#10 The Ark - David Moves the Ark

I Chronicles 13

david attempts to move the ark of god

David said unto all the congregation of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is what the Lord our God wants, let’s send a message. Let’s send it to our brethren everywhere, to the priests, and to the Levites, and tell them to come and join us. And let us bring again the Ark of our God back to us, for we did not enquire of it at all in the days of Saul.”

All the congregation said they would do so, for they thought it the right thing to do. So David gathered all Israel together to bring the Ark of God back from the town of Kirjath-jearim.

And David and all Israel with him went to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring back the Ark of God the Lord, that dwells between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

And they carried the Ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart. Abinadab’s two sons, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the cart.

David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before God. They were singing and playing harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.

When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. The Lord became very angry with Uzzah, and he smote him because he put his hand to the Ark. And there Uzza died before God.

David was displeased, because the Lord had punished Uzzah in his anger. Therefore even to this day that place is called Perez-uzza (the punishment of Uzzah).

David was afraid of God that day. David asked, “How shall I bring the Ark of God home to me?”

So David did not take the Ark home with him to the city of David . Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. The Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house for three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom and everything he owned.

God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. Uzzah’s punishment does appear to be extreme for what we might consider to be a good deed. However, there are reasons why God took such severe action.

Now remember, God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the Tabernacle and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "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 sons of Kohath are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The sons of Kohath are to carry those things that are in the Tabernacle of the Congregation” (Numbers 4:15). No matter how innocently it was done, touching the Ark was in direct violation of God’s law and was to result in death. This was a means of preserving the sense of God’s holiness and the fear of drawing near to Him without appropriate preparation.

Notice how David took men with him to collect the Ark, rather than allowing Abinadab and his sons to bring it to him. That was a great mistake, since it ought never to have been put upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath (Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9), using the poles prescribed. Failing to follow God’s precise instructions would be seen as (a) not revering God’s words when He spoke them through those such as Moses, whom He had appointed; (b) having an independent attitude that might border on rebellion, i.e., seeing and acting on things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual, perspective; or (c) disobedience. A lesson we can all learn from in today’s church.

And perhaps because the ark had stayed for over twenty years at Abinadab’s house (2 Samuel 6:3), where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become accustomed to its presence. Uzzah, having been around the Ark in his own home, could have very likely forgot the holiness that it represented. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize the holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him with an irreverent attitude.

Those who would draw near to God and have Him draw near to them are those who approach Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot that lesson, and the consequences were tragic.

I Chronicles 15

The ark of god brought to the city of david

David built houses for himself in the city of David. He pitched a tent and prepared in it a place for the Ark of God. Then David said, “Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The LORD chose them to carry the Ark of God, and to minister to Him forever.”

David called all the people of Israel to come to Jerusalem. He wanted to bring the Ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the children of Aaron and the Levites. There were 120 people from Kohath’s family...  (all others are listed in verses 6 – 10)

Then David called for the priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to come to him. He also asked these Levites to come: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab. David said to them, “You are the leaders of the families of Levi. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring the Ark of the LORD God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. The last time we did not do this first, and the LORD our God punished us, for we did not seek him in the order we were to carry the Ark.”

(It seems David realized the reason Uzza was punished for touching the Ark, and this time he sought the LORD in the order He had commanded the Ark to be handled.)

So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of the LORD God of Israel. And the children of the Levites used special poles to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

So David and the elders of Israel, and the captains went to get the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom with joy. They all wore fine robes of fine linen, David, the Levites, the singers, and the master song leader. David also wore an ephod of linen.

So this is how all of Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. They shouted, and danced, and blew sheep horns and trumpets. They played cymbals, lyres, and harps, and made much noise.

And it came to pass, that the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the city of David.