The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-26
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pie. No other city has so deeply won
the spiritual allegiance of so widely
| separated a race, or held it for so
| long, as the city of David, toward
which, to this day, the eyes of Jews
in exile everywhere turn Iongingly.
A vital religious appeal always
awakens response. In our own day,
the men who strike boldly into the
realm of spiritualfties get a hearing.
Certain charlatans and mountebankS,
who perceive this truth to which some
ardent preachers of the gospel are
blind. get a large following by their
insistence upon the life of the spirit
Wherever men hear the note of fresh,
actual religious truth sounded, thither
will they rally, even as Israel resorted
to the ark.
A Historic Chest.
Israel's history was wrapped up in
that small oblong box called the Ark
of the Covenant. What the Magma
Charta is to England. what the Dec
laratlon Of independence is to the
United States, the ark was to Isreal-
their most precious national posses
sion. Therein were the tablets of
stone containing the decalogue which
had been borne down from Mount
Sinai by Moses. Therein was the pot
of mamma Therein was Aaron's rod
that budded. Therein was the Book of
Law. There was the mercy seat, over
Swallowed by the wings of the Cheru-
bin. This was the ark that had gone
before the marching children of Is
rael and opened the waters of Jor-
dan. 1t was the ark that had put to
fight the enemies of the kingdom. AS
the visible emblem of the presence and
leadership and covenant of Jehovah,
the ark held a unique place in the
life of the chosen people.
All that the recovery of the Holy
Sepulchre meant to the Crusaders, and
more, the removal of the ark to Jeru-
salem meant to the children of Israel.
For seventy years it had been lying
in partial neglect. Part of the time
it had been in the hands of the Philis-
tines. Now II was in the house of
Abinabab, eleven miles southwest of
Jerusalem. It's absence from the
tabernacle at Shiloh, and its neglected
condition, indicate the low state of re-
ligion in the kingdom. After it's in
stallation at the center of worship by
David the ark became a revered and
honored object. When the city was
destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the ark
disappeared. There are many persons
today, as there have been through all
the centuries since. who cherish the
inextinguishable hope that, like many
lesser treasures of antiquity, the ark
will one day be found and restored to
the people of the covenant-ke eping
God.
Death for the Profaner.
There are right and wrong ways of
doing everything from driving a tack
to ruling nation. In the first re-
moval OF the ark, David showed in
and haste, and a de-
sire to hold the center of the process
sion himself. He neglected the divine
ritual and the directions for the treat
ment of the ark. There was plenty of
pomp. but a lack Of reverence and
adherence to the law in the removal
OF the sacred object. 1t was treated
like a mere chest OF gold or any other
common treasure. When the oxen
which drew it stumbled, Uzzah put
forth his hand to steady their bur-
den-which never should have been
carried, except on the shoulders of
Levites.
For this act of indiscretion he was
smitten dead. By this terrible retri-
button David and the nation were
sternly reminded of the awfulness of
God. Even the king in his exaltation
seems to have forgotten the greatness
and glory and majesty of Jehovah, of
whom 1t is written, "Holy and rever-
end is His name" The progressive
Christians who are turning their
churches into concert halls. and who
cheapening it. need to study this tragic
episode of Uzzah. There are some
persons who perceive the sacredness
of the national flag more clearly than
they do the sacredness of the things
of God. Significantly the record runs:
"And David was afraid of Jehovah
that day" a. wholesome experience
for the popular and successful king.
Correcting a Kings BIunder.
Terrified and mystifed by the death
of UzZah, the removal of the ark was
halted, and it remained with the house
of Obededom for three months. to the
rich blessing of that household. Da-
vid, seeing this, would not be without
the favor that followed the presence
of the Ark of the Covenant. So he
organized a great religious festival,
this time taking heed to obey the di-
vine directions. Proper formality was
observed throughout. David divided
the honors and responsibilities with
other men. The priests were invested
with the dignity which belonged to
them. A spectacular procession and
ceremony, with music and dancing,
was arranged, the ark being conducted
with all the pomp and reverence that
its sacrednes merited.
have seen in Japan religious fes-
rivals. when the Shinto ark from the
temple was carried in great procession
with music and shouting and dancings
and crowds of people lining the high
ways. Similar, but on a vastly greater
scale was this procession to Jerusalem
, 1t was the greatest day in David's
life, and perhaps the greatest day in
old IsraePS history; for the truth runs
forever, that a nation is at its best
when God and religion are given their
right place in the right way.
Promising and Paying.
Terse Comments on the Uniform
Prayer-Meeti Topic of the Young