The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-07-16
HE SABBATH SCHOOL lesson.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JULY 10.
Lesson Text: "The Ark Brought TO
jerusalem" 2 Samuel vi, liz
Golden Text, Psalm Ixxxiv.,
12-Commcntary.

| the chosen men OF Israel. 10000" In
enron KILL. 8, IL Is written that he gathered
! al Israel from Egypt TO Hemath. and It Is
also written in verse OF that chapter that
ne did this after consulting with his cap.
| tains and leaders. His habit was to inuuire
OF the Lord (TI Sam. v. 10, 23), but this
looks like reliance upon the wisdom Of man
rather than upon God. See ps. Nxxvii.. q.
| matter.
2, ITO bring up from thence the ark o,
| God. whose name Ia called by the name of
the Lord of Hosts that dwelleih between
the cherubim.' Baale OF Judah Is Kirjath-
learim (see margin). where the ark had been
| IN the house OF Abinadab in the hull since
| tho Philistines had sent IL home I'm the new
cart q sam. vii. -; probably over nfty
years, Tor IL was there long before Saul was
amounted king, and no reigncd forty years
(Acts Kill. 2D. The ark was the special
symbol OF the presence OF God, and when IL
was nrst mndn He told Moses that Hr would
commune with him from above the mercy
seat, from between tho two cherubim (Ex.
KIM, 22). SO that II was the place OF meet
lhg anu OF communion between God and
man. IL was "a wondrous type OF Christ a.
tho end OF the law for righteousness. and
rs the atonement FOR our sins.
D. Anu they set the ark NJ God upon new
cart II was we'll enough for tho philis.
tines to DO this, for they had no instructions
from God as to His pleasure. hut Israel had
commands from God that the ark shouid bn
porne upon tho shoulders OF the Leviies set
apart Tor that purpose (Num. iv., 24, 25; vii, ,
w David also know this well Il Chron. XIV,
~, nut, leaning upon human wisdom ne %,,
Tor the time turned fromthe wisdom of God.
We must lean wholly upon God In all things.
4, o. And David aud all the house of Is
rael played before the Lord" II was "A low
IuI procession, aud II was seemingly TO tho
glory OF God, for were they not praising
hlm aud bearing His ark triumphantly tn n
place prepared for IL in the Holy CitvJ II
was grand display In n good cause. hut IL
was not according To- Gods commard, and
however we'll thing may look, and though
II may seem to be for Gods honor. Vet ~
contrary to Gods way II Is simply disobeIi-
ence, and His word concerning It IL. "who
hath required this at your hnudy' Isn. l..
l3). As one has said. "The work Of the Lord
must be done In Gods way elsa IL cannot bo
Tor His glory."s
9. "U2zah put forth his hand 10 the ARK OF
God and took hold Of IL, for tho oxen shook
u. The margin says that they stumbled.
This was the beginning OF the trouble that
day, or rather the beginning 90 Gods mani
Test dtsapproval Of this way Of doing things
Tor the trouble began with Davil's not In
quirlng OF the Lord. Then came tho new
cart instead Of the shoulders o' the Levitcs.
This new cart OF David II very suggestive of
all the worldly ways adopted by the people
oi God to-day To carry On what they call tho
Lords work. When Israel adopts Philistine
methods rather than Gol's ways. trouble IA
sure To follow, So when the church tries TO
follow the world In the amusement or enter
tainmcnt business 10 get the world To 90 To-
church. instead Of giving herself to rxnlt
the Lord Jesus Christ and honor His word,
He will in due time manifestly di-own the
whole thing. For every Saul that the pco-
pie oi God honor in their attempts to bc ike
the world the world will piodurs IA Goliath
and thus keep ahead tll some David comes
In the name of the Lord and overcome tho
deners OF God.
Z. And the anger OF the Lord was kim
died against UZzah. and God smote him there
for bis error, and there he died by the ark OF
God" One would think that II there was "A
place OF safety on the face Of the earth IL
would be 10y TIA" ark OF Cod ami yet there
U2zah diod. There Is no life bur In the way
Of Gods commandments.
\, .. And David was displcascd," "And
David WIS afraid" Dsplcasci with tho
Lord and afraid ot the Lord. How unlike
David How unlike tho man VINO. In the
name Of the Lord, had slain Goliath! How
great the contrast between one walking
humhly with Goh and one with some person
or plan between them and God, David's
great thought that day was 10 get the ark OF
We Lord 10 himself at Jerusalem, ~ appears
from this ninth verse. His thought was not
80 much Gods glory aud God's way IA
Davd's glory and David's way Thus the
intimacy between them was for tho timo
broken, and David lost fellowship with God.
10 $50 David would not remove the ark
OF the Lord unto him into tho city Of
David" II was neither the first nor tho
last occasion OF Soie hearts aud msuudnr-
standings, not easily healed, because OF at
tempts 10y the people Of God to adopt
worldly ways. | know Of ono church In
which - al ttH,1 hot
about fourteen years ago. and IN that church
there are TO this day breaches unhralod be-
cause OF IcniOusles OF mi4und"rstHndingS
at that time. | do with my whole heart
believe that festivals and suppcrs. amateur
thcatrlcals, special music by unsavel peO-
ple-in fact, the whole entertainment bust
ness-in tho house Of God must 20 along
with such teaching as the falllbility Of Scrip
ture, the larger hope, no hell, Jesus Christ
our example only and not our substitute IA
being samples OF the work Of the wicked ono
and not Of the spirn OF God.
IL. And tho Lord blessed Obed.edom and
all his household" This is tho record con-
cerning the home whore the ark rested for
three months. When the Lord Jesus is hon
estly and simply received into tho hcnrt,
such one becomes child OF God John l..
l2) and IL blessed with al spiritual blessings
in Christ (Eph. l., -, made partakor OF tho
Divine nature and also Of the glory to be-
revealed q Pet. v, /; ii Pet. l.. A.. Apart
from God there is no blessing, but "Bessed
Is the man that trustcth in Him."
~. David went and brought up tho ark
OF God from the house Of Obed-edOm into
the city OF David with glAdness." The chill
dren OF the Leyites bare the ark Of God upon
their shoulders, with the slaves thereon. ~
Moses commanded, according 10 the word OF
the Lord. This was "after tho due order"
q Chron. xv, 10, l5), but the former pro-
ceeding, which caused the trouble, had no
authority in the commands OF God, though
1t may have been seemingly more eNpedient
than sanctifying tho Levites 10 their work.
We now read or burnt offerings and peace
offerings unto the Lord aud OF the blessings
OF the Lord upon the people. All is well
when we are in Christ and walk In fellow
ship with Him. Lesson Helper.