The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-07-18

4. Again David gathered together all
Che chosen men Of Israel, 80, O00." In l
Chron. xiii, 5, 1t is written that he gath.
Ted all Israel from Egypt TO Hemath, and
tt Is also written In verse OF that chapter
that he did this after consulting with his
captains and leaders. His habit was to
inquire OF the Lord Oh Sam. v, 10, 23),
but this looks like reliance upon the wis
dom OF man rather than upon God. See
Ps. xxxyii, o; Prov. iii, 8, 8, for the right
way In every matter.
2. ITO bring up from thence the ark OF
God, whose name is called by the name Of
the Lord of Hosts that dwelletb between
the cherubim." Baale of Judah is Kirjath-
jearim (see margin), where the ark had
been In tho house of Abinadab In the hill
since the Philistines had sent it home in
the new cart q Sam. vii, ID; probably over
30 years, for IL was there long before Saul
was anointed king. and he reigned 40
years (Acts xiii, 2l). The ark was the
special symbol of the presence of God. and
when IL was first made He told Moses that
He would commune with him from above
the mercy seat. from between the two
cherubim lex. XIV, 22). So that 1t was
the place OF meeting and of communion
type of Christ as the end of the law for
righteousness, and as the atonement for
our sins.
3. And they set the ark of God upon a
new cart. 1t was well enough for the
Philistines to do this, for they had no In
structions from God as to His pleasure,
but Israel had commands from God that
the ark should be borne upon the shoulders
OF the Levites set apart for that purpose
(Num. iv, "a, 20; vii, %. David also knew
this well Il Chron. XIV, y, but, leaning
upon human wisdom, he was for the time
turned from the wisdom Of God. We
must lean wholly upon God In all things.
4, 8. "And David and all the house Of
Israel played before the Lord" 1t was a
joyful procession, and It was seemingly to
the glory of God, for were they not prais.
ing Him and bearing His ark triumphant
ly TO a place prepared for il in the Holy
City, 1t was a grand display In q good
cause, but 10 was not according to Gods
command, and however well thing may
look, and though IL may seem to be for
Gods honor, yet II contrary to Gods way
1t is simply disobedience, and His word
concerning IL is, "Who hath required this
at your hands" lisa !, 49, AS one has
said, "The work OF the Lord must be done
In Gods way, else IL cannot DO for His
glory"
8. "Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark
OF God and took hold of 1t, for the oxen
shook it," The margin says that they
stumbled. This was the beginning OF the
trouble that day, or rather the beginning
of Gods manifest disapproval of this way
of doing things, for the trouble began
with David's not inquiring of the Lord.
Then came the new cart instead of the
shoulders Of the Levites. This new cart of
David Is very suggestive of all the worldly
ways adopted by the people of God today
to carry on what they call the Lord work
When Israel adopts Philistine methods
rather than Gods ways, trouble Is sure to
follow, so when the church tries to follow
the world In the amusement or entertain
ment business TO get the world TO go to
church, instead of giving herself to exalt
the Lord Jesus Christ and honor His word,
He will In due time manifestly dlsown the
whole thing. For every Saul that the peo-
pie of God honor In their attempts to be
like the world the world will produce
Goliath and thus keep ahead till some
David comes In the name of the Lord and
overcomes the defiers Of God.
2. "And the anger of the Lord was kin
died against Uzzah, and God smote him
there for his error, and there he died by
the ark of God" One would think that IL
there was place of safety on the face Of
the earth IL would be by the ark of God,
and yet there Uzzah died. There Is no life
but in the way Of Gods commandments.
8, Q. "And David was displeased, " "And
David was afraid" Displeased with the
Lord and afraid of the Lord. How unlike
David! How unlike the man who, in the
name of the Lord, had SLAIN Goliath How
great the contrast between one walking
with God and one with some per-
son or plan between them and God
David's great thought that day was TO get
the ark of the Lord TO himself at Jerusa-
lem, as appears from this ninth verse.
His thought was not so much God glory
and Gods way as David's glory and Da-
vid's way. Thus the intimacy between
them was for tho time 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" It was neither the first nor the
last occasion of sore hearts and misunder-
not easily healed, because of at
tempts by the people OF God to adopt
worldly ways. i know of one church in
which their last fair or festival was held
about IA years ago, and in that church
there are to this day breaches unhealed be-
cause Of joalousies or misunderstanding
nc that time. / do with my whole heart
believe that festivals and suppers. amateur
special music by unsaved peo-
ple--in fact, the whole entertainment bust
tho house of God must go along
with such teaching as the fallibility of
Scripture, the larger hope, no hell, Jesus
Christ our example only and not our sub
stitute, rs being samples Of the work of
the wicked one and not of the spirit of
Sod.
IL. "And the Lord blessed Obed edom
md all his household" This Is the record
the home where the ark rested
'or three months. When the Lord Jesus
s honestly and simply received into the
heart, such one becomes child Of God
John 4, 12) and is blessed with all spiritual
in Christ (Eph. !, 81, made a
,artaker of the Divine nature, and also OF
he glory to be revealed q Pet. v, 1; ii
Pet. 4, ~. Apart from God there is no
blessing, but blessed is the man that
rusteth in Him."
~. David went and brought up the
Irk Of God from the house of Obed -edom
nto the city OF David with gladness."
rhe children of the Levites bare the ark Of
iod upon their shoulders, with the slaves
hereon, as Moses commanded, according
o the word Of tho Lord. This was after
he due order" U Chron. XIV, 10, 15), but
he former proceeding, which caused the
rouble, had no authority in the commands
4 God, though IL may have been seemingly
more expedient than sanotifying the Lee
tics 10 their work. We now read Of burnt
iferings and peace offerings unto the
ord and Of the blessing Of the Lord upon