Month: February 2020

Once his "house" was built and he had peace on every side, he came to realize that he was in a house, but the Ark was in a tent. And, as he did when he was wise, he went to God via his prophet Nathan and asked permission to begin ti rectify that.

But then, the Lord came back to Nathan in a dream and clarified- He pointed out that He had never asked for a house; reviewed His history with David; then promised a bright future for David and even more so for his descendants, whom would build a temple for the Ark. So basically, as Ryrie puts it, "Your request to build me a house is denied, but I will build you a house (kingdom) that will last forever (eventually through Christ).

This is God's covenant with David (Davidic Covenant). It does not promise an uninterrupted kingdom, but an eternal one.

When David heard, he bowed down and worshiped with a beautiful, beautiful prayer:"Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far?" David was just a shepherd, which is a lowly position to have. God chooses people from unlikely positions so that we can clearly see that the Glory is from Him. This wasn't a pampered prince who had gone to the best schools and daddy donated a library so that David received privileges. This kingdom was build by God. Full stop. No one else to credit. King Shepherd Boy shaped by a loving Father.

It's a little hard to tell, but it seems like David is heartbroken, but submitting to God's design; knowing God knows him. He sees the blessing of the distant future, but seems to want to find the words to convince God; but knows better. He settles into praise and focuses on God instead of self.

Verse 23 clearly states what so many believers miss- God redeemed Israel (and each of His New Testament priests/believers) to make a name for Himself. This isn't our story except the part we're playing in His Story.

Then he agrees to the terms set in God's Davidic covenant- "...that Thy Name may be magnified forever..." David had God's glory in his sites, not his future kingdom as the priority.

This is such an important chapter, I seemed to have slowed down and am hovering over it. Today I'll be reading the Wiersbe commentary for the chapter.

The Ark was God's Throne in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Now it has been 75 years since it was in Shiloh during the season of the judges.

Wiersbe gives two reasons he believed David wanted to bring the Ark. He wanted the real King of the nation to have His throne in the capital, a central place for God's sanctuary. He also wanted to build a temple for the Lord. And having the Ark in Jerusalem was step one. Then Wiresbe adds what he calls a political reason, which I think could be labeled something else. The description of the same event in I Chronicles says he gathered all key people from every expanse of the kingdom to come and make the decision and participate. I see how Wiersbe could label that political; as it is nation-building. But it can also simply be see as restoring a fractured people who used to be one. For cultural and spiritual motivations. restoration of the nation as a people.

There's no evidence David sought the Lord in this endeavor or that God asked this of him. This was David's idea and it shows in the results. I'd be wise to remember that--doing something for the Lord, without the Lord in it- might not turn out to be what I think it will. If I'm doing it for Him, without His guidance, maybe there is more to motivation than I think- which may have been David's situation as well.

Evidence of his mixed priorities was:

• Using the oxen-drawn cart. As King he made a covenant to know and uphold God's Word. I think he was even supposed to have a copy of his own that he wrote? So he would have know how the Ark was supposed to be transported. And he had brought 30,000 men and an entourage, so I'm sure he had what he needed; but instead he used the same means the Philistines had used to transport it.
• The men were attending to the Ark and cart while David played music and worshiped. Which is great. But as Saul learned the hard way, the Lord God prefers obedience to sacrifice. And now David had the same mixed priorities, albeit much less obvious and shocking degree. If David was going to do it this way, he should have been completely attending to the Ark.
• Wiersbe frames it this way: "No amount of unity or enthusiasm can compensate for disobedience."Imitating the world, instead of God's Word will never lead to blessing."

And even in the second attempt, David doesn't start off looking so great. When the man was killed for touching the Ark, David freaked out and stashed it at the home of a Levite. It wasn't until he heard that the household was being blessed that he came back to finish what he started. Again, he didn't stay there himself to tend to the sacred piece, he let another man be his canary in the mine shaft. I sound like I'm judging and I don't mean to, because I'm sure if David did it once, I've done the same type of thing many more times, as David was a man after God's own heart. Still a man, so not perfect, but God's anointed leader. It's just so glaring that he brought everyone together for this endeavor and then just freaked and ran away to let another man hold the line.

