Today, I came across the event in 1 Chronicles 13 of the Bible where David, with the whole assembly of Israel, had set out to bring the Ark of God back to him. It had been placed at Abinidab’s house. This Abinidab (there are others mentioned in the Old Testament) was a Levite of Kiriath Jearim. His house was where the Ark of God was taken after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:1-2). Uzzah was a son of Abinidab.
During the celebration of the Ark’s return, as they came to Kiriath Jearim, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady it because the oxen that carried it stumbled. As he did this, the Lord was angered and struck Uzzah dead. The Bible tells us in 1 Chronicles 13:10 that God did this because Uzzah had put his hand on the ark.
In an earlier instance of the movement of God’s holy possessions, in Numbers 4:15 we see God giving instructions to Moses and Aaron that “after Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.” The Kohathites were a branch of the Levites. God’s consecration of his sacred items is clearly evident, the result being death for disobeying.
Upon Uzzah’s death in 1 Chronicles 13, the Bible says that David was angry and afraid that day because of the Lord’s anger. So, he did not take the Ark to the City of David as he’d planned, but to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Ark stayed there for three months, with the result of the Lord blessing his household and everything he had.
In the next chapter of 1 Chronicles 14, we see David’s focus on his own house and the defeat of the Philistines. We see that he takes on more wives and then fathers more children. The Philistines hear of David being anointed to be king of all of Israel and search for him. Then David inquires of the Lord if he should attack them and the Lord replies that he should and that He would deliver them into David’s hands.
David was successful in defeating the Philistines but was later attacked again and David sought the Lord’s counsel. The Lord gave him very specific instructions that differed from the first attack and by following them, David succeeded again. As a result, David became even more famous and was feared by all the nations.
Next, in 1 Chronicles 15, we see David erecting buildings for himself as well as a place for the Ark of God. He very clearly instructs, “No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”
David called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites and summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the Levites. He clearly recognized them as the heads of the Levitical families and told them to consecrate themselves and bring up the Ark to the place he had prepared for it. He told them, “It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way. And the Levites carried the Ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.”
Despite the unfortunate circumstance of the death of Uzzah and later the disappearance of the Ark, the New Testament’s Revelation 11:19, shown by God to John, indicates “…God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark of his Covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a severe hailstorm.” The Ark still exists!
As for us today, 2 Corinthians 6:16 reminds us: “…we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Praise the Lord! No more carrying his presence from place to place in a box untouchable. Further, He has provided the pouring out of His precious Holy Spirit on all flesh! (Joel 2:28-32). Confirmation also exists in John 14:17, “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” In addition, 2 Corinthians 13:5, “ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
Moreover, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in us, whom we’ve received from God and we are not our own, but bought at a price. Therefore we are to honor God with our bodies.
When something or someone is sacred, it or they are holy, sanctified, consecrated, dedicated, or set apart. God, his instructions, and we as born-again believers, are such, and worthy to be treated with respect.
There is so much more we can study and gather from this passage in 1 Chronicles 13. However, may we all be granted the mindset to place the highest reverence on that which God has so graciously given us–his presence and instructions; not to mention one another.
Nevertheless, today much light is made of God’s instructions in the Bible. However, as for myself, I need to read some part of it every single day because I don’t want to forget any of it. Thankfully, His Holy Spirit helps us recall what He’s written and will sometimes even give us a heads up with some aspect of it that will be needed for a specific future circumstance to come in our lives. His mercies through His sacred counsel are to be much appreciated.
If I learn nothing else from all of this, I learn it pays to obey even when my own plans might appear to be and feel better. We all should inquire of Him about His prescribed way if we truly want successful results from our decisions.
Ms. Rita's Minute 