Tag Archive | the Ark of God

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 124 & 125 — Part A.

May5
PART A – Day 124.  Reading 1 Chronicles 13-16.
 
Day 125. Reading Psalms 1, 2, 15, 22, 23, 24, 47, and 68.
 
(Sundays and Mondays studies are posted together on Mondays,
but since these two are long posts, I will put them into Part A and Part B. )
 
 
 
Read Today’s Scriptures.
 

PART A. 

1 Chronicles 13.

Today we read of a good plan, approved “in the eyes of all the people.” David’s heart was in the right place.  He wanted the Ark of the Covenant near him in Jerusalem in the Tent (Tabernacle) he’d set up.  He called all the people of Israel from the land and all the Levites from their cities to celebrate this wonderful plan.

But, David had forgotten to consult with the LORD. Yes, the Ark of God WOULD DWELL in Jerusalem and David’s desire was a good thing.  However, the HOLINESS of the Ark and of God had not been considered in his plans.

The Ark of God had resided about 10 miles west of Jerusalem in Kiriath-Jearim, ever since the Philistines had sent it back after they’d captured it, because the LORD had afflicted them horribly.

It’d been twenty years, so maybe the people had forgotten that small incident that happened when the Ark was returned. (David had been only ten years old.)  When the people of Beth-Shemesh first saw the milk cows bringing the Ark home on a cart, 70 of them came in from the fields to look at (look into?) it?  God had zapped them all dead. (See 1 Samuel 7:19-21) They’d been terrified and sent the Ark from Beth-Shemesh to Kiriath-Jearim to stay. 

Now, David wanted it in Jerusalem.  Seems an ox-cart (a new one) would be a good travel method again.

 NOT!!  

As the joyful procession danced and sang around the symbol of their God, the oxen stumbled.  So, naturally, Uzzah, walking next to the cart … put out his hand to steady the Ark.  (As if God couldn’t protect his own “throne on earth”!) 

The second he touched it, Uzzah was DEAD! 

It was quite a dampener on the celebration.   

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1 Chronicles 14.

This chapter is a repeat of parts of 1 Samuel 5 and 1 Chronicles 3. These happened BEFORE 1 Chronicles 13.  It mentions David’s growing family of wives and daughters, and the two attacks by the Philistines which God had helped David overwhelmingly win.

The end of verse 17 says, “The fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.”

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1 Chronicles 15.

After King Hiram of Tyre supplied David with materials, and he’d built himself (and his wives) a nice place to live …. David prepared a place for the Ark, a new Tabernacle. (See Deuteronomy 12:5-7)  Then, after obviously studying, or requesting the Levites to tell him HOW to transport the Ark to Jerusalem. (Good boy, David!) He began again. (It had been three months since that “incident.”)

He learned that NO ONE except the Levites could transport the Ark of God and that it would be suspended between them by poles resting on their shoulders.  So, along with all the people of Israel, David gathered the Levites, particularly the “sons of Aaron” and the sons of Kohath. He sent for Zadok and Abiathar, the priests “to bring up the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel to the place he had prepared for it.

Confession by David:  “It was because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule.”

So the priests consecrated themselves (as per the law) and carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD. 

There were musical instruments played, harps, lyres, cymbals, all to raise a joyful sound. Heman, Asaph and Ethan composed psalms and sounded the bronze symbols. 

So, David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the home of Obed-Edom … with rejoicing.  And they sacrificed 7 bulls and 7 rams “because God helped them.”  

David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and along with the crowd was shouting to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals and the loud music on the harps and lyres,

“And as the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul (David’s first wife) looked out the window and saw King David dancing and rejoicing ….

….. and she despised him in her heart.”

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1 Chronicles 16.

After the Ark of God was placed inside the tent, they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.   Then David blessed the people in the name of the LORD and distributed to each (men and women) a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a raisin cake.

He instructed the Levites to invoke, thank, and praise the LORD, God of Israel.  He appointed that THANKSGIVING be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers.. His song follows. (It echoes Psalms 86, 105, and 106.)

  • Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!
  • Sing to Him, sing praises to Him, tell of all His wondrous works!
  • Glory in His holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
  • Seek the LORD and His strength; see His presence continually!
  • Sing to the LORD, all the earth!
  • Tell of His salvation from day to day.
  • Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
  • For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and He is to be held in awe above all gods.
  • Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
  • Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; bring an offering and come before Him!
  • Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth; 
  • Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
  • Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!

WOW!!

Then David left Asaph and his brothers to minister regularly before the Ark as each day required.

He left Zadok the priest and his brothers to offer burn offerings to the LORD on the alter of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the Law of the LORD.

Then all the people departed, each to his house, and David went home to bless his household.

 

Such a glorious day. When we seek the LORD and obey His word, we are blessed with joy.

 
 
 
 
 

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 124

May3

    Day 123—We have begun our FIFTH month of Bible reading.   What insights have you gained about God and yourself through reading so far?  Share in the comments section.

    Day 124 – 1 Chronicles 13 – 16 – (David’s attempts to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.)

(As we read through the history books, some things will seem repeated, but we will get more details of the whole picture.)

Ever since the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and returned it to Israel when God plagued them, the Ark has been sitting in the house of Abinadab (and his two sons, Uzzah and Ahio) in Kiriath-Jearim. Now that David has been crowned king of Israel and captured Jerusalem as his capital city, he wants to bring the “Ark of God” to the City of David.

