The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-09-29
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON CONF
MENTs FOR OCTOBER 4.

Subject: David Brings the Ark to Je-
rusalem, 2 Sam. Golden Text,
Ps. 1OO:4-Commit Verse 12-
Read Chron. Chapters 10, Is, 10,
TIME. - 1915 B. c. PLACE
Kirjath-jearim.
EXPOSITION. Il. Bringing Up
Gods Ark in Mans Way, 1-5. This is
one of the most solemn and searching
passages in the entire Bible. IT
teaches lesson needed TO be learned
in our day. 1t shows US how neces-
sary it is to serve God in Gods way.
David's desire to bring up the ark OF
Gods presence into his own city, the
very centre of the national life, was
most commendable; but he should
have inquired from Gods own book
the proper way in which to bring it
up. 1t was declared there with per-
feet plainness (Nu. 4:5-12; 7:9)s
His neglect to consult and obey the
Word of God got David and others as
well into great trouble. Neglect Of
Gods Word has gotten many well
meaning man into great trouble, and
his friends also. The ark was the
symbol of Jehovah's own holy and
glorious presence. Men must be
taught to treat it with the reverence
due to His great and holy Name. It
was the ark of God which is called
by the Name, even the name OF the
Lord of hosts. . The ark was also
remarkable type of Christ. Christ is
Emmanuel, God with us, and the ark
was the symbol of Gods presence
with His people Moreover, in the
ark the law of God was perfectly
kept, and in Christ the law OF God is
perfectly kept. Further still, over
the perfectly kept law was the blood
sprinkled mercy seat where God met
His people eek. 25:18-22). In Christ
we have our blood-sprinkled mercy
seat where God meets and communes
with us David had no intention of
not comforting due honor on the ark
of God He made great and costly
preparations He gathered together
all the CHOSEN men of Israel, thirty
thousand. 1t is often said that it
does not make any difference what a
man believes or does If he is only sim
cere. David was perfectly sincere,
but he was wrong - and it made a.
great deal of difference both to him
and to UZzah David was to blame
for his ignorance. He had the means
of enlightenment If men to-day are
ignorant of what is in the Word Of
/ God and suffer for it, it is their own
fault They cannot blame God for it, Z
though they would often like to. The
ark had been in Kirjath-jearim TWEEN
ty years / Sam 7:1). Men always
get into trouble when they try to i'm
prove on Gods way. God had given
explicit command that the sons of
Kohath bear the ark upon their shout
ders (Nu. 4:4-12; 7:9), and nevs
cart under the circumstances was no
better than an old cart. David had
really learned this improved PLAN
from the heather (