This chapter retells bringing the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem, providing different details than 2 Sam 6.
“Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. …and [David] said to them, ‘…Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord… to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.’ So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves… And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.” (v2,12-15 abr)
In the previous attempt to move the ark, David does not follow the commands of God / Moses and has non-Levites transport it in a cart. It went horribly wrong, and Uzzah was struck down for trying to steady the rocking ark. This time, David prepares properly, involving the Levites and ensuring their ritual cleanness, before they carryied the ark on its poles.
Have we ever tried to assemble something complex without reading the instructions? Perhaps a barbecue or a piece of furniture required assembly, and we skipped the directions, figuring “how hard can it be”? I may be guilty of this once or twice… Then, when we fail horribly, we ask ourselves: “How did it go wrong?” “Why isn’t this working?” “Why are pieces missing / left over?” Though a simple example, when we don’t follow God’s directions, we can experience consequences far greater than a three-legged table.
There are many good reasons why God gives us instructions (His Word, and His Holy Spirit to guide us), but the biggest reason is He loves us and wants us to succeed at following Him. Whoever wrote the instructions for the barbecue wants to help you assemble it correctly so you can get the most out of the product – God gives us instructions to help us live our lives correctly and be an effective member of His kingdom.
David learned the hard way that God’s instructions are not just ‘loose guidelines’, they are actually life-giving (or life-saving) commands, and we honor Him by our obedience. Though we have the free will to choose our way over God’s way, we have learned through the Bible and our own experiences that God’s way is always best.
I encourage us to follow God’s instructions and lean in to the Holy Spirit for guidance. By obeying God’s leading we will experience more joy, more fulfillment, and fewer consequences in this life, and our eternity will be even sweeter – when we honor God with our lives, those around us will take notice, and some of them may even join us in eternity. How amazing will it be if everyone we know joins us in heaven? Let’s dedicate ourselves to obeying God’s instruction and see what happens – all things are possible through Him.
Father God, our Magnificent and Glorious Lord, holy is Your name. Father please continue to instruct us in Your ways. These are trying times, and it’s so easy to forget Your presence and teaching. Would Your Spirit please be a constant reminder that we are Your children, and we can honor You our Father by our humble obedience. We thank you in advance for those around us whose hearts may be softened by Your work through us. We ask that all who don’t know You would one day praise You as their King. In the name of Jesus, our Righteous Redeemer we glorify and honor You, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training