Focus

Relax and clear your head. Listen for the voice of God. What is God saying to you today?

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Read

2 Samuel 6:1-15 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.  David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.  They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart  with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it.  The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he reached out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.  David was angry because the Lord had burst forth with an outburst upon Uzzah; so that place is called Perez-uzzah, to this day.  David was afraid of the Lord that day; he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come into my care?”  So David was unwilling to take the ark of the Lord into his care in the city of David; instead David took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.  The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.
It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing;  and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.  David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.  So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet

 

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Reflect

Jerusalem is now under David’s control. After military victories, the way has been paved for Jerusalem to be deemed the Holy City. The way to guarantee this status was to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. David brings the ark, the symbol of God’s presence among them, to Jerusalem the Holy City. ‘Jerusalem was Israel’s religious center, and David’s political capital’.
David was pretty busy with the ark, and you can read every aspect in the scripture, that there was both joy and sorrow mixed in the recounts. In the controlling desire surrounding the placement of the ark, including loss of life (Uzzah verses 6-8), the bottom line was that holiness was to be demonstrated with the ark, because it symbolized the presence of the Lord. David, being a demonstrative person, at times, offended his wife in doing so. Fortunately for David, it all ended well, as David was able to place/rest the ark in the tent and ask God’s blessing.

Being in charge is not a license to defy what God would have us to do, for it was David who considered it a significant priority to bring the ark out of ‘obscurity and back into prominence’, and was responsible for the manner in which things were handled all along the way. David had his own motive…’to emphasize the presence and glory of God in Israel’. David was being about himself, and temporarily lost himself in his motives.

The entire project was motivated by power, gain, and name, until God got the attention of a few. God will not tolerate our making up rules and procedures that defy His sovereignty. This often results in forms of destruction, and various consequences. When our flesh becomes our God, God becomes an afterthought. David, who really did love God, gave in to what we all give into when we lose our focus…pursuit of power and personal gain, and elevation before people.

ASK OURSELVES
If we KNOW how God wants things, why do we defy Him? If we have witnessed His wrath, why do we try Him? If we have been disappointed in outcomes when we strive in our flesh, why do we repeat our bad performances? Do we believe we’re smarter than God? Do we believe that past successes warrant current or ongoing disobedience?

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Pray

Dear God in heaven, Christian believers ask your forgiveness for every act of defiance and disobedience. May the unsaved and unchurched see you as the head of our lives, daily, in Jesus’ holy and righteous name, amen.

Go with God!