How Shall The Ark Come To Me

How shall the ark of God come to me? Greater than Shakespeare’s probing the human experience with the question, "to be or not to be?" David’s question here is one which strikes terror, anxiety, frustration in the souls of men. The ark of God, now enfamed by Indiana Jones, was said to be the place in which God’s tangibly dwelt on earth. A box of acacia wood layered with gold, overarched by the wings of two cherubim. Between the cherubim, God’s glory dwelt with such reality as to inflict pain on the Philistines, yet eternal preservation for the manna, the commandments and Aaron’s rod.

Yet in our passage, David experienced the terror of God’s judgment that he presumed only came on Philistines. How could such judgment come upon the physical descendents of Abraham? Yet human efforts to attain God’s blessings fail even when attempted by God’s people. Just as Paul asked of the Galatian believers, shall you complete in your flesh what God has begun with His Spirit? There is only one way to be blessed of God. There is only one way to have the ark of God come to you. There is only one way to experience God’s glory. Jesus said I am the WAY. . .No man comes to the Father but by me. David sought to know this and cried in fear as he desired the lost glory, "How shall the ark of God come to me?"

1. David arose to bring up the ark of God (had been in house of Abinadab since Eli was the high priest & Ichabod was born)

2. Set the ark of God on a NEW cart -- commanded to be carried on shoulders of priest suspended on a tree

a. Difference in priest & ark -- one living mediator & other faulty human construction

3. Abinadab & his son Uzzah had sheltered the ark for 60 years in Gibeah (hometown of Saul). Uzzah treated ark as Saul treated anointing, presumptuously, as commonplace & ordinary rather than holy.

4. Uzzah steadied the ark with His hand -- God does not need your help, you need His reverence

5. Uzzah died by the ark. This is not an extreme act of God’s justice. This is God’s holiness encountered. When we sin and don’t see this we are seeing God’s mercy.

6. The Lord blessed Obededom and all his household and all that belongs unto him because of the ark of God.

a. Obededom was from town of Gath (Gittite) who housed the ark for a while

b. He then followed it back to Jerusalem and became a porter to serve near the ark the rest of his life. His descendants

c. His descendants then also served as porters in the temple near the ark

d. Blessing on Obededom let David see the ark did not just bring death. It brings blessings to the blessed and death to the presumptuous.

e. Ark caused disease and torment on God’s enemies but blessings on all the home & possessions of Obededom. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. It was not the ark, but the God of the ark.

7. David was afraid of the Lord, "HOW SHALL THE ARK OF THE LORD COME TO ME?"

a. He realized human attempts would never attain the glory of God.

b. Ark had to come born by the priests

c. Ark had to come with blood sacrifices

d. Six paces then sacrifice, following pattern of God in creation. Six days of work, then worship of resting admiring the sacrifice.

e. Ark had to come with holy reverence

f. David humbled himself, he did not wear royal garments, but priestly -- linen ephod. He functioned as a royal priest by offering sacrifices.

g. David rejoiced in his election, "It was before the Lord who chose me."

h. David’s vision of Calvary -- he blessed the people in the Name of the Lord, serving them bread, flesh & wine.

i. David’s unspoken revelation is further revealed in verse 17, David had pitched a tabernacle for the ark.

j. David set the ark in the center of the tent (not in the back where only the high priest could go annually) but in the court where all could see.