The Ark To Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15)

Was the ark of the covenant sacred because of the covenant that it contained? What things are sacred in the New Testament? Let’s look at 1 Chronicles 15.

Did David finally learn who only may touch the sacred chest, the ark of the covenant?

After he had built houses for himself in David’s City, David prepared a place for God’s chest and pitched a tent for it. David said, “Only the Levites may carry God’s chest, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the Lord’s chest and to minister to him forever.” (1 Chr 15:1-2 CEB)

Was bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem cause for great celebration?

Next, David invited everyone to come to Jerusalem and watch the sacred chest being carried to the place he had set up for it. He also sent for Aaron's descendants and for the Levites. The Levites that came were: Uriel, the leader of the Kohath clan, and 120 of his relatives; Asaiah, the leader of the Merari clan, and 220 of his relatives; Joel, the leader of the Gershon clan, and 130 of his relatives; Shemaiah, the leader of the Elizaphan clan, and 200 of his relatives; Eliel, the leader of the Hebron clan, and 80 of his relatives; and Amminadab, the leader of the Uzziel clan, with 112 of his relatives. (1 Chr 15:3-10 CEV)

Did David learn about the sacred chest being carried only by Levites?

Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord. (1 Chr 15:11-15 ESV)

How important was the concept of having singers in such a sacred service?

Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. (1 Chr 15:16-18 HCSB)

How important was the concept of having instrumental music in such a sacred service?

The singers included Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (who played bronze cymbals). Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah played harps to accompany the women singers, and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah led on lyres, sounding the octaves. Chenaniah, music leader for the descendants of Levi, served as music director, because he was expert at it. Berechiah and Elkanah served as gatekeepers for the ark. Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests were appointed to sound the trumpets before the Ark of God, and Obed-edom and Jehiah were trustees for the ark. (1 Chr 15:19-24 ISV)

Were there many involved in celebrating the arrival of the ark of the covenant?

So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obededom with joy. And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. (1 Chr 15:25-26 KJV)

Did David’s mode of worship and celebration bring criticism from his wife Michal? Do we criticize different worship styles, based merely on human preferences?

Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. Thus all Israel was bringing up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres. Now it happened as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and celebrating; and she despised him in her heart. (1 Chr 15:27-29 LSB)