Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The priestly divisions

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 24:1–19, “Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office. And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar. Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.”

Even the priests had different roles in the Temple ceremonies. David divided the two priestly families into twenty four different divisions so that they would be able to have priests dedicated to serving the Lord in the Temple all the time. They wouldn’t have to worry about some priests being unavailable because they were overworked and became burnt out in their service. This also allowed for younger priests to act in a training role with a more experienced priest as well.
Posted by at No comments:

Another census

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 23:24–32, “These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward. For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever: And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof. For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above: Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God; Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size; And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even; And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD: And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.”

David made a proper census of the Tribe of Levi. His first census was done in pride and the Lord punished David for that. However, it was important that a full census be made of the Tribe of Levi so that a roster could be prepared for the Temple. The men from the Tribe of Levi would do a shift of service at the Temple and then they would spend some time back at their own place and care for their needs and the needs of their families. The priests were all descended from Aaron and they had the major responsibility for sacrifices and the other significant ceremonies but there were many other supporting jobs to be done as well. They had to make sure that all the sacrificial animals were prepared for offering and all the equipment was available as well. There were also offering of other food. Bread needed to be left on a special table every day and someone needed to prepare this bread and make sure that it was replaced before it became stale. These things had to be organised so that every function would be carried out at the correct time. The Priests were also charged with  managing the administration of this entire organisation as well.
Posted by at No comments:

He made Solomon king

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 23:1–23, “So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan. And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house. The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever. Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer. Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief. And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief. Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth. Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second. The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish. And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them. The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.”

David lived a long life and served the Lord God almost all the days of his life. There were two significant occasions when David sinned but he confessed and repented of his sin. He offered sacrifices to the Lord for his sin as well. He was ready to die and didn’t fight against the idea of dying at the end of his life. Usually, in kingdoms, there is some kind of battle for succession as there are more pretenders to the throne than there are thrones. One of David’s sons, Adonijah, tried to take the kingdom from Solomon twice, once before David died and again after David died. He should have succeeded to the throne but David was still alive and made sure that Solomon became king. Afterwards, when Adonijah asked Solomon’s mother if he could marry David’s nurse and become king by a back door method, Solomon was sufficiently powerful to prevent this from happening. David did everything he could to ensure that the Temple would operate smoothly with the correct ceremonial procedures carried out by people who were properly qualified under the Lord’s regulations.
Posted by at No comments:

Help Solomon

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 22:17–19, “David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.”

King David knew that he was going to die but he was wise. He knew that, at that stage, Solomon his son was sill young so he asked all his advisors to take care of Solomon and help him. It is important for us to remember that no one is irreplaceable. When someone is in a position of leadership they should always take care to plan succession and make sure that there are other people who can continue with the leadership of the organisation. Everybody can expect to die at some stage and, usually, before we believe that we are ready.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, September 26, 2014

Arise and be doing

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 22:6–16, “Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee. Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed. Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto. Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance, hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work. Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.”

David called Solomon and told him that he was to build the Temple. Solomon was still young and inexperienced but David let him know that the Lord had chosen him to build the Temple. Solomon’s reign was to be a time of peace, in fact, Solomon’s name means “peace”. Solomon still had to make sure that he obeyed the Lord and kept all the commandments that the Lord had given to Moses on the mountain. David also told Solomon that he had amassed a fortune in gold, silver and other metals as well as timber and stone. David told his son, Solomon, that he shouldn’t waste his time when he was king but to get on with the job that the Lord had given him.
Posted by at No comments:

David prepared abundantly

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 22:1–5, “Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; Also cedar trees in abundance: for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.”

