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After David’s triumphant
entrance into Jerusalem his heart was set on bringing the
Ark of God to the city.
He also needed to prepare a place for the Ark of God and
pitch a Tent for it in Jerusalem.
This was his thought from the start but unfortunately he
went about it in the wrong way.
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It seems 30 years before the Phillistines had captured the
Ark from the Israelites and took it into their cities to
display. Many tragic things happened to the people because
of the sacred Ark of God. They proceeded to place
the Ark next to their god Dagon. The next morning
when they went to worship their god, their god had
fallen on his face. They picked it up and placed it
back, the following morning the idol had fallen on
the floor before the Ark, the head of Dagon and both
the palms of his hands were cut off and resting upon
the threshold, only the stump was left of him. |
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The Hand of the lord was heavy upon them at Ashdod, and he
smote them with tumors (emerods or hemorrhoids )and a plague
of mice everywhere.. The people did not want anything to do
with the Ark of God so the Ark was transferred to another
Phillistine town of Gath, it happened there also that the
Hand of the lord struck with power and many had tumors and
became ill. Therefore they sent the Ark to Ekron, and the
people cried out the Ark of God would slay them. Finally
they all gathered and sought to send the Ark away back to
the Israelites. The Ark was in the Phillistine’s country for
seven months.
The Phillistines called for the priests to ask what to do,
it was decided they needed to send it back with a trespass
offering. What offering? Five golden tumors (emerods) and five
golden mice according to the number of lords of the
Phillistines; for the plague of the mice was on everyone.
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Now they made a new cart with two cows and tied the cows to
the cart and laid the Ark of God in it with the jewels of
gold and sent it on its way. They had decided
to lead the cows a certain way and then watch where they
would go. If it went to the way of the town of Bethshemesh
then they knew the God of Israel was with the Ark .
So the
cart arrived in a meadow in a field of Joshua a Bethshenmite
and stood there. The Levites (priests) took care of the Ark
but they finally called on the inhabitants of Kiriathjearim
asking them to take the Ark of the Lord . And so they did.
They bought it into the house of Abinadab, it was there for
20 years. So years later when David decided to bring the Ark
back to Jerusalem he did it his way and not
according to edicts of the lord. |
According to Numbers 4:15 “And when Aaron and his
sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the
vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward;
after that ,the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it ; but
they shall not touch any holy thing , lest they die.”
David called the captains and every leader , the priests and
Levites and called them to gather together. David said let
us bring the Ark back and all the congregation said that
they would do so. So David gathered all Israel and he went
up to bring the Ark back. They carried the Ark in a new cart
and David and all Israel played before God with all their
might, and with singing, and with harps, and psalteries, and
with timbrels and with cymbals and trumpets. And when they
came into the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his
hand to hold the ark for the oxen stumbled. The anger of the
lord was kindled against Uzza ,and he smote him because he
put his hand to the ark .
David was very displeased and was afraid of God that day, so
he decided not to take the Ark to Jerusalem at that time.. .
The Ark stayed with the family of Obededom for three months.
And the lord blessed the house of Obededom.
Later David again sought to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, this
time he did it God’s way. He said,” None ought to carry the
ark of God but the levites, for them hath the Lord chosen to
carry the ark of God and to minister unto him forever. And
David gathered all Israel to bring the ark unto the place
David had prepared for it. He called all the priests and
told them to sanctify themselves that you may bring up the
ark unto its place. For because you did it not at the first
time, the lord our God broke forth upon us, because we
sought him not in the proper way.
Guess that’s a big lesson for all of us, do it God’s way not
mans.
So the Levites bore the ark upon their shoulders with its
staves, as Moses commanded according to the word of the
lord. And David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to
appoint their brethren to be the singers, with instruments
of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding by
lifting up the voice with joy.
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So they went to Obededom and carried the ark of the covenant
and David was clothed with a robe of fine linen and also all
the singers and Chenaniah the master if the song . Thus all
Israel brought up the ark with shouting and with sound of
the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals. And it came
to pass as the ark of the covenant of the lord came to the
city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul and David’s
wife, looking out through a window , saw King David dancing
and playing and she despised him in her heart.
After placing the ark inside the tent that David had pitched
for it, they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings
before God. David blessed the people in the name of the lord
and gave to every one of Israel, both man and woman, a loaf
of bread, a portion of meat and a cake of raisins. |
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David appointed certain of the Levites to minister before
the ark of the lord and to invoke and thank and praise the
lord God of Israel. Asaph, the chief and next to him
Zecharish, Jeiel and others with psalteries and with harps
but Asaph made a song with cymbals, also continually with
trumpets before the Lord. Then David delivered this psalm to
thank the lord, he gave it to Asaph.
Give thanks unto the lord, call upon his name, make known
his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto
him, talk you of all his wondrous works, Glory in his holy
name, let the heart of them rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek
the lord and his strength, seek his face continually. It is
Psalm 105
So David left Asaph and his brethren to minister before the
ark continually.
The Ark of God was again in the midst of His people, there
was worship, singing, praising, instruments played before
the Lord 24 hours a day . |
