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Isn’t It Easy? How many of you have ever bought something new, you get it home, take it out of the box, and on top are the instructions. You flip them aside and try to put together the new item yourself. Have you ever opened up instructions and seen the word, DANGER, or WARNING? Sure. Those companies know that there are risks involved in purchasing their product. David was a man of like passions as us. He is far from perfect but he had a heart for God. In spite of his sins David had a deep desire to honor God and to live for Him. In the chapter before us we see that David seeks to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, the new capital of the land. Do you know what David does? He forgets to read the instructions, the Word of God on how to do it. Let’s get an overview of the ark of the Covenant. In Exodus 25:21-22 we see that the ark was a vital piece of furniture in the Tabernacle that Moses had built. It represented the presence of God to the people. It dwelled in the most Holy place. It was a wooden box covered with gold whose dimensions were about 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 2 feet deep. It speaks of the holiness, the forgiveness, grace, and mercy of God. The cover on the box was called the mercy seat. On the mercy seat were two solid gold cherubims facing each other and covered the mercy seat with their wings. Inside the ark were three items: the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. It was upon the mercy seat on the ark that the High Priest once per year entered into the Holy Place and offered the blood of the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. 14 times the ark is mentioned in 2 Sam.6. Seven times it is referred to as the ?ark of God? and seven times it is called the ?ark of the LORD.? This is the ark of the God of Creation and the God who is unchanging and self-existent. This Ark is God’s property. He told Moses how to make it and it was His. God ordained the ark to be carried in a very specific manner. Numbers 4:5,6,9 The ark was to be covered with badger skins and a cloth of blue. It was to be carried with poles by the sons of Kohath (Num.7:8,9) and no one was to touch it, lest they die. Numbers 4:15, ?but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.? Pretty clear, huh?? The Ark of the Covenant was carried by the priests through the Jordan River, Joshua 3 The Ark was carried around the city of Jericho before its fall, Josh.7 The Ark was set up in the Tabernacle in the city of Shiloh, Josh.18:1. It was also there that all the tribes of Israel received their inheritance. See also Judges 18:31; 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Sam. 3:3 (?in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was?). During the leadership of Eli and his wicked sons, God brought a swift judgment upon Shiloh. God became a good-luck charm to the people, 1 Sam.4:3. God was a box. During this battle, Israel ?shouted with a great shout? (1 Sam.4:5) but it was a shout without the power of God. It is not how loud we shout it is how obediently and faithfully we walk! Israel was defeated, the Ark of God was taken and Shiloh was destroyed probably at this point. Psalm 78:60; Jer.7:12,14; 26:6 The Philistines took the Ark of God and set it up in their pagan temple, the House of Dagon. When their idol Dagon fell before the Ark upon its face two days in a row, and the head of Dagon and its hands were cut off, and the people of the city became sick, they said, ?What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?? God in mercy was seeking to show the Philistines that He was the One true God. Nevertheless, they did not repent of their idolatry. They still sought for a way to GET RID OF GOD rather than to ask, what is wrong with my life? How can I live is such a way that the Ark can abide with me? They sent the ark to Gath, and then to Ekron. The ark only continued to bring DISEASE and DEATH. Finally they said, let it go again to its own place. The Philistines made a ?new cart? and with much paganism they carried the ark back to Israelite territory (1 Sam.6:7). Because the Philistines did not know the Scriptrue and how the ark was to be carried, God winked on their ignorance and mercifully allowed the ark to be brought back into Israelite territory. It finally came to the house of Abinadab, 1 Sam.7:1. It stays here until David plans to move it into Jerusalem. David knew that Israel was to have ONE place for the people to come and offer sacrifices and worship the Lord God of heaven and earth. He sought to establish Jerusalem as the political and religious center of his kingdom. So David seeks to bring the Ark of the Covenant of God into the stronghold of Zion. Isn’t it Easy? 1. To Ignore GOD and listen to people around you? 1 Chron.14:1-4 Deut.8:11-14, 17-20. Isn’t it easy to read the daily newspaper and hard to read the Bible? Isn’t it easy to talk to others about our problems and never pray about them? As Christians we cannot lose our salvation, but we can grieve the Holy Spirit. It is easy to be busy and active doing good things, but not walking with God while we do these good things. Isn’t it easy? 2. To DISOBEY God and copy the world? 2 Sam.6:3-6 David had the right goal, but notice how he disobeys God. Even though his GOAL was good, the MEANS he chose to achieve his goal were not good. You have heard it said, ?The End justifies the Means.? No they don’t. That is not true! In other words, you may have a goal to TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY. That is good. But you must arrive at that goal in a way that glorifies God. We are not to disobey God even while seeking to achieve good goals. David has a good goal but he does not use good means to arrive at his goal. They place the ark upon a new cart. Where did they get that idea from? Not from the Bible but from the Philistines! Perhaps even worse, it was the Philistine false priests who counseled them to put the ark on a new cart. Can the people of God really look to the world and copy from the worldly false religions and then implement worldly philosophy or practice into the church? David ignores God and imitates the world’s way of doing it. ISN’T IT EASY?? David imitates the way of the Philistines: it worked for them, so let’s follow their ways. You can say, it wasn’t that bad. It showed their work to make a NEW CART. This cart was the best cart money could buy. Why they did not have to use those ?old poles.? They could make a new cart. But what is the point? God’s Word never becomes OUTDATED or OBSOLETE. Times had changed from the days of Moses. Culture had changed, too. Israel was now in the land. That old-fashioned way of carrying the ark was for a different time and culture. We can make this little adjustment to what God has said. It is not a BIG thing. This is just a BETTER way of doing it. Why it is easier, too. God’s way, the ark had to be carried on the shoulders of the priest. That is hard. It will hurt their poor little shoulders. Put it on a new cart and it is less strenuous. There are no shortcuts of obedience! Need