After David bought the threshing floor from Ornan the Jebusite, he offered his sacrifice there and decided that he would dedicate that site for the Temple. The Lord had promised David that his own son would build the Temple even though David wanted to build the Temple himself. David did what he could do and began to collect the material for the Temple. He collected iron nails and timber and as many other things as he felt were needed. The Lord also gave David the plans for the Temple and he passed them on to his son. (1 Chron 28: 11) We know that David did nothing, as Israel’s leader, without consulting the Lord so we can believe that David received the patterns from the Lord and we also know that the Lord gave Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle when Moses was on the mountain. (Ex 25: 40)
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The threshing floor

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 21:18–30, “Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon. But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.”
When wheat, or other grains, are harvested they have the seed and a husk. The seeds and the husks are crushed under heavy weights to divide them. This process is called threshing. After this, the wheat and the husks are separated by another process called winnowing. Threshing is done in a particular place, set aside for this task, called a threshing floor. Ornan, the Jebusite was a farmer and had just harvested his wheat and was in the process of threshing it. David came to this place because the angel was standing above it ready to bring the epidemic to Jerusalem. Ornan saw the angel and king David. He bowed to the king and David asked him for the threshing floor. David knew that an altar had to be built there and a sacrifice offered for his sin. Ornan was willing to give the land to the king but David wasn’t willing to offer something to the Lord that he had been given. David insisted that Ornan accept the full price for the land and paid him that price. After that, David built an altar and asked that a qualified person offer a sacrifice on his behalf. David was afraid to offer a sacrifice himself because he was still feeling guilty about his grave sin against the Lord.
Posted by at No comments:

Make a choice

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 21:7–17, “And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. And the LORD spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.”

David realised his act of pride displeased the Lord and he confessed his sin and repented. Gad, one of David’s prophets, brought a message from the Lord to the king. The Lord gave David three choices for his punishment. Because David’s sin had been about the number of people in the nation, the Lord punished David by the loss of people. David could have three years of famine, three months of enemy destruction or three days of a serious epidemic in the nation. David didn’t know what to choose so he asked the Lord to punish him and not other people. There was a serious epidemic and 70,000 people died. As the Lord’s angel was preparing to bring the epidemic to Jerusalem, the Lord decided that Israel had been punished enough and told the angel to stop the epidemic. David was near the property of a man called Ornan, who was a survivor of the Jebusites, and saw the angel ready to strike Jerusalem. As he looked at the angel he saw the angel stop and David, accompanied by his advisors, fell on his faces before the Lord. He asked the Lord to punish him and his family rather than the innocent people off Israel. David had, however, made choice as Israel’s king and the nation suffered as a consequence of the choice that David made.
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

A census

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 21:1–6, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.”

Even though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was troubled by human failings, from time to time. David was overcome with pride as the king of Israel and he wanted to see how great he was. He decided to conduct a census of Israel so that he could know how many people were under his leadership. Joab advised against such a step of pride but David’s will prevailed and the census was taken. They discovered that Israel had 1,100,000 fighting men and Judah had 470,000 fighting men. Joab knew that this was wrong so he didn’t count some of the people, thus eliminating some of David’s opportunity to boast.
Posted by at No comments:

They were subdued

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 20:4–8, “And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued. And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam. And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant. But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him. These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.”

It is not remarkable that legendary feats were carried out during the time of king David, who was a man after the Lord’s own heart. We know that the Lord will never lie or change His mind. (1 Sam 15:29) He promised Israel that, if they remained faithful to the Law then they would see the Lord work in mighty ways in the Land. The Lord promised them that they would see one hundred Israelis put ten thousand of their enemies to flight. (Lev 26:1–13) David was the first of his time to completely trust the Lord. He was a young boy when he went to fight Goliath and he went to the battle armed with the Name of the Living God. (1 Sam 17: 31-47) David was faithful to the Lord and the Lord proved to have absolute integrity. Not only David, but his great soldiers were able to perform remarkable deeds in battle, to the glory of God. When Israel first came out of the land of Egypt, they were afraid of giants and had to wander in the desert for forty years. However, under David’s leadership, the Israeli warriors were able to defeat giants without trouble.
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Rabbah

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 20:1–3, “And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city. And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.”

