Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.
So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.
They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.
When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” He did not take the ark to be with him in 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 his household and everything he had.

• 1 Chronicles 13:1-14

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.
In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada and Eliphelet.
When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”
So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
Once more the Philistines raided the valley; so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him.

• 1 Chronicles 14:1-17

For a link to 1 Chronicles 15, click HERE.

For a link to 1 Chronicles 16, click HERE.

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Chronicles 13:3 ‘The ark of our God’: “Not only had the ark been stolen and profaned by the Philistines (1 Sam. 5; 6), but when it was returned, Saul neglected to seek God’s instruction for it. Scripture records only one occasion when Saul sought God’s ark after its return (cf. 1 Sam. 14:18).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 13:5 ‘Shihor’: “The ‘river of Egypt’ was a small stream flowing into the Mediterranean Sea which forms the southern boundary of Israel (cf. Josh. 13:3). It is also called the ‘Brook of Egypt’ (Josh. 15:4, 47; Num. 34:5; 2 Chr. 7:8). Hamath. On the northern boundary of Israel’s territory. Kirjath Jearim. A location approximately ten miles west of Jerusalem that the Canaanites called Baalah (cf. 13:6). The ark of God had resided here for the previous twenty years (cf. 1 Sam. 7:1, 2).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics

1 Chronicles 13:12 ‘doing the right thing the right way’: “David’s intention was right enough, but right things must be done in a right way. We serve a jealous God, who, though he overlooks many faults in his people, will have his Word reverenced and his commands obeyed by those who attempt to approach him. So, though David’s intention was good, he had a great failure, which resulted in great fear. David’s great failure followed almost immediately after ‘David and all Israel were dancing with all their might before God with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets’ (v. 8). This was David’s first attempt to bring up the ark of the covenant into the place appointed for it. Notice that there was no failure through lack of multitudes. It is of little value merely to gather crowds of people together. That alone will not guarantee God’s presence among us. Nor was there any failure so far as pomp and show were concerned. These people paid great honor, in their own way, to the ark—putting it on a new carriage and surrounding it with the princes, captains, and mighty men of the kingdom. The sacred song may be sweet, and the prayer may be most appropriate so far as its language is concerned. Yet it may fail to reach the ear of the Lord God. And though it is right to sing to the Lord with all our might, there may be a certain kind of heartiness which is not acceptable to God because it is natural, not spiritual. There may be a great deal of outward expression yet no inward life. It may be only dead worship, after all, despite the noise that may be made. In this case there was too little thought as to God’s mind on the matter. This great undertaking of bringing up the ark of the Lord seems to have been entered with much heartiness and enthusiasm but not with any preparatory supplication or spiritual consideration. There is not even a mention of humiliation of heart or of solemn awe in the presence of the God whose symbol was the ark. We must take care how we worship God.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 14:12 ‘gods … burned’: “Second Samuel 5:21 reports that the idols were carried away, presenting an apparent contradiction. Most likely the idols were first carried away and then burned later, according to the Mosaic Law (cf. Deut. 7:5, 25).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 15:1 ‘David built houses for himself’: “He was able by the alliance and help of Hiram (18:1) to build a palace for himself and separate houses for his wives and their children. While the ark remained near Jerusalem at the home of Obed-Edom for three months (13:13, 14), David constructed a new tabernacle in Jerusalem to fulfill God’s Word in Deuteronomy 12:5—7 of a permanent residency.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 15:2 ‘carry the ark’: “After a lapse of three months (13:14), David followed the Mosaic directives for moving the ark (cf. Num. 411-49; Deut. 10:8; 18:5). These directions had been violated when the ark was moved from Kirjath-Jearim to Obed-Edom, and it cost Uzza(h) his life (cf. 13:6-11).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 15:11 ‘Zadok … Abiathar’: “These two high priests, heads of the two priestly houses of Eleazar and Ithamar, were colleagues in the high priesthood (2 Sam. 20:25). They served the Lord simultaneously in David’s reign. Zadok attended the tabernacle in Gibeon (1 Chr. 16:39), while Abiathar served the temporary place of the ark in Jerusalem. Ultimately, Zadok prevailed (cf. 1 Kin. 2:26, 27).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 15:13 ‘God meant it the way it is written’: “All changes from the written revelation of God are wrong. Some people think many things taught in the Bible are not essential and we may alter them just a little to suit our convenience. This text should drive that mistake away forever. It seemed to the people of Israel an indifferent matter whether the ark was carried on men’s shoulders or hauled on a cart. ‘God has told us that it is to be borne by the Levites, but what does that matter as long as it is carried?’ Through this alteration they made in God’s law, the ark first began to shake and to totter, and then Uzzah was tempted to put forth his hand to steady it. The death of Uzzah was the punishment on  the whole people for having neglected to observe the detailed laws of God in every particular. The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our only rule of practice. And the slightest violation of the divine law will bring judgments on the church, and has brought judgments, and is even at this day withholding God’s hand from blessing us. Within a few years we might see all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ if we would but carry God’s ark as God would have it carried instead of marring the gospel by human inventions and leaving the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever we alter one word of Scripture, we get ourselves into trouble. We may not see it at first, but we surely will find out by-and-by. Alter one word of God, and we have fallen into a snare; we have entered a labyrinth and God help us find our way out again, for we will never be able to get through it alone. Stand by God’s Word and we stand safely. Alter one dot of the I, one cross of the t, and we are nowhere at all; we are in an enemy‘s country, and we cannot defend ourselves. When we have Scripture to back us up, we defy the world; but when we have nothing but our own whims or the work of some great preacher, or the decree of a council, or the tradition of the Fathers, we are lost. We are trying to weave a rope of sand; we are building a house of cards that will totter to the ground. The Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, is the religion of Christ’s church.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 15:13 ‘broke out’: “God’s anger ‘broke out’ when the ark had been improperly handled and transported by Uzza(h) (2 Sam. 6:6-8; 1 Chr. 13:9—12).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 16: 4-6 ‘Levites … minister’: “As soon as the ark was placed in its tent, the Levites began their duties.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 16:4 ‘Remember God’: “[ED—The word translated ‘to celebrate’ means literally ‘to cause to remember.’ What that involved is unclear (KJV translated ‘to record’), but it was connected to giving thanks and praise to God, evidently for his past acts on Israel’s behalf.] I do not believe in keeping diaries and putting down every day what we feel or think we feel. I am a little frightened at the artificial style of experience it must lead to. But there are days that ought to have a memorial. Days of severe trouble and of great deliverance, days of sharp temptation and of wonderful help—these need to be chronicled. Remember mercies. Remember there is not one we have deserved. The bread that does not choke the sinner might justly do so, for he is an unworthy recipient of it. The earth that does not open to swallow us up must often wonder why it is not commissioned to do so, for we are so rebellious against God. We do not deserve the air we breathe or the water we drink. Everything we have is I sweetened with unspeakable mercy. All the good we enjoy comes from God. Remember that! Most people forget it. Let us remember that every good gift comes to us from the divine hand; and, therefore, the Lord is to be praised.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 16:9 ‘worship by fulfilling the duties of one’s station’: “The religion of Jesus Christ has swept away the distinctions people make as to actions being necessarily religious or irreligious. The Christian religion is not confined to hours, times, and places but is a thing of spirit. It pervades the whole human spirit and makes one turn his entire life into worship. God is worshiped by servants who fulfill the duties of their station, by judges who decree righteousness, by merchants who deal justly, by children who obey their parents, and by parents who train up their children in the fear of the Lord. No line is to be drawn anywhere so that we can say, ‘Outside of that we go beyond the sanctuary of religion and get into the outer courts frequented by the multitude.’ Some Christians have supposed that someone could not be a Christian and a politician, too. Hence much injustice has been done. The fact is, when someone feels, ‘There is nothing that belongs to me but what may be consecrated to God,’ and when he says, ‘l, being God’s servant, may take all that belongs to me and devote it as holiness unto the Lord,’ he reaches the highest order of manhood and illustrates the highest style of Christianity. We cannot fully exhibit the spirit of Jesus Christ till we have learned that we must carry out in every place—and in every sphere—the spirit of his religion. While this text first bids us to sing God’s praise, we are next told to talk about his wondrous works. There is a praising for the assembly; there is a talking for the fireside—and both are to be holy. The praise is to be hearty, sincere, unanimous, full of animation; the talk is  to be equally sincere, equally earnest, equally sacred. We are not to say, ‘I have done with praising God,’ when the hymn is over and we begin to open our mouths on ordinary topics. But in our ordinary conversation—in the fields, by the wayside, in the streets, and in our bedrooms—we are still to go on praising God and talking of all his wondrous works.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Chronicles 16: 37-42 ‘regularly … every day’s work’: “The ministry was established with continuity.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Chronicles 16 ‘Challenge’: “Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted Father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Savior of whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offers God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course, a kind of religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarrassing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show.”

