David: Obedience & Blessing
Many of the scriptures in Samuel have corresponding scripture in Chronicles. As we begin to examine 2nd Samuel we should look at these corresponding verses as well.
Just before the 6th chapter of Samuel we are granted a revealing view of the times just before these events in 1st Chronicles 13 & 14. Here we see the concluding events of the war with the Philistines and we see the important lesson that David and the Lord are in close communion and are of one accord.
1st Chronicles 14:15:
" ... God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines". (Notice that it is God who does the smiting)
1st Chronicles 14: 16-1 7:
"David did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer. And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations".
How very quickly will we see that David forgot this fact!
Now as we look into chapter 6 we see that David has decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem to reside in the Holy city which the Lord had delivered into David's hand. For 75 years the Ark had resided in a different city, Baale-Judah (also known as Kiriath-jearim). We remember that in a previous war, the Philistines had captured the Ark; and it had brought a plague upon their people and they therefore returned it to the Jews on an ox cart without a driver. The return of the Ark was not handled properly by the Jews who found it and the Lord killed 70 of them for their mishandling. Chronicles tells us the Ark was not used in the time of Saul and now David wished to bring it to a permanent home.
Now David had gathered together 30,000 men and had made the decision to move the Ark without seeking the approval or guidance of the Lord.
The Ark was put upon a new cart and headed it toward the city, with much fanfare of music going before it. The sons of Abinadab, Uzzah & Ahio drove the cart, These two were Levites and had been living in close contact with the Ark for many years as it had rested in their father's house.
As the Ark traveled the oxen shook the cart and it appeared the Ark may fall, and Uzzah rested his hand upon the Ark to steady it.
As soon as Uzzah touched the Ark, he was killed by the Lord.
David was angry with the Lord for this action and also felt fear (true fear meaning afraid), not reverential fear we should all feel. He then asked", .. how can the Ark of the Lord come to me"? Now David places the Ark in the home of Obedom for three months. With the Ark now safely within the house of Obedom, the Lord began to bless Obedom greatly and all his household.
Why did the Lord take the life of Uzzah?
God had given very specific instructions as to how the Ark (where he resided on earth) was to be handled and moved. In Numbers 4: 15 God had instructed Moses that only the Levites may move the Ark and only the sons of the Family of Koath could carry it. The Ark was to be covered by the Levites and the Ark was to have the gold plated rods inserted in the rings at each corner and the Koathites were to lift it by those staves to carry it. They were not to touch the Ark itself.
David had taken men with him to move the Ark, when he should have asked the Levites to arrange to bring it to him. Such mishandling was a direct violation of the Law and the Law had stated death to be the result if the Ark was not handled as instructed.
Not following God's instructions precisely would be seen by God.as having a poor attitude toward God's most holy thing, or not revering God's words as spoken, or at the very worst, rebellion.
By blessing the household of Obedom during these three months, God was showing David that those who do His will properly are surely to be blessed and the blessing to Obedom was abundant.
David got the message. He put away his anger, called on the proper Levites and Koathites, and moved the Ark to Jerusalem with gladness. 1st Chronicles 15 teaches that David said that the last move did not go so well because we did not seek Him according to His ordinances, so this time we will do it right. Before the Ark had moved six paces, David made a sacrifice of ox and a fatling to show respect & reverence to the Lord.
When nobody dies at the hand of the Lord, a blessing has come. (Was it-obedience that brought the blessing?)
Now David and his people play music, sing, and dance before the procession bringing the Ark to the city. The Ark is successfully placed in the new tent tabernacle and David arranges love gifts of food for all the people. 1st Chronicles 16 teaches that David put Asaph in charge of the choir and there was much public praise. (Asaph will go onward to compose 12 of the Psalms).
David was seen to be dancing at the head of the procession by one of his wives, Michal (the daughter of Saul) and was brashly scolded by her for making a spectacle of himself in front of all Israel. David answers back by saying that he will be humble in his own eyes, and that he will be distinguished by the maids of Israel. (If you have no respect for my joy, there are others who will). And the last verse of chapter 6 teaches that Michal had no children until the day of her death.
David's behavior in this event was generally terrible. He l91ew the Law and he had access to those who knew it better than he did. He had been in close communion with God through the wars, and yet did not seek the Lord's counsel with his decision to move the Holy Ark. Then when the Lord reacted to his disobedience, he became angry and basically conducted himself as a petulant child.
David should have humbled himself under the hand of God Almighty (1 Peter 5:.6) and confessed his failure and corrected his fault (Prov 28: 13 ). Had he done so, all -Israel would had seen the anointed leader-humble before God and seeking God directly for guidance. Instead his pride was hurt, his temper flamed, and he missed a blessing.
Jesus gave us His own perfect version of this type of issue in John 14 :21: " ... he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he is it that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,. and will manifest myself to him".
OBEDIENCE BRINGS LOVING BLESSING
What can we say are the lessons about blessing from these holy verses?
1. The· Lord's blessing of a man is a very real and evident thing.
"All these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt harken to the voice of the Lord thy God ... blessing shall be thy basket, and thy store, blessing of God is bestowed ... ". (Duet 28:2,5,6)
2. The Lord's blessing is so obvious that others take notice.
Remember Isaac when Abimelech and two of his chief men came to him and said" ... We certainly saw that the Lord was with thee ... ". (Gen 26:28)
3. Men perceive WHY the blessing of God has been bestowed.
We saw that the Lord blessed Obedom BECAUSE of the Ark. We see the same lesson in Acts 4: 13 when Peter & John were known to be unlearned men but now men marveled at them because they had been with Jesus.
4. Men are so impressed they mention it to others.
Some men were so impressed with the blessing of Obedom, they went to David and told him of it. "Godliness with contentment is great gain". (1st Timothy 6:6)
5. There is great effect of the blessing of the Lord.
David saw the smile of God on Obedom and it became clear that the Ark was not a burden but a blessing which he had missed by his negligence and his behavior. The effect was that David rekindled his humble side and went to get the Ark in the correct way he should had done it in the first effort.
The restoration of David's sinful soul is seen so clearly in 1st Chronicles 15 as David admitted his mistake and commanded that the move be made according to the Lord's commands. David now gave the Lord His proper respect and place in the affairs of the kingdom (which was God granted). Now the Ark was moved WITH JOY!
It is believed that Psalm 24 was written by David as he rejoiced at the Ark coming to Jerusalem and verse 7 shows the complete & perfect repentance by David:
"Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in".
David was restored, and once again blessed when and only when he returned to obedience.