There were certain season of the year where it was better to fight a war and, traditionally, the armies went out to fight at those times. Joab waited for a decent period after the defeat of the mercenary armies so that his own army could recover and rearm properly then he went out to punish the Ammonites. David stayed behind in Jerusalem because it wasn’t always wise for the king to be in battle, after all, he may be killed. (compare 2 Sam 18: 3) Joab devastated the Ammonites and took their kings crown as a sign of victory. The Ammonites were Israel’s sworn enemies because they had tried to destroy Israel when they came out of Egypt. They even hired Balaam to curse Israel. (Deut 23: 3-5) It was, therefore, quite appropriate for Joab’s army to completely devastate them in war. When the Ammonites were utterly devastated the Israeli armies returned home.
Posted by at No comments:

Made themselves odious

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 19:6–19, “And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah. So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight. So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.”

The Ammonites realised, too late, that they had offended the most powerful king in the region and that they were in grave danger themselves. They collected as much silver as they could and sent it to another kingdom to hire mercenaries. It is interesting that they only sent silver for, surely, any self respecting king would send gold. Obviously, they were not as powerful or wealthy as they pretended to be. David sent Joab, the senior general in his army along with the best of his troops. Joab had been responsible for taking Jebus (Jerusalem) so he had proven himself to be a brave warrior and master tactician. One of the most fearful attacks an army can face is one that comes on two fronts. The mercenaries came to attack the Israeli armies from two sides. Joab divided his troops into two divisions and put his brother in command of one division while he took command of the other division. They each faced the enemies on their side while they trusted the other division to look after their backs. The Israelis were victorious on both fronts and won a miraculous victory. The mercenaries and their own kings made peace with David and no one wanted to help the Ammonites any more.
Posted by at No comments:

Hanun

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 19:1–5, “Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.”

David was a godly man and behaved with dignity and grace towards all his neighbouring kingdoms. When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent some of his top advisors to convey their respects to the dead king and sympathy to the new king. The new king’s advisors told him that David hadn’t sent his ambassadors out of respect but to spy the out the land. Often new kings would try to show that they were powerful and force the other kingdoms to accept that the new king was more powerful than the previous king. The new king of Ammon, Hanun, decided to insult David, Israel and their God by embarrassing the ambassadors. The men were humbled by this great insult and David told them to wait in Jericho until their embarrassment was eased.
Posted by at No comments:

Tou

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 18:9–17, “Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah; He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek. Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder. And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe; And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.”

When David’s armies defeated his enemies their enemies decided that David was their friend so they came to David in friendship. One of these kings, Tou, made contact with David, He sent his son as his ambassador and gave David gifts. This was a much better way of dealing with a powerful king for the powerful king could just as easily go to war and take everything anyway. David took all the gifts that were given to him and dedicated them for the construction of the Temple. After all, David knew that the Lord was responsible for all this wealth coming to his kingdom so he decided to give all the wealth to the Lord.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, September 19, 2014

David secured his borders

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 18:1–8, “Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syriadamascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.”

After David established the ceremonial and religious basis of his kingdom he was ready to secure his borders. David always consulted the Lord before he ventured forth so he was able to face any enemy in the Lord’s Name. Even though he had defeated the Philistines, he made sure that they were fully subjugated and would not pose a threat to his borders. David also fortified his other borders; he defeated the Moabites who lived to the southeast, they submitted to his suzerainty and paid him regularly. David also moved against the nations to the north and northeast and conquered them as well. He established garrisons in some of the cities to make sure that they didn’t rebel against his rule. David also plundered his enemies and collected their wealth. This was later used to build the Temple.
Posted by at No comments:

Who am I?

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 17:16–27, “And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God. What can David speak more to thee for the honour of thy servant? for thou knowest thy servant. O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things. O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt? For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever; and thou, LORD, becamest their God. Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee. For thou, O my God, hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. And now, LORD, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Now therefore let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be before thee for ever: for thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever.”