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1 Chronicles 13. King David consults with all his commanders, the people, and the Levites and priests. All of them agree that it would be a good thing. So, King David and all the people go to the house of Abinadab. They build a new cart for it and hitch it to a team of oxen. Uzzah (and Ahio) walk on either side of the cart, presumably to “protect” it.

And King David, with all the people, rejoice before God with songs, lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets as the Ark on the cart makes its way north.  UNTIL IT DOESN’T.

At one point, the oxen stumble (not the cart, not the Ark), and Uzzah puts out his hand to take hold of the Ark!

Uzzah tries to keep THE THRONE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LIVING ALMIGHTY GOD from falling!!!! As if God depended on him! On any man. At all.  And Uzzah is stricken dead on the spot.

Why, you may ask? Wasn’t he doing a good thing?  What if the Ark had fallen to the ground and gotten dirt on it? What if a piece of the golden border had broken off?  —REALLY???—

Let’s remind ourselves that the God who created Heaven and Earth and all that is in them does not need man for anything.

Also, there is this “small” law in Numbers 4:15.  “And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die.”  These top Levites were to carry the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders by the golden poles that were put through the rings on the bottom four corners of the Ark. THIS is how the Ark of the Covenant should have been transported to Jerusalem.

(Note: besides this setting the things of God apart as holy, carrying the Ark in this way would put the Mercy Seat (the lid) and the golden Cherubim, where the presence of God would dwell, ABOVE the heads of the Levites and all the people. On the cart, the people’s heads would have been higher than the “presence of God.” They would look down on it.)

King David was ANGRY about what God had done.  And he was AFRAID of God that day too.  “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” he cried.  (Go read the law, Davie.  See how it’s supposed to be done.)  And so, the Ark of God is once more housed in a house of an Israelite, Obed-Edom, for three months. And God blessed the man and his household.

1 Chronicles 14 is a repeat of 2 Samuel 5 and 1 Chronicles 3.

1 Chronicles 15 – After King David prepared a place for the Ark of God (the tent of meeting), he decided to again bring the symbol of God’s presence to Jerusalem.  Now, however, he said, “No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark and to minister to Him forever.”  (It seems that our boy has consulted the scriptures!)

Along with the sons of Kohath, he gathered the priests and all the Levites. He told them all to consecrate themselves so that they “may bring up the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel to the place that I prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we DID NOT SEEK HIM ACCORDING TO THE RULE.”

King David confessed his sin and did it right this time.  The chosen Levites “carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.”

There was more singing and musical instruments playing, to “raise the sounds of joy.”  They sacrificed bulls and rams, and then all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD with shouting to the music of the instruments.

But………. David’s first wife, Michel, the daughter of Saul, “looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and rejoicing, AND SHE DESPISED HIM.”  Whoa! What was that about? Perhaps it was because David had torn her away from the second man her father Saul had given her to, way back when, to spite David. Maybe she LOVED that man and had children with him.  He certainly had cried all the way as she was taken to David and he had begged for her. 2 Samuel 6.

1 Chronicles 16 tells of the Ark of God being set inside the tent, and of the many burnt offerings and peace offerings they made to God. After that, David distributed to all the people loaves of bread, portions of meat, and cakes of raisins. What a party!!

The next 18 verses tell of David commanding Asaph & his brothers to sing a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving to the LORD. Be sure to re-read this song of worship!!  Bookmark it and read it often. Whenever you want to read the book of Psalms, don’t forget this one. It is marvelous.

King David then left the Levites and priests in charge of the tent and the Ark to “regularly do all that is written in the Law of the Lord that He commanded Israel” and he went home to bless his household.

May 2, 2021 – #2 of 31 Days of Biblical Women

May2

 Michal ~~  

2 Samuel 6:16-23

King David was finally able to bring the Ark of God to Jerusalem and put it in the place he had set up for it. His heart was bursting with indescribable joy and praise to Almighty God who had chosen him to be King, and now had allowed the sacred object that symbolized His very Presence among His people to be brought near.

As the procession wound it’s way from the former safe-keeping place, David made sacrifices to God. All of Israel rejoiced with him. Their shouting was joined with the echoing sound of the rams horns heralding the wonderful event. The Ark of God was coming to the City of God, and David, elated beyond measure, took off his kingly robes and danced for joy before the LORD.

From her window in the palace, Michal saw her husband dancing for the joy of the LORD, and blessing His Name continually, and she despised him. She was a daughter of Saul, the former king, a second choice who was given to David as a reward for a military victory. She was bitter and jealous, and when she saw what she considered dispicable behavior by her husband, hatred and anger burned in her.

When David came in to bless his own house, Michal went to meet him and spat out her disdain. “Oh how the king of Israel “honored” himself today, uncovering himself before the eyes of his female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

Surely this was as a bucket of ice water over the elated King.

“It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his house to be prince over Israel, the people of the LORD,” David reminded her firmly.  “And I will make merry before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this! And I will be abased in your eyes! But the female servants of whom you spoke shall hold me in honor.”

Michal chose on that day whom she would honor and love. Not the LORD God of Israel and not her husband, the king of Israel. Her heart had frozen to stone. 2 Samuel 6:23 “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.”

 

Lord, help me to “Keep my heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

“Create in me a clean heart, O god, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

 

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