We read in 2-Samuel 6:9-15 (WEB) in the story of the Ark of the Covenant’s return to Israel from the Philistines . . . .
David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, “How could Yahweh’s ark come to me?” So David would not move Yahweh’s ark to be with him in David’s city; but David carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house. Yahweh’s ark remained in Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house three months; and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom and all his house. King David was told, “Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that belongs to him, because of God’s ark.”
So David went and brought up God’s ark from the house of Obed-Edom into David’s city with joy. When those who bore Yahweh’s ark had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf. David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up Yahweh’s ark with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
God designed the Ark of the Covenant to have two staves for bearing it on the shoulders of four priests. There were 4 positions for 4 priests to bear it. They knew fearful consequences would follow if they did not do exactly as Yahweh commanded. This was the way the Ark must be carried every time it was moved from one place to another. Do as he says!
The house of Obed-Edom had been greatly blessed by the presence of the Ark—the presence of the Living God. The presence of God always brings joy and peace and spiritual prosperity. For us under the New Covenant, we have the assurance of the wonderful presence of the Lord and the remarkable indwelling of the Holy Spirit—if we do it God’s way.
The understanding of his awesome presence must have been an encouragement to those priests entrusted with bringing the holy box into David’s city—if they did it God’s way.
Imagine how carefully and fearfully the new bearers would have acted now since the death of Uzzah when the Philistine oxen stumbled and Uzzah tried to steady it. No doubt they took up the Ark of God in fear and trembling, upon their shoulders. We notice they took only six steps. Would they survive? They surely trusted in God’s orders and no one would die.
And then they rested, no doubt in great relief. How they praised and thanked God, and offered sacrifices with great joy. Maybe they proceeded in this manner, six steps at a time, for the entire journey. Maybe not.
So do we think we can help God out, extend his kingdom and plans by doing what seems more up-to-date or what tradition demands? We do so at great cost when we ignore God’s plans for his people.
Apparently we do. We do it our way so often. We ignore the model—Jesus.
We think we can worship God and minister and meet together a better or quicker way than the example passed by Jesus to the apostles and recorded in the scriptures.
How foolish this is. Dumb. Clueless. Ignorant. If we are to think we know better than Jesus.
God is a lot wiser than we. God always knows best and by obeying him we are shielded us from disaster, disunity, powerlessness, authority-challenged, peddling misinformed doctrines and witnessing waek, miserable outcomes.
We must God’s commands and his example in his Son, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge reside. We must follow his word. Do it his way.
The order we find laid out in God’s word for us seems so . . . yesteryear, impractical.
They did not dare think ‘why carry ‘the Ark’ on our shoulders when we can put it on wheels?’ That is what the pagans did and it was OK. So efficient! Much quicker!
Many trusted, respected teachers are teaching not what our heavenly Father has taught them in the scriptures, but useless, empty, corrupt tradition. Well-meaning ‘I’m in charge here’ pastors and fake priests simply chant out the age-long mantras for the faithful to hear and remain dormant and subject to misinformation, keeping them from rising up with faith and joy in their redemption and enjoyment of what God has done in Christ.
Why is it that no one hears sermons on 1 Corinthians 12—14. For example, (12:11) But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one in the (local ekklesia) separately as he desires. To each one! And (12:19-20) For the body is not one member, but many. (12:14) If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now they are many members, but one body’.
So where is THIS BODY to be found?
I cannot find even one—what I see is one-man ministry, clergy-laity divide, numerous programs instead of equipping the people, money and business models.
Why is there is only infrequent teaching on healing the sick—there’s plenty on ‘praying for the sick’. Who is training young men to go out into the marketplace with spiritual weaponry downloaded by the Lord and learning how to heal the sick?
This is rank disobedience or abject unbelief—or both.
We must all change our way of doing God’s will. Surely his patience with us is amazing.
Do it his way.
Ian Thomson 