Keeping God at the Centre

Text 1 Chronicles 13 Time 18 11 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I want us to look tonight at 1 Chronicles 13. We are again talking about David the King who we have said points to Messiah and also of the ark of the covenant, about which we want to say something. This chapter is parallel to 2 Samuel 6:1-11. The transition here from the previous chapter which talks about the men who rallied to David early in his reign is in verse 1 - David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

We read then what he wanted to do, what he did about it and how that ended in apparent failure but not complete failure.

I think we can get at the passage best by asking a number of questions.

1. What is the ark, where was it, where did David want it? Keeping God at the centre

1. What is the ark of the covenant?

Throughout the chapter the focus is on what is called just the ark or the ark of our God (3) or the ark of God (12, 14) or the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim - the ark that is called by the Name. (6). An ark is a box. It is used in the Bible for the ark in which Noah was saved from the flood and for a wooden box known as the ark of the covenant. It is called the ark of the covenant because it contained the law of the covenant, the ten commandments.

This wooden box was covered all over with gold. It also had a very special solid gold cover or seat called the mercy seat or the atonement cover. The cover was in the shape of two huge cherubim, heavenly creatures with wings.

In verse 3 it refers to God being enthroned between the cherubim. This ark with its special cover was God's throne in the Temple, the place where he visibly dwelt. God is in every place, of course, and the Hebrews knew that but this ark, which was usually kept behind a great thick curtain was the place on earth where God especially manifested himself to his people.

The ark then stands for God's presence, his reigning power, his glory.

2. Where was it at this time?

It becomes clear here that the ark was in a place called Baalah or Kireath Jearim. At the end of verse 5 and in verse 6 we read how everyone came together to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the LORD, who is enthroned between the cherubim - the ark that is called by the Name. Verse 7 reminds us that it was in Abinadab's house.

It was where it was because Israel had tried to use the ark as a talisman in war with the Philistines and the Philistines had captured it. The Philistines ran into trouble and so returned it, letting it be carried over the border where it came first to Bethe Shemesh, where disaster again struck as they were no wiser than the Philistines handling it and so it came to Kireath Jearim. It was put in the house of a man named Abinadab. His son Eleazar looked after it and it remained there for about 20 years.

3. Where did David want it?

Once David was established as king and settled in Jerusalem one of the first things he wanted to do was to take the ark to Jerusalem, his capital. 2-6

David then said to the whole assembly of Israel, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul." The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God ....

The plan was a good one. It was God's intention to have the ark and the Temple in Jerusalem at the heart of the kingdom.

The lesson for us is a simple one - that right at the heart of our lives as individuals, as a church, as a nation if we hope to be blessed by God, we need to know the presence of god, God enthroned, God glorified. Anything we can do to that end is good and right.

2. How did David move it, what happened and how did he react? God's wrath and judgement

So David has a wonderful idea, a good idea. And everyone agrees with him and together they get on with the task.

1. How did David move the ark?

In verse 7 we read that They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. From 2 Samuel we learn that these also were sons of Abinadab. Whether Eleazar had died or was indisposed or whatever, we do not know. Carts had been used to carry the ark before this but it does seem strange that even though David spoke about having priests and Levites involved instead of having the ark carried in the prescribed manner he allows it to be put on a cart.

Numbers 4:4-20 is clear

When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place. … After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting. See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites. So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.

David somehow seems oblivious to all this. Yes, it is good that (8) David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets worship is to be characterised by joy. But ...

It gets worse.

2. What happened next?

We read in verse 9 and 10 that When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

It comes as rather a shock and seems rather unfair as Uzzah is clearly acting from good motives. However, when you go back to the Numbers passage it is clear

But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting. See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites. So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.

Did Uzzah not know this? Or did he simply not believe it? At the very least he should have been aware of how others had died before because they were careless with the ark or with other holy things.

