King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 4 notes
Read 1 Chronicles 13 in the app
1And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
2And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:
3And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.
Seriously?
David was indeed a man after God's heart.
4And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
5So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim.
A good thing, a good thought 💭. Something his predecessor never did in his long 40 years of rulership.
Who would have thought it was not going to end well?
Despite a genuine attempt at pleasing the Lord 😌
6And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
7And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
8And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
9And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
10And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.
11And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.
So who mounted the ark of the Lord unto the cart?
How come those who carried the ark from its place unto the cart were not smitten?
Or they held it by the poles as required by the law ⚖. It is safe to presume so.
12And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
13So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
14And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.
Strange — what was the process for deciding where the ark, which had just killed a man, should be kept?
Who decided it should be in the home of Obed-edom?
They knew the ark causes death, and with that experience they dumped the ark. Yet when they got to know that the ark also blesses, they were willing to come for it and learn more about the ways of the ark.
When they thought it kills, they were not willing — or at least we are not told — to learn how to stay safe in the service of the ark.
But now that they had heard of its blessings, they were willing once more to risk it.