Pam Padgett ... teacher
The Philistines took the ark of the covenant of God when they defeated
Israel in battle. (1 Samuel 4:10-11) But the hand of the Lord was heavy on the
Phililstines, destroying them and afflicting them with emerods, so they
sent the ark away. It eventually came to the house of Abinadab in
Kirjathjearim.
1 Samuel 7:1 And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up
the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the
hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. 2 And
it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was
long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented
after the LORD.
When David became king of Israel, he wanted to bring the ark to
Jerusalem. But the ark was not handled according to the way Moses had
been commanded by God. The ark was on a cart driven by Uzza and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab (2 Sam. 6:3) When Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark when
the ox stumbled, God killed him. David was afraid of God, and the ark was not taken to Jerusalem
at that time.
1 Chronicles 13:7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out
of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. 8 And 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. 9 And when they came unto the
threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for
the oxen stumbled. 10 And 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. 11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made
a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this
day. 12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring
the ark of God home to me? 13 So David brought not the ark home to
himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of
Obededom the Gittite. 14 And the ark of God remained with the family of
Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of
Obededom, and all that he had.
Then David prepared a place for the ark of God and brought the
ark according to the commandments of God. Only Levites were allowed
to carry the ark, for they were chosen by God to do this. The Levites
sanctified themselves in preparation for carrying the ark. And the ark
was carried on the shoulders of Levites with staves, as God had
commanded Moses.
1 Chronicles 15:15 1 And David made him houses in the city of
David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a
tent. 2 Then David 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 for ever. 3 And David gathered all Israel
together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place,
which he had prepared for it. 4 And David assembled the children of
Aaron, and the Levites: 5 Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and
his brethren an hundred and twenty: 6 Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the
chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty: 7 Of the sons of
Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty: 8 Of
the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred:
9 Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore:
10 Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an
hundred and twelve.
11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the
Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and
Amminadab, 12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the
Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may
bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have
prepared for it. 13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD
our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due
order. 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15 And the
children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with
the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.
16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their
brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and
harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.
When they brought the ark according to what God had instructed, God helped the Levites that carried the ark, and they offered sacrifices
to God. The ark was brought to the place David had prepared with joy.
1 Chronicles 15:25 So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains
over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out
of the house of Obededom with joy. 26 And it came to pass, when God
helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that
they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. 27 And David was clothed
with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and
the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers:
David also had upon him an ephod of linen. 28 Thus all Israel brought up
the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, and with sound of
the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with
psalteries and harps.
Comments by Joan Boney
I see all this as a exhortation on the correct handling of the Word of God. Those of us of God have been given the Spirit of God and by HIS Spirit we correctly handle the Word of God.
I Cor. 2:14 ... But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Those without the Spirit of God try handling the Word of God and they handle it incorrectly and set up many false doctrines and false churches.
And we who do have the Spirit of God must beware of how we approach the Bible just as they were very careful in the way they approached the ark of the covenant.
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. II Thess 2
Paul also said he did not handle the word of God deceitfully ... for his own fleshly purpose ...Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. II Cor. 4
And for those who misuse the Word of God, they end up eating and drinking to their own destruction. (I Cor. 11)
So it is a fearful thing to approach the Word of God and it must be done correctly.