However, when it came to the actual move, he was more careful offering sacrifice after only 6 steps and bringing the right men for the job. Wiersbe doesn't think they offered sacrifice after ever six steps, and Alex taught us in church. He think's it was a test of God's approval and then they marched on with confidence.

Now when he arrived he was wearing the priestly ephod (over his royal robe, according to Wiersbe), So his wife's complaint was hollow. **I think I was taught somewhere along the way he danced naked. Maybe that's a different scene or maybe someone read the wife's word's and assumed the worst?

Now David was acting as king and priest. We're starting to see the Christ figuring forming in him. He took the chasten of his Father and it made him more Christ-like. That's our hope. The renewing of our mind and heart in Christ Jesus. David giving the cake and wine was a shadow of the priest-king Melchizedek who gave bread and wine to Abraham and who some say WAS Jesus. And it foreshadows the bread and wine that Jesus gives to us.

Michal- ugggh. what can you say about Michal. On one hand, you can see that David should have expected a rough go with Michal. He was the enemy of her father, from their family's perspective. He was a rival to the throne. He tore her away from her (apparently) happy new family to bring her back. But on the other hand. What a shrew. His day of celebrating and she rains on his parade with sarcasm and malice. Tearing him down from his mountain top experience. God was not happy with her. Whatever she thought she gained by verbally assaulting David, she paid for in shame.

Last time I was caught up in the background I remembered from this passage and didn't get very far into the chapter itself.

David decides it's time to bring the Ark to his new capital. He gets his 30,000 chosen men together and whoever else is in the entourage and heads out for Baale-Judah, also known as Kirjath-jearim.

They put the Ark on a new cart and other men were tending to it while David was celebrating.

When the Ark almost fell, Uzzah reached out to steady it and touched it, angering God. God slay him for being so casual with the Glory of God.

This angered and caused David to fear the Lord. He put the whole process on hold and stored the Ark at Obedeome's house and the Obedeome's house was blessed. It seems like David wasn't willing to deal with the Ark again until he saw the blessing. Not a great look for David, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.

And then they moved it the correct way, sacrificing as they went. And David was so happy he was dancing and celebrating wearing only an ephod, not his royal robes...so his first wife, Saul's daughter, despised him.

He offered sacrifices, which he was allowed to do as king. He hands out food treats to all in attendance and finally returns home to his bitter first wife, Michal. She tries to chasten him for unkingly behavior, but David was having none of it. He knew his Lord and he knew his role as early King- this offspring of the corrupt King Saul wasn't going to put David down. And God didn't care for her answer either, as He left her childless her whole life.

The Ark

Oh! this when David decided to move the Ark.

It originally been settled in the Tabernacle at Shiloh and was sometimes taken out in battle. But once, they tried to take it apart from God's guidance and lost the Ark to the Philistines.

When the Philistines learned that they couldn't handle having the GLory of the Lord in their midst, they returned it to Beth-semite and eventually to the priests at Kirjath-jearim, or Baal-Judah.

Now David wants it home with him in Jerusalem.

He assembles 30,000 of his best men.

They place the Ark on a new cart. However, that is NOT how the Ark is supposed to be transported. He was trying to show respect; but not following the Biblical Law, which was very clear on this matter in Numbers.

There is a parallel her between how David handles the Ark and is choice to break the laws concerning the king taking multiple wives and concubines. While the men and oxen are carrying the Arc, David is dancing, and playing music. I'm sure, once again, he thought he had a good reason to do it his way. His way was worshiping the Lord. But as Saul learned, the worship God wants is obedience. If David had had men carrying the Ark, per the Law and David solemnly attending to it (saving the celebrating for when it was where it was supposed to be), then there would have been different results.

How do we know David was more concerned about himself in his rationale than with worshiping God... he got angry when God got angry with him. If it had been all about God, then God getting angry would have mad David want to please him- as he eventually does.

I'm not judging, even though I sound like I am. I just recognize the spirit of the moment. And I think it's common in some denominations of the modern church: Caught up in emotion, mistaken for devotion.