In 1Chronicles 13: 3 David addressed the gathering and said, “Let us bring the ARK OF OUR GOD back to us..”

💫 The ARK was the symbol of the presence of the Lord who had led the people himself in the wilderness and in previous battles (Exodus 33:14-15; Num 10:33; Jos 6:2-5)

📝 The Philistines were regularly at war with Israel over land and had ruled over some parts of Israel for years (Jud 3;13:1) In 1Sam 4,5,6, we have read that the Israelites went out to fight against Philistines but were defeated; the Ark of God was captured and was put it in the temple of Dagon. To cut the story short, the Philistines were astonished because they found that their god-Dagon was lying prostrate before the ARK of God. Having defeated the Philistines’ god, the Lord now deals with the people with severe plague @ tumours (..death had filled the city with panic.. 1Sam 5:11)

💫 The Israelites thought that their God had been defeated and captured, but God simply used the defeat to display His incomparable power.

📝 The Philistines returned the Ark of God after seven months. Seeing the Ark the Israelites rejoices but the celebration soon turns to mourning. God put 70 people to death because they had looked into the ARK of God (1Sam 6:19)
✍🏽 The MESSAGE that comes from Beth Shemesh is “THE LORD IS HOLY”.

💫 David was afraid and so the ARK was kept in the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim.

☝️ DAVID’S FIRST ATTEMPT:
David led a large groups of people to bring the Ark but it was a BAD START. David and his men did not follow the God given instructions (Ex 25:13-15; Num 4:5-6). The records states that the Lord killed Uzzah because of his irreverent act (2Sam 6:7; 1Chron 13:9-10)
✍🏽 The MESSAGE that comes from this incident is that we must have reverent and be careful lest we mishandle that which BELONGS TO THE LORD.

📌 God is not happy with:
Uzzah – Irreverent Act (2Sam 6:7)
Ananias and Sapphira – Mismanaging God’s money (Acts 5:1-11)
Simon – Misinterpretationof God’s Work (Acts 8:9-24)

✌️ DAVID’S SECOND ATTEMPT:
It was carried out in strict accordance with the prescription in the Law (1Chron 15: 14-15)
📌 The priests and Levites consecrated themselves.
📌 David organises the musicians and choirs under Levitical charge.
📌 All participated in the celebration.
📌 David himself wore a priestly linen ephod.

💫 David as a king leads the people in the joyous celebration, and brought the ARK back to Jerusalem.
🎈 Michal, daughter of Saul, begun to despise David because she saw him leaping and dancing before the slaves girls.
🎈 David replied, ” if the praising the Lord requires him to act with humility and in an undignified manner, so be it. He will not be deterred by human ideas of correctness “.
David put his heart into worshipping and did it with all his might (2Sam 6:14)
✍🏽 The MESSAGE that comes from this incident is the ATTITUDE OF THE WORSHIPPER:
🔖 Never judge our fellow brethrens because the worship patterns are different.
🔖 Never consider that our worship patterns is superior to others.
🔖 Worship the Lord in TRUTH and in SPIRIT.

💕 Beloved Church, a Persian proverb states, “The branch that bears the most fruit bends itself thankfully towards the ground “. Just as the branch expresses gratitude to the soil that nourished it, so David bends all his energies into worshipping the Lord who brought his potential to fruition.

We should never be more concerned about our own dignity than about worshipping the Lord 🙌

Glory to God 🙏
✍🏽 Mark Boje, ArP 🇮🇳