Going After God

GOING AFTER GOD

2 Samuel 6:1-19

David is now secure in his position as King of Israel. The nation had gathered themselves around him and anointed him to be their king. While David was certainly grateful for the peace that existed in Israel in those days; he knew that Israel was still far away from the Lord.

During the days of Saul, Israel had lost sight of their relationship with the Lord. David wanted to make that situation right. He wanted to bring his people back to God.

To do this, David knew that he was going to have to lead the nation in going after God.

Our passage opens with David leading a massive army to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant from the house of a man named Abinadab who held it for 20 years. David knew that Israel would never be where they needed to be with the Lord spiritually until the Ark was restored as the centerpiece of Israelite worship and everyday life.

The Ark of the Covenant was built at the command of the Lord in Ex. 25:10-22 when God gave command for Moses to build the Tabernacle.

The word Ark means “chest or box.” The Ark was a box of wood that measured 45” long and 27” wide by 27” high.

This box was overlaid in pure gold. It was topped by a golden grate called the Mercy Seat. On either side of the Mercy Seat, were two golden cherubim.

Inside the Ark was a golden pot of manna; Aaron’s rod that budded and the two tables of the Law that was given to Moses at Mount Sinai.

It was here that God promised to meet with His people.

It was here that the blood of the atonement was placed on the Day of Atonement. It was here that the shekinah glory of God rested as the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness.

This Ark was vital to worship in Israel. It was symbolic of God’s presence among His people.

It was often carried into battle in front of the soldiers. It was central to their lives; their worship and their relationship with God.

But, the Ark had not been kept in the central position that it deserved; and, as a result, neither had God.

You see, way back in the days of Eli, some 100 years earlier, the Ark had been taken by the Philistines, 1 Sam. 4:11. and the Lord punished the Philistines the whole time the Ark was in their possession, 1 Sam. 5-6.

Their solution was to place the Ark on a new cart and allow the cattle that pulled the Ark to take the box back to Israel.

So, after 100 years, David is about to take 30,000 men from Israel and lead them by example in how to go after God.

Today we don't have an Ark like Israel did; but we have God's presence and like they needed God's presence we need the presence of God as well.

We need God in us, on us and around us...we need His power and manifested presence to be in our lives and our worship.

This is what this passage is saying to us about this subject of going after God and bringing back His presence and His power.

I. v. 1-2 THE DESIRE OF DAVID’S HEART - DAVID HAD A DESIRE

David as a man who cared about the things that God cared about; he loved what God loved; hated what God hated; his heart beat in time with God’s.

This aspect of David’s character is revealed in the desire of David’s heart.)

David’s desire was clear and simple. He wanted the Ark returned to its place as the centerpiece of worship and devotion in Israel. He wanted God to be placed back in the center of the national consciousness. David was seeking to unify a formerly divided nation with God as their true King once again. He desired God’s presence, God’s blessing and God’s guidance.

David wasn't motivated by any ulterior motives. He was not after glory or power; all David merely wanted to see was God restored to His proper place as the Sovereign God of the nation of Israel. He strongly desired that God would be glorified among the people of Israel.

David knew that neither he nor Israel would amount to anything without the presence and power of God.

David knew they did not possess the power or the ability to fend for themselves. They needed God.

Again , they needed His presence and His power.

Therefore, David sat out to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem to restore it to a place of prominence in the eyes of the nation.

We need hearts like David. We need a heart that beats after God, His power and His presence. We need to learn the lesson that we can do nothing without God, John 15:5.