The Sacrifice of the Oxen

Understanding the prophetic picture of Christ and the church through the revelation of David and the Ark in 2 Samuel 6.

I recommend reading 2 Samuel 6 afresh alongside the revelation that I have received here.

The invitation for us all is to enter into the truth and to dwell richly within the source of our salvation which is Christ Himself. Scripture reveals Christ, the Second Adam as well as the shortcomings of the first. We are found in Him, Christ is the foundation.

As a prophet, David wasn't simply acting as King but through the Holy Spirit, he was revealing a deeper truth and reality, pointing to something that would find fulfilment in the life and minsitry of Yeshua Hamashiach.

Death and Resurrection

Jesus put to death the first Adam and made a way for all of humanity to enter into the life of the Second Adam (the new man).

David, as a prophet, reveals this reality.

He appears with thirty thousand young, able men in Israel, attempting to take hold or acquire the Presence of YHVH through human effort, merit and strength.

They followed their own understanding and placed the ark on the cart, rather than submitting to the specific instructions given by the Lord (Exodus 25:12-15; Numbers 7:6-9; Numbers 4:15).

The name Uzzah can be literally translated as 'human strength'.

2 Samuel 6:6b, '...Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark, because the oxen stumbled' (emphasis mine). This lead to death.

Then there is a resurrection... David appears again, not with his army, but rather clothed in the humility of the ephod; dancing as a priest before the Lord.

There is a restoration of the priesthood, led by David. The Levites take their proper place. Not only that but both an ox and a fattened calf are sacrificed every six steps (six equating to the number of man).

Instead of 'castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals', they celebrate with 'shouts and the sound of trumpets'. Once again referencing the restored order of the priesthood and the role of the priest in calling the assembly together (Numbers 10:2-10).

The Presence is returned to Jerusalem and all the people share in the celebration. The only ones not included are the mockers, David's wife Michal, who became barren because of responding with irreverence.

What can be learnt from this?

In order for there to be submission, there has to be death. The world's way will always lead to death. Yet without this death, there is no life. Uzzah, human strength, had to die to make way for YHVH's will and way to fully be accomplished in creation.

The priesthood was restored. Without it, there is death. With it, there is life and peace. We must die to old, the desire to be the best, biggest, brightest, first and find our proper place in the humility of appearing before YHVH, not as a king but rather as a priest. We are all invited to lose our life to find it.

1 Peter 2:9, 'But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light'.

Yes, we are called to carry the Presence of the Lord together, as one body... this has always been the heart of YHVH and nothing else can fulfil His purposes in creation.

An alternative interpretation

Christ is portrayed through David. Could this be revealing the ministry of Jesus today, to bring a consecrated people into the New Jerusalem? Could the Ark represent the bride of Christ, who once was a captive but is now being brought into her proper place?

Yeshua Hamashiach is the Alef and the Tav, the first and the last. The Torah opens not with the Alef but with the Bet, because He is the Alef. The Alef can symbolise the oneness of YHVH. The ancient pictography as well reveals the ox. The ox is one of the four faces of YHVH and is found in the Throne. The ox can reveal the servant heart of YHVH, as well as his power and strength.

What if the ox represents Christ? Every six steps, an ox was sacrificed. Six once again representing the number of man, the first Adam. Yeshua paid the price for the bride to enter back into her eternal dwelling by sacrificing himself on behalf of man to pay the price for man's error at trying to grasp the Presence and live out of his own capacity and strength. Remember the temptation in the garden in Eden? To become like God. What entered in? Death.

We could take this a step further... Christ, the Alef was the first Apostle. The sent one, from the Father. Paul when describing the five-fold says, 'first the apostle, then the prophet...' (1 Corinthians 12:28). What if an Apostle is revealing Christ as an ox? As we know the mantle of the apostolic is an aspect of the mantle of Yeshua. What then if in order for the bride to arise and received her inheritance, it requires the sacrifice of the life of the Apostle? Paul's ministry would suggest that this is the case.

What is worship?

To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice... (Romans 12:1).

What happened to each of the twelve apostles? Almost all were killed.

We know that Christ's sacrifice for sin was once and for all. (Hebrews 10:10-18). So why did the apostles die?

For Christ to have his bride, his life enters into an apostle, so that they will lose their own life in its entirety and by sacrificing their life, even to death, they make a way for the bride of Christ to become closer to her final destination.

Could a lack of 'revival' simply be a lack of sacrifice?

What then if Christ is seen in David, the second time, celebrating with all his might over every step that is then taken, every bit of ground that is crossed? Could this be the beginning of a deeper understanding of who Yeshua is and what He is doing even now through his intercession before the Father?

There is more mystery to be found here. This is only just scratching the surface and how glorious will the full treasure be as it is released.