This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
1CHRONICLES
1 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
2 And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:
3 And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.
4 And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
Now that David was king, and all these men (mentioned in chapter 12) were still with him, he desired to have the CENTER of their lives filled with the worship of God. He also desired to see the whole NATION have God at the CENTER of their lives.
5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-je'arim.
6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-je'arim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
All were in agreement, and all wanted the right thing. But one mistake was made. David is the king, and the king is supposed to have a copy of the law right by him at all times. And he was supposed to READ in that law EVERY day. (See Deuteronomy 17:18-19)
8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
It was a great and festive occasion. Much praise was offered to God for the deliverance He had given this nation.
9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
10 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.
But when the cart hit a bump and the ark began to slide, Uzzah put out his hand to "hold" it. And God struck him DEAD!
11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
Two words stand out in verses 11 and 12: displeased and afraid.
In 1Kings 6, we learn that David's son Adonijah wanted to be king. He let everyone know that. And the Bible says,
In that particular incident with the ark, David was corrected by the Lord.
13 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.
14 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.
Therefore, David allowed the ark to remain in the house of another man - Obededom. What a wonderful blessing it was to Obededom!
Friends, when we CARE about the presence and the Word of God, we'll be BLESSED! Please continue in Bible Study with us.
CHAPTER 13
Now THAT'S what I call a LEADER!
So David called a conference with all the leaders, and asked if it didn't seem right to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem and set up a central worship place.
All the men were in agreement that this would be the right thing to do.
David obviously had not been doing his HOMEWORK!
Instead of the Levites carrying the ark as God's Word outlined, they built a new cart and loaded the ark on that.
God was angry because direct disobedience had been shown. According to 1Chronicles 6:29, this Uzza was a Levite, and should have KNOWN he wasn't supposed to touch the ark.
Do you, like me, ever wonder sometimes why things go WRONG in your life? Well, here's a question to ponder: Are you studying your Bible every day and living by the directions God gives in it? I find that in my life, when things go wrong, it's because I haven't been following God's directions.
To HAVE the Word of God near us is one thing. But to fail studying in it every day is to tell God that we want to lead life OUR way.
There were "staves" which ran along the side of the ark through metalic hoops. Those staves were to be used by the Levites to carry the ark so that they wouldn't touch it.
The ark represented the presence of God and it held the word of God. I believe this speaks to our lives today. God is angry with His children when they MIShandle His presence and His Word!
The word displeased means to have displeasure - or to NOT be pleased. But this word also carries with it the connotation of chastisement. Let's see an example with that.
"And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying 'Why hast thou done so?'"
In other words, David had not CORRECTED or CHASTISED his son concerning his sin.
Now, the other word, "afraid," is representative of RESPECT. Here it means holy reverence.
David was afraid he'd displease God again, and be displeased BY God again.
It was a blessing just to be the "caretaker" for a while. But God also blessed Obededom tremendously while he cared for the ark.