• A. W. Tozer, Man, the Dwelling Place of God

1 Chronicles 16 ‘Reflections’: “There is nothing intrinsically wrong with signing a response card. It can be a helpful thing so we know who has made inquiry.
“But really, my brother or sister, we are brought to God and to faith and to salvation that we might worship and adore Him. We do not come to God that we might be automatic Christians, cookie—cutter Christians, Christians stamped out with a die.
“God has provided His salvation that we might be, individually and personally, vibrant children of God, loving God with all our hearts and worshiping Him in the beauty of holiness.
“This does not mean, and I am not saying, that we must all worship alike. The Holy Spirit does not operate by anyone’s preconceived idea or formula. But this I know: when the Holy Spirit of God comes among us with His anointing, we become a worshiping people. This may be hard for some to admit, but when we are truly worshiping and adoring the God of all grace and of all love and of all mercy and of all truth, we may not be quiet enough to please everyone.”

• A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship

 

My Thoughts

Rev. MacArthur states that Saul inquired of God once, but for the most part, David is right.  David does not want to make the same mistake again, but he immediately makes that mistake.

In planning to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, David prepares a tent for the Ark, but then he puts the ark on a cart instead of reading the Law to see how it should be done.  David planned singing and dancing, but not reading the Law of Moses.  David’s point of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem was to inquire of the Lord and he did not do so in getting the Ark to Jerusalem.  Uzzah dies and they dropped the Ark off at Obed-Edom’s home.  Obed-Edom was greatly blessed.

Then the palace, mostly built by Hiram of Tyre and his crews, was built for David.  Other buildings were built for each of his wives.

David then inquired of the Lord about the Philistines and God said He would deliver them into David’s hands.  Then again, the Philistines became trouble.  David again inquires of the Lord.  The Lord changes David’s plan, mostly to let David know that God was defeating the Philistines.

With David learning what was required to carry the Ark, he has a census, of sorts, of the Levites.  He takes the priests and the clan leaders, assigning them to carry the Ark as described in the Law of Moses.  Then he sets up all the rest of the Levites for the singing and dancing.  Asaph becomes prominent at this point.  As David dances into the city, Michal, daughter of Saul, looks down and despises David.

1 Chronicles 16 is mostly a song of praise to God.  The last supplication is for God to save us.  Yes, Lord, we need salvation.

In these chapters, we see David trying to bring the Ark to Jerusalem on his own power and it costs Uzzah his life.  This was preceded by David wanting to inquire of the Lord in everything.  But he did not inquire in the little things.  Yet, he was diligent in inquiring in battle.  David set up everything with music in mind.  David cemented music with worship.

And in the end, the important thing is for God to save us.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

“1 Chronicles 13: 1. If you had been given this deadly ark, as was Obed-Edom (vv.13-14), how would you feel? What steps would you take to avoid God’s curse and ensure his blessing?
“2. Do you treat God with more ‘reverential awe’ or more ‘familiarity’? Why?
“3. What means of grace do you hold sacred? How then do you ‘hold’ them?
“4. Like Uzzah, when have you slipped and acted irreverently? When you fall, who intercedes?
1 Chronicles 14: 1. When David was recognized by Hiram, this helped to secure David’s sense that God had indeed called him. In this regard, whose recognition is important to you?
“2. David‘s first victory was insufficient. How do you react when ‘your best shot’ requires a second effort: Try the same thing? Try something new?
“3. For what things do you ‘inquire of God’? How do you get your answer? How can you tune in better and more often to God’s game plan?

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:6 The Ark brought to Jerusalem: 1. What would a worship service led by David be like in your church? What sights and sounds would surprise you? How would he be received? What would he have to wear? Why?
“2. How does your attire Sunday morning relate to your duties and approach in worship? What attire is forbidden where you worship? What else are you saying by the way you do and don’t dress?
“3. Which of the following would characterize your small group or your personal worship life: (a) Reverential awe? (b) Childlike joy? (c) Special clothing? (d) Conversational prayer? (e) David’s serendipity-like dancing? How do you decide what form of worship is apropos for what occasions?
1 Chronicles 16:7-43 David’s Psalm of Thanks: 1. The occasion for this Psalm was the return of the ark and the establishment of David’s reign. For what occasions might Israel and the Church have used this psalm? How might you use it today?
“2. Of the songs often heard or sung by your family and friends, how many are less than ten years old? Any that are a century old? Any 200 years old? Does your church sing any songs like this one, songs of ancient worship to God (truly oldies but goodies)?
“3. What qualities of Israel’s God mentioned in this psalm of praise, are most comforting to you? What about this God do you find most disturbing? Which divine attribute applies to a current worry or problem of yours?
“4. How is the worship in this psalm multi-racial or multilingual? What multi-tunes do you hear? What multitudes are singing?
“5. If your church were to model its worship service after this multi-pattern, what skills would you have to import? What skills could you grow internally? What would require a spiritual transplant from a donor church? Which donor church would you go to for ideas?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

1 Chronicles 13 and 14 have one set of questions each.  There are two sets of question(s) for 1 Chronicles 15 and 16 as noted above.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.