money? We can start BINGO. Have BAZAARS, and BAKE SALES. It is easier to have bingo and bake sales than to TITHE! We can sell clothes after church on the street. Does the Bible teach these things in order to finance the ministry of the church? WE want to REACH PEOPLE? Let’s get involved in an ecumenical crusade with those who do not believe the Bible. Or, let’s have a dance. IT works in the world. The bars are full on Friday and Saturday night with rock and rap, why not bring it into the church and that music can fill our church, too. Or, let’s get rid of PREACHING the Bible. Preaching is too old-fashioned. People like to be entertained today. Need a pastor? Get a woman minister or someone not scripturally qualified. So David ignored the clear, literal precepts of Scripture and followed a Philistine invention. God had clearly told them that the Levites were to cover the ark, carry it with poles upon their shoulders and do not touch it, lest you die! David followed his own way which was the wrong way, he followed his own ideas and inclinations. People often say to me, You take the Bible so literally! That’s because you better! Uzzah, if he knew Num.4:15, did not take the Bible literally. That says, if you touch the ark you will die. Uzzah touched the ark and guess what, he died. Literally! This story and a thousand others, teach us to interpret the Bible literally. Did Jesus die a literal death on a literal cross? Did he bodily and literally rise again and is He coming again?literally? You say, but there are parables and symbols in the Bible! Sure there are, but the Bible is not one big parable and not all symbols. It talks about real people, real places, and real events. Isn’t it easy? 3. To get Angry with God when He Judges Us?, 2 Sam.6:7-12 Imagine this happy throng of over 30,000 people. What joy! Then the oxen shook, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark, and when he touched the ark, he fell dead! Songs were silenced and horror and panic replaced their happiness and praise. David was very happy when God broke through on the Philistines, but when God’s judgment broke through on him, he was angry! This isn’t fair! Isn’t it easy to disobey God and think there will not be any consequences? What was the cause of David’s anger? He thought he was doing the right thing, with the right desires, in the right way. He was deceived. He had disobeyed the Word of God. There is a universal law: We reap what we sow. People say, the Bible is not practical. Tell that to Uzzah. The Bible shows us the pathway to life. Is life and all things that pertain to life and godliness not practical? The most practical thing in all the world is how can I please God? How can I be accepted of Him? How can I live forever and live godly today? David responds with anger. David was angry when he should have 1 Pet.5:6 humbled himself under the mighty hand of God; confessed his fault and realized that God is righteous and holy in all of his dealings. Isaiah 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. David could have reasoned, IF only the oxen had not stumbled. Why, everything would have been fine if the oxen did not shake the cart by stumbling. God is sovereign over every little shaking of our ox carts. Even when the oxen stumble, God makes no mistakes. We can even say, God decreed for it to happen. The oxen stumbled to make manifest David’s disobedience. David could have reasoned, BUT NOTHING happened to the Philistines! They were successful in their putting the ark on a new cart. This isn’t fair! Do you know that God’s judgment upon Uzzah was in mercy for it caused the nation to get back to the Bible and obey God. What if they got by with using the new cart. Then they could have reasoned, this is the NEW and BETTER way to carry the ark from now on, and God's clear word would have been shelved for good. What if Uzzah had touched the ark and NOT died. You see, God’s Word does not have to be followed. You can get away with things. 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God’ and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? We need to pray that God would bring judgment upon us so that we stay in a pure way of obedience. What is happening today in American churches? One church grows. They hold conferences on how they are growing. It is usually they are watering down the message of repentance from sin and faith in the shed blood of Christ, introducing the world’s music, replacing preaching with entertaining skits. We must be careful that we do not look at what others are doing in order to ?succeed? but what does God’s Word say? We need to pray for God to send a judgment upon the house of God so that all these worldly methods are not received with such enthusiasm! John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love? 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. To OBEY is Still the Best WAY. David’s is humiliated and his pride is wounded. Notice David’s response. He is fearful of God and angry, but he is not going to forsake God. Look at his question: 2 Sam.6:9: How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? He still wants to have fellowship with God according to the Word of God through Moses. He was still looking for a way to bring the ark to him. He is not obstinately holding on to HIS WAY. How different this was with the Philistines when God was striking them with Disease and Death: 1 Sam.5:8 What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They were just looking to get rid of the ark in order to have a little peace and rest! Some people are always looking to GET AWAY from God. David was still looking for a way to LIVE FOR GOD. What a difference between the true child of God David and the unsaved Philistines! Isn’t it easy? 4. To Obey God by going Back to the Bible? 1 Chron.15:2, 13-15. Ultimately, we can obey God as we go back, read what he said, and then JUST DO IT by the power of His Spirit in us! It is good to have zeal, but not without knowledge. Now David was praising God as they bring the Ark into Jerusalem. He is very ecstatic. He is dancing before the Lord with shouting, trumpets, burnt offerings, and the sound of great joy. David’s dancing was a holy dancing. He was literally whirling around, and skipping. Have you ever gotten so happy you spin around? This is not the forced dance the sound of blaring, rhythmic music. There is a simplicity and joy in obeying God’s Word in the way He has prescribed. In Salvation, you do not have to invent any new carts. There is still the Old Rugged Cross! Salvation is not difficult to understand. In fact it is simple to understand and it is simple to believe. Finally, come to Jesus Christ. Salvation is still through Him. You cannot build any new carts to carry you to heaven. In Service for our Lord, we do not have to invent any new carts. There is still the Word of God that lives and abides forever. In fellowship with God we do not have to invent any new carts. Let’s get back to the Bible; TO PRAYER, to the local church. Psalm 24 was written by David on this occasion of bringing up the ark to Jerusalem: Psalm 24:3,4, 7-10. |