There have been people who have tried to argue that God is not a God of wrath. They would try and explain this away as some reflex matter so that abuse of the ark led to automatic death but there is no getting away from the truth. Think of the sons Korah and Dathan and Abiram in the wilderness and the ground swallowing them up, when fire broke out against Nadab and Abihu at the Temple, those groups of fifty soldiers on whom Elisha sent fire. No, God's wrath is a very real thing. The things of God are not to be trifled with.

It is hard to be sure how often God will simply strike a person down. People are struck down by lightning and often killed it is true and people do die in the must unexpected and extraordinary ways. You will hear of atheists who say they blasphemed and invited God to strike them down but he did not but that is forgetting his great mercy and who knows but some may have tried the experiment and been struck down. There is certainly evidence to suggest that.

To give an example from Spring of 1812. At a public house in Rochester, Kent two wicked sailors met at a tavern one day and began to curse and swear. The more violent of the two, in a temper, swore that he would kill the other. The awe-struck landlord, raising his voice, and said to the sailor who had made the threat, "What if God of a sudden should strike you dead, and sink you into hell with his curse upon you!" The sailor replied with a terrible oath, "The Almighty cannot do that - give me the tankard of beer - if God can do it, I'll go to hell before I drink it up." With an awful oath he seized the tankard, but instantly fell down and expired!

The passage here itself reminds us how easily unbelief and a lack of concern for holiness can creep in. It is all very well to be enthusiastic but if that is not matched by faith and by a concern for holiness, what good can that do?

3. How did David react?

Surely the right response from David at this point would be humility and repentance but no - not at first. Rather we read first (11) Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. And then (12) David was afraid of God that day and asked, "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?"

So David has gone from enthusiasm and joy at the thought of bringing the ark to Jerusalem, from jubilantly moving the ark to where it should be to being first angry at God's judgement and then afraid of God and wondering if he would ever be able to bring this symbol of God's presence and rule to Jerusalem as he had intended.

This sort of thing can be common. Even though we are full of enthusiasm and wanting to draw near to God and even though full of joy we set out on what seems to be the right plan we can so easily see evidence of God's wrath and get angry about it and end up being afraid to seek the presence of God as we once did. We need to get back to the Bible. Mere enthusiasm is not enough.

3. Where did the ark end up and what happened to it there? God's eagerness to bless us

What a sobering story. There would be some merit, perhaps, in ending at that point. But that is not where this chapter ends. There are another two verses. Perhaps the way it ends is surprising. It certainly would have come as a surprise to David.

1. Where did the ark end up?

First we read in verse 13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The name Gittite means from Gath and so this is probably a Gentile, a Philistine but obviously someone who had come to be sympathetic to the truth. In later chapters he or someone with the same name is listed with Levites. We learn that the ark remained in his house for three months.

2. What happened there?

The final verse is perhaps the most interesting. Uzzah has been struck down, David is full of fear. There seems to be no way forward. But then we read in verse 14 that The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the LORD blessed his household and everything he had. It is not clear when David realised what was happening but there was no doubt about it despite David's anger and fear it was clear that the ark was bringing blessing on Obed-Edom and on his household.

There are many lessons here no doubt - not to make hasty decisions when things seem to go against us for one. Perhaps the basic one is that it is God's fundamental purpose to bless us. He is for us. He is not against us. Yes, we must obey his Word and if we break it, we can expect there to be consequences but in a word he is predisposed towards us. God is love and he longs to bless us. Remember those words of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, (Luke 13:34). The only problem was you were not willing. The problem is on our side not on God's.

I suppose it's like someone who keeps avoiding a man in a suit who is trying to contact him all the time. Every time he sits down he sees the man in the suit and thinks "he's after me I need to get away". They think he wants them to pay a tax bill and yet all the while he wants to give him a tax rebate.

Or imagine the same thing with a policeman. You think you're in trouble but all the while he wants to give you something you have lost.

The Lord wants to bless us why do we think he wants to punish us all the time? God to him. Seek his face. His greatest desire is to bless you.