“When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep.”-2 Samuel 6:13
What does verse 6 mean when it says the Ark of Adonai was carried only six paces and then an ox and fattened sheep were sacrificed?
If it means every six paces, a sacrifice was performed, that’s a heck of a lot of sacrificing going on here.
Ya feel me?
There are differing opinions about this.
Some folks say that a sacrifice was performed only once after the first six paces, and that was it.
I beg to differ.
I think an ox and a fattened sheep were offered up every six paces over and over again.
See, here’s the thing.
Oved-Edom’s house was in Jerusalem.
So the Ark didn’t need to be carried a great distance.
You also have to consider that sacrificing just one ox and one sheep was hardly significant for such a great event as transporting the Ark.
So I’m sure a sacrifice was repeated every six paces.
Again, since the Ark was already in Jerusalem, we’re only talking about 600 steps or so.
When we do the math, that comes to around 100 oxen and 100 sheep that were sacrificed—maybe double that.
Either way, it wasn’t exactly a gargantuan number.
One other point.
When the Scripture talks about folks sacrificing, it wasn’t the people doing the sacrifices themselves.
Remember, only the Priest was authorized to perform the sacrificial procedures.
The worshipper simply brought the animal to the Tabernacle.
So, the same thing was happening here.
David provided the animals but I doubt he performed the sacrificial procedures himself.
So what grand takeaway can we extract from all of this?
Simple.
David demonstrates the importance of being thorough and avoiding shortcuts in your obedience to God and His Word.
In this fast-food world we live in, we want everything fast and quick.
Unfortunately, that attitude has spilled over into how we worship the Lord.
To use a meal analogy, our worship has become the equivalent of instant microwaveable TV dinners—quick, convenient, and often lacking real substance.
Not only will a TV dinner not fill you up, but it’ll leave you longing for the flavor and satisfaction of a home-cooked meal.
Isn’t that a lot like our modern worship, especially in the gentile church?
Everything is rushed and shallow.
Since they barely focus on the “Old” Testament—the real Scriptures—their teachings and sermons fall far short of truly nourishing our spirits.
Remember, a home-cooked meal takes time, effort, and care.
It’s made with fresh ingredients, love, and attention to detail—every step adds depth and richness to the experience.
David was being heartfelt, intentional, and making sure he didn’t skip a beat when he sacrificed every six paces.
So the lesson here is don’t settle for the spiritual equivalent of a TV dinner man!
You’ll miss out on the deeper flavors of worship—the awe, the gratitude, the intimacy with God that only comes from putting in the time and pouring in your heart.
Ya feel me?
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?”
Yeshua replied: ‘Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with
all your mind.’”
-Matthew 22:36-37
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