Volume 26, Issue 1
Page 14
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Becoming a Man of God: Lessons from the Life of David (Part 3)
By Dr. Mike Spaulding April 2025
derings.
“Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; “The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk up- rightly. O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!” (v.1-2, 8-12).
David walked back to the lifeless body of Uzzah.
The Ark was the place where the priest would take a goat one day a year – The Day of Atone- ment – and sacrifice it there for the sins of the Hebrew people. Kiriath-jearim (Joshua 15:9) was the ancient name of Baale-judah. This village was about 9 miles from Jerusalem. David called together 30,000 Israelites to help him celebrate bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. At the heart of the issue for David was a longing for
Notice David’s response. First anger, then fear, then a decision to abandon the Ark to the household of Obed-edom the Gittite, where we are told it stayed for at least 3 months while David returned to Jerusalem with all the people. That must have been a painfully quiet return to the capital city. In verse 9, notice the question that David asks perhaps out loud: “How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?” That’s a key question in this pas- sage that we’ll answer in a moment. Verses 12-15, When we read this account we ask what is different from the previous account of David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem? We no- tice that they stopped every six paces and sacri- ficed. Something else had happened though. While the Ark was in the house of Obed-edom David returned to Jerusalem and sought an an- swer to the question he asked in verse 9 – how could he bring the Ark to Jerusalem? We find the answer to that question in 1 Chronicles 15:1- 2, 11-15. “Now David built houses for himself in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, ‘No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever.’ Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, and said to them, ‘You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the or- dinance.’ “So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. The sons of the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles thereon, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.” This passage recounts for us that David re- searched the Ark and how it was to be trans- ported. This led him to read Exodus 25 where the specific instructions for transporting the Ark are found. Continued On Page 15
I conclude this three part teaching on be- coming a man of God by focusing on the glory of God. By that, I mean the presence
of God in our lives. What will it take to have the glory of God manifested in our lives? How do we live in such a way that God’s presence is near? Our text for this segment involves King David seeking to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Having consolidated his political power in the Holy City, David then moved to make Jerusalem the religious center as well. He wants to place the Ark in the Tabernacle he has built and subsequently in a Temple for God he hopes to build. We know that God did not allow David to build the Temple. That honor went to David’s son, Solomon. In a sense, mankind is pictured in this episode. Man has been created to know the reality of God and to long for His presence. There is emptiness within man that can only be filled by the presence of God. The Hebrew for “glory” is “kabod.” The word carries the idea of substance, depth, and weight- iness within a context of significance and worth. I think this is the reason people ask questions such as, “Why am I here?” “What is my life about?” or “Where is my life heading and why?” These are all questions related to significance. It’s very interesting that once a person is born- again, those questions become focused on God’s presence. “How can I draw nearer to God?” “How can I experience more of God in my life?” “God, what is Your plan for my life?” These questions relate to God’s significance to us. Let’s examine a passage of Scripture that pres- ents a beautiful picture of the way to experience the glory and presence of God. I’ve entitled this message “A Heart Prepared For Worship.” (2 Samuel 6:1-23). Verses 1-2, The Ark of the Covenant was the central fixture in the worship of Israel. It was placed in the Holy of Holies and was where God’s presence dwelled with the na- tion. The Old Testament refers to it as the “Shek- inah Glory.” You may recall that the Ark held the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod, and manna that fed the Hebrew people in their desert wan-
the presence of God in his life and in the national life of Israel. He understood the need to be close to God and it was his heart’s desire to experience that closeness. We see that in many of the Psalms David wrote. Psalm 63, for example says, “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkind- ness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” (v. 1-8). In Psalm 84 David proclaims: “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.
Verses 3-5, The Ark was loaded onto a new cart. This fact is presented because the Philistines sent the Ark back to the Hebrews on a cart. So the Israelites built a new cart for the Ark and did not use the same cart. This was a time of celebration and must have been a grand parade. With 30,000 people play- ing instruments, shouting, and dancing it must have been quite a spectacle to behold. Verses 6-11, Along the way the oxen evidently hit a rut and the Ark slid across the cart bed and looked as if it was going to tip over. Instinctively, Uzzah, one of Abinadab’s sons put his hand out to stop the Ark from falling off the cart. Can you image the pall that fell upon the peo- ple? Get the picture – the people in front of the cart would not have known about God striking Uzzah dead but the people following the cart would have seen it. As Uzzah fell to the ground dead, all dancing, shouting, and instruments would have fallen into stunned silence. The cart would have been stopped and slowly, one by one, the celebrants in front would realize something had gone terribly wrong. As word spread through out the crowd all the way to King David, a hushed murmur would have risen as
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