1 Chron. 13-15
The first time David attempted to move the Ark of the Covenant, he did it wrong. He did not follow the instructions that God had given back when the Ark was first made. As a result, a man died. My question is why did they get it wrong? Were they not aware of God’s instructions? Had it been so long since they had moved the Ark that the procedure had been forgotten? 1 Chronicles 13:1 says that David had consulted with the commanders and leaders of Israel, but I wonder if he had consulted any of the Levites, who were responsible for such things. Or if he consulted with God on the matter. There were certainly Levites involved with the move – did none of them know the proper procedure or did they not think it important?
We can’t know the answers to these questions, but we do know that the second attempt was done properly. 1 Chronicles 15:2 says, “Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever.” David said. I can’t help but think that, had David been aware the first time, he would have done it right the first time. It seems to me that those responsible for knowing either didn’t know or didn’t speak up for whatever reason. So did somebody finally inform him this time, or did he go and seek the answer himself?
What I do notice is that in between these two efforts there were two attacks by the Philistines (assuming these events happened in the order written). Each time, David both consulted and obeyed God’s word concerning how to handle the attacks. Perhaps this was already David’s habit before going to battle, but could it be that the first incident with the Ark taught David a very valuable lesson about consulting God before acting? That might explain how and why David determined to try again to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, this time following God’s instructions.
Whatever the case, today’s reading is a reminder to me of the importance of seeking God in all that I do – something I don’t do often or earnestly enough. I tend to take for granted that God is there and will guide me, but I don’t make the specific effort to seek and to ask. This seems to me to be what David’s mistake was. Perhaps I, like David, can learn to fear God and get it right.
1 Cor. 9
What I see from Paul’s words in this chapter is that our objective determines our behavior. Something of an obvious statement, but worth a deeper look. Paul had rights and freedoms as an apostle and minister of God’s word. But he didn’t claim any of them. Why? Because his main objective was to win as many to Christ as possible. As he saw it, being concerned with his own rights and freedoms stood in the way of that objective. He was giving up what he deserved on earth to gain more for eternity. He was storing up his treasures in heaven. There would have been nothing wrong with claiming some of those rights and freedoms, but Paul chose not to.
I am no Paul, for sure, but this does make me question what I am willing to sacrifice for Christ’s gain. What is my primary objective in life? Is it to be happy and comfortable and give to God where it fits in? Or is it to “let [my] light shine before others, so that they may see [my] good works and give glory to [my] Father who is in heaven”? (Matt. 5:16). How would a shift in my objective alter my behavior?