alone.

So let us worship Him as He deserves: with reverence for His holiness, submission to His ways, and honor that belongs to Him alone.