CHAPTER 13

(1045 B.C.)

DAVID ATTEMPTS TO BRING THE ARK TO JERUSALEM

¹And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader (however, it doesnt say that David consulted with God; the results of such action would be disastrous).

²And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere, who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the Priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us (there was much religious activity at this point, but very little, if any, leading of the Holy Spirit):

³And let us bring again the Ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul (it is ironic that the entire motive for the bringing of the Ark was to enquire of it, yet David did not enquire of the Lord concerning this all-important task).

⁴And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people (it was right in the Eyes of God, as well, but not in the way it was done).

⁵So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the Ark of God from Kirjath-jearim. (How many times does the Church, with great fanfare, rush forward to carry out its bold plans, when, in reality, those plans will not bring life, but death? Great religious activity never denotes great spiritual depth; nevertheless, the clatter of religious machinery, combined with the noise of great religious profession, completely fool most people.)

⁶And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the Ark of God the LORD, Who dwells between the Cherubims, Whose name is called on it (during the time of Saul, who was a work of the flesh, the Ark of God was ignored, because spiritual things had no value to Saul; Im afraid the modern Church, at least for all practical purposes, is following the same course of ignoring the Will of God).

⁷And they carried the Ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. (The Ark of God, by the command of God, was to be carried on the shoulders of Priests, and not on a cart of any kind. The Priests were Types of Christ; the symbolism portrayed the fact that the Presence of God rested solely on Christ, and within Christ.

It must be clearly noted that anything and everything instituted by man is always, and without exception, a new cart. It is doomed to failure. All directions for all things are laid down in the Word of God [II Pet. 1:3]. Any deviation will always bring death [Ex. 37:5; Num. 4:15; Deut. 10:8; Josh. 3:8-14]. Regrettably, the Church presently is full of new carts!)

⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. (How much does this characterize our modern-day Church? It is all very religious, but very wrong! It is all very loud, but very lost! It is all with great activity, but not by the Holy Spirit. If its not according to the Word of God, then all the religious activity will not make it right, and death will be the result.)

UZZA IS SMITTEN

⁹And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the Ark; for the oxen stumbled (there is always a threshingfloor; the threshingfloor was where the grain was separated from the husk; on this memorable day, the spiritual grain would be separated from the husk as well [Mat. 3:11-12]).

¹⁰And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him, because he put his hand to the Ark: and there he died before God. (Of all people, Uzza should have known better. The Ark had been at his place, for he was a son of Abinadab, where the Ark had been left many years before [I Sam. 7:1]; however, it seems he had not bothered to check out the Word of God, as to exactly what the disposition of the Ark should be.

As well, millions presently think, as Uzza evidently did at that time, that David would be responsible, because he had delegated the responsibility to Uzza. Uzza was to find out differently.

Millions are in Hell presently, because they left responsibility up to a Preacher or a Priest. God demands that each individual know and understand the Word of God, and be responsible accordingly. So, the idea that Believers are to obey someone in authority, and do so without question, irrespective as to whether its right or wrong, is not taught in the Bible. In fact, the very opposite is taught [Ezek. 18:4].)

¹¹And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day (the word displeased means saddened; David had a right to be sad, because he definitely was partly to blame).

¹²And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the Ark of God home to me? (Davids displeasure was quickly turned into acute fear. He realized how close he personally had come to death on this day. Sadly, most of the modern Church is only displeased. There is very little fear of God left! Consequently, Davids heart sobbed, How shall I bring the Ark of God home to me? All must be done Gods Way.)

¹³So David brought not the Ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite (undoubtedly, David was led by the Lord in leaving the Ark with Obed-edom; as the facts will prove, this man had a great heart for God, and knew how to treat the Ark, so to speak, even to a greater extent, it seems, than did David).

¹⁴And the Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had. (One man died because of ignoring the Word of God, and one man and his house are greatly blessed because of obeying the Word of God. That was the criteria then, obedience to the Word, and it is the criteria now!)