Bible Reading Blog
“Opulence & Obedience”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: 1 Chronicles 15-16
David’s first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem was a devastating event that left Uzzah dead and David in fear (1 Chronicles 13.5-14). But God was merciful to David, and David learned from these mistakes (15.12-13). He reset his heart by seeking God’s counsel and remembering the commandments of God (1 Chronicles 14.10, 14). This moved him to further preparations for the ark’s return to Jerusalem: ‘he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God… And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to its place, which he had prepared for it.’ (1 Chronicles 15.1-3). He was obedient to God’s directive and eager to have the presence of God back among them.
The processional of the ark to Jerusalem and subsequent celebration was excessive. David prescribed countless offerings (15.26; 16.2-3). He appointed hundreds of Levites ‘to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel’ and select men to loudly play harps and lyres (15.16), ‘to sound cymbals and to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God’ (16.4-6). There was much rejoicing (15.25), especially by David, who dressed himself in a linen ephod and danced before the Lord (15.27-29). As the ark of the covenant ‘which is called by the name of the LORD who sits enthroned above the cherubim’ (1 Chronicles 13.6) returned to be among God’s people, there was nothing held back in terms of opulence and obedience.
Some observations about this scene.
Proper honor for God is an outflow of purification and preparation. David didn’t immediately try to bring the ark to Jerusalem. Instead, he invested himself in activities that allowed for this to be a God-honoring process. If our heart is not set on God’s honor, we will fail miserably to honor him or receive the blessings of his presence. Sometimes we need to ‘cleanse our hands and purify our hearts’ by recognizing our double-minded selfishness (James 4.8). We do this by ‘[purifying our] souls by obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love…” (1 Peter 1.22). Only then will God begin to draw near to us.
God deserves our best worship. David’s actions only seem excessive to those who don’t appreciate God’s worthiness. After his failure, David learned more than just obedience and fear. God deserved to be obeyed and worshipped. His presence wasn’t a right but a gift that could be accessed by his grace. It is a tremendous blessing to have the Creator of the universe available to his people at any moment by the blood of Jesus. We must not take this lightly! Like David, we must be totally invested in honoring God and restoring his presence among his people. There is no effort too great when offered through obedience and submission that God does not deserve. Perhaps we would do well to consider how to unlimit our devotion to God by exalting him with less inhibition and greater humility and thanks.