David was a humble man and was always surprised that the Lord had chosen him to be king over Israel. While this great honour was remarkable for David, it was a very easy thing for the Lord God, Who is sovereign in all the earth. The Lord stands alone and superior to everyone in His creation even though He is not part of His own creation. The Lord saved Israel when they were facing genocide as slaves in Egypt (and has done that repeatedly during the centuries since then) There has never been and never will be a nation like Israel to whom the Lord gave the Promised Land. The Lord also chose David to be the king of Israel and promised him that he would rule and bless him for ever.
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Nathan's message

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 17:1–15, “Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spake I a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, saying, Why have ye not built me an house of cedars? Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel: And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the earth. Also I will ordain a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning, And since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee an house. And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”

David was well established as king in Jerusalem and had built himself a palace in his capital city. David loved and admired the Lord wholeheartedly and decided that it wasn’t fair for him to have a nice house while the Lord was worshipped in a tent. He spoke to Nathan, the prophet, and told him that he would like to build a house for the Lord. Nathan thought that this was a good idea and told his king to go ahead. However, that night, the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David not to build a Temple. After all, Israel had been in the Promised Land for many years and their worship had always been centred on the Ark, kept in a tent. Except for the time the Philistines had captured the Ark. The Lord took David from being a shepherd, living in a sheep fold, and made him into the king of Israel. The Lord had been with David all the way through that long, hard journey. It wasn’t the appropriate time, according to the Lord’s timetable, that the Temple be build. The Lord said that David’s son would build the Temple. The Lord promised that David’s family would rule forever after that. David’s family would have permanent possession of Israel’s throne although they might temporarily lose tenure through sin.
Posted by at No comments:

Asaph

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 16:37–43, “So he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required: And Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be porters: And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon, To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which he commanded Israel; And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever; And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were porters. And all the people departed every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.”

David made sure that the Ark and the tent were properly attended and all the ceremonies were conducted by qualified people. There were priests to conduct the priestly functions as had been done before. Rosters were drawn up so that there would always be someone in attendance to offer sacrifices and give praises.
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

David's Psalm

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 16:7–36, “Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance; When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it. And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.”

David was known as the sweet singer of Israel. (2 Sam 23: 1) He composed a special song of praise to the Lord when he was established as king in Jerusalem and the Ark was in place for worship in his city. He chose a professional musician called Asaph to sing the Psalm to the Lord. David was the king of Israel and didn’t want to mix up the religious and civil roles in his kingdom. Asaph was a great singer in his own right and we have some of his songs recorded in the book of Psalms. David’s psalm praised the Lord for all the good things that He had done for Israel. David went right back to Abraham’s time and praised the Lord for the way He had chosen Abraham and, even though Abraham was a nomad, the rebuked kings on Abraham’s behalf. David encouraged everyone on the earth to praise the Lord for his goodness to everyone.
Posted by at No comments:

Gifts for all

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 16:1–6, “So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.”

David brought the Ark into Jerusalem and put it in a tent that he set up in the city. Once the Ark was established in Jerusalem David made sure that the proper sacrifices were offered to the Lord and they praised the Lord for all that He had done. In order to celebrate the fact that the Ark was in Jerusalem and they were offering the proper sacrifices David gave all the people in Israel some bread and meat so that they could celebrate as well. The people also sang praises to the Lord and the professional musicians were appointed to make sure that praises were sung to the Lord continually.
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Michal

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 15:25–29, “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. 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. 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. 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. And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.”

After David made his plans he put them into practice and brought the Ark to Jerusalem. They were full of joy when they went to get the Ark for this was a great day for all Israel. They sung praises to the Lord and David danced for joy. When David’s wife, Saul’s daughter, saw David dancing she despised him because he found such delight in serving the Lord.
Posted by at No comments:

A place for the Ark

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 15:1–24, “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. 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. 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. And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites: Of the sons of Kohath; Uriel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twenty: Of the sons of Merari; Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty: Of the sons of Gershom; Joel the chief, and his brethren an hundred and thirty: Of the sons of Elizaphan; Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred: Of the sons of Hebron; Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore: Of the sons of Uzziel; Amminadab the chief, and his brethren an hundred and twelve. And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, 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. 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. 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 bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD. 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. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters. So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.”

David wanted to make sure that the Lord was respected in Jerusalem. He brought the Ark of the Covenant into his city so that everyone would know that the Lord was respected there. He researched the Law and understood that the Ark had to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites so he brought the Ark into his city with due reverence. He made sure that the procession was accompanied by trained people singing praises to the Lord as well. The Ark came to the city of David with proper ceremony and respect.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, September 15, 2014

The mulberry trees

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 14:8–17, “And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went out against them. And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. So they came up to Baalperazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim. And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire. And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley. Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines. David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer. And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.”

The Philistines had been Israel’s fiercest enemies since Israel took possession of the Promised Land. They had defeated the Saul, first king of United Israel, and were determined to defeat the second king. They wanted to maintain their own position as the major power in the Land rather than conceding to Israel. Further to this, David had defeated their great champion, Goliath of Gath, and had sought refuge in their territory when Saul tried to kill David. They came to a large valley to the south east of Jerusalem and established a strong base to fight a battle against David and his armies. David followed his regular practice and asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord told David to meet the Philistines in a head on battle. He followed the Lord’s advice and won a convincing victory. Wars don’t consist of just one battle and the Philistines came again to fight against the Israeli armies. They mustered their armies in the valley again and David asked the Lord what he should do this time. The Lord told David to set an ambush for the Philistine armies behind a copse of trees. When David heard the Philistine armies coming towards his position in the trees, he sprung the ambush and won another great victory to bring glory to the Lord’s Name. This time David followed up his victory and went into Philistine territory and defeated them there as well. Everyone in the entire region heard of these great victories and they were afraid of the Lord and His great power.
Posted by at No comments:

Timber for the Temple

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 14:1–7, “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house. And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel. And David took more wives at Jerusalem: and David begat more sons and daughters. Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, And Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpalet, And Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia, And Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphalet.

In spiritual terms, the greatest achievement of the Davidic dynasty was the erection and establishment of the Temple. The Lord God chose to make Jerusalem the place where His Name would be honoured in all Israel and the Lord caused Hiram, king of Tyre, on the coast to the north of Israel, to offer David timber from his legendary tress for building the Temple and  qualified experts to help him build the Temple. David believed that the Lord called him to build this great structure. After David was established as king in Jerusalem, he settled there and his family grew.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, September 12, 2014

Obededom

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Chronicles 13:9–14, “And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 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. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? 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. 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.”

The Philistines didn’t know the Law and they didn’t have the book of the Law. They could have been forgiven for sending the Ark on a bullock cart. However, David and his people should have known that the Ark was only meant to be carried by members of the tribe of Levi on their shoulders. When David became king he was meant to write his own copy of the Law, in his own hand. (Deut 17: 18-20) This meant that he had no excuse for transporting the Ark on a bullock cart. As they travelled with the Ark, towards Jerusalem one of the bullocks stumbled and the Ark looked like it was going to fall off the cart. Uzza, one of the men driving the cart, put his hand on the cart to stop it from falling and the Lord killed him. The Ark was so holy that only the priests were meant to touch and only under special circumstances. In fact, the priests were meant to cover the Ark with the veil of the Tabernacle before they dismantled the Tabernacle and the Ark was in the open. (Num 4: 5) David was afraid at that time and left the Ark where the accident had occurred. They left the Ark at Obededom’s house and the Lord blessed him while the Ark was in his home.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)