The Tupelo journal., 1908-10-02
David Brings the
Ark to Jerusalem

Specially Arranged for This Paper

DRY verse IL.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Enter into his gates
with Thanksgiving and into his courts
with praise. Psalm 1904.
T~IME.-Either B.. c. 1893 Ussher); or
looZ by revised chronology of the Assy-
Ran Eponym Canons. Prof. Beecher
points out the fact that David's reign OF
IS years in Jerusalem Is divided up into
three periods: l. A period of war and
conquest, about IA years. 2. A period of
rest and upbuilding, about seven years.
5. A period of domestic troubles, about
IL years. This lesson probably belongs
10 the second period. or to a period of
rest during the conquest. But the exact
order of events is not easily obtained
from the narrative.
PLACE.-O The ark had been for a
long time at Kirjath-jearim. about IL
mics west of Jerusalem, in the valley of
Sorek (where Delilah lived. a valley
which leads up from the Philistine coun-
Try toWard Jerusalem. () At house of
Oped-edom between kirjath-jearim and
Jerusalem.
DAVID'S COUNSELORS.-Ahithopnel,
q very shrewd man; Nathan, the proph-
et' and Joab, his chief general.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Long Period of Decline.-For
~ years the ark as the center of re-
hgious worship had lain in partial neg
lect. Soon after the settlement of the
lsraelites in Palestine Joshua de-
posted the ark at Shiloh, 20 miles
north of Jerusalem, and ten miles
north of Bethel Josh. 18:1). 1t was
still there at the close of the period
OF the Judges Il Sam. 1:3); and Sam
uel lived at Shiloh with Eli. The sons
OF Eli had carried the ark from Shi-
lob into a battle against the Philis.
tines, hoping that God would give
them the victory for the sake of this
symbol OF his worship. But God did
not reward wickedness in that way.
The ~lsraelites were defeated, and the
Philistines captured the ark But the
Lord would not permit them to retain
1t. Their idol, Dagon, fell before it.
The people were smitten with severe
sickness wherever the ark was sent.
Finally it was restored to Israel, and
sent up the Sorek valley as far as
klrJath-jearim, II miles southwest of
Jerusalem, in the house of Abinadab
on the hill q Sam. I'D, who put it
under the charge of one Of his sons
The neglect of the ark and it's separ-
alton from its place in the tabernacle
at Shiloh, with one high priest follow
ing Saul and another David, shows to
what a low and divided state religion
had fallen in Israel under Saul. The
neglect of the means of religion. of
places of worship, and set times for
devotion is generally accompanied by
a decline in the spirit of religion. 1t
is both a sign of the decline and a
means toward it.
pose from the former gatherings for
war. Thirty thousand" representa-
tives of the whole people. According
to Chronicles, they came as far as
from Shihor, SO miles south of GAIA,
and from Klamath in Lebanon, $50
miles north of Jerusalem. The restor-
alton must be a national act, or it
would lose much of its unifying power.
The joyful procession and the re-
ligious enthusiasm were married by
an act of disobedience, where a good
thing was done in a wrong way.
The first error was committed by
transporting the ark by a cart instead
of in the way ordained by God Mum
bers ~. The ark was to be carried by
Levites.
The next error grew out of this first
one. The jagged bridlepaths of those
parts are not al all adapted for
wheeled conveyances," and when the
procession had reached Nachon's
threshing-foor, the oxen shook the
ark, were throwing it down." and
CO. "UZzah put forth his hand to the
ark of God" to keep it from falling
to the ground. If he had carried the
ark as he was commanded, he would
not have been tempted to this second
disobedience.
was kindled." Not passion, but rath-
er indignation-that feeling which
makes him hate sin and compels him
to punish it. All that was loving and
good in God was aroused against the
act. And God smote him there"
Why this severity? % 1t was a d.
rect, double disobedience. ca The
wrong was enhanced by the fact that
it was committed by a man who as a
son of Abinadab had been with the
ark, and should have known the law.
go 1t was a public d~isobedience in
matters of religion. 1t was a d~eSecra-
ton of the hottest symbol of their re-
1so;on II u,oc rnnlfuI ~ +h0 o,%.A4 a.
prove to the people the necessity of
exact obedience, and hence the careful
study of Gods law.
A Note of Encouragement. 1. There
was real encouragement in the fact
that God was so careful of the religion
of the Jews that he expressed by his
act the value of religion, and i'm
pressed it so deeply on their hearts.
2. The blessing that rested upon the
family of Obed-edom through the pres
ence of the symbol of religion in his
house was a foretaste and a promise,
and a prophecy of what it would be to
the nation.
A fuller description of this festival
procession is given in l Chronicles Is
and 16.
1T was the greatest day of David's
life. It's significance in his career is
marked by his own preeminent posi-
tion-conQueror, poet, musician, priest,
in one. 1t was felt to be a
turning-point in the history of the ma
ton. David was on that day the foun-
der, not of freedom only, but of an
empire; not Of religion only, but of a
church and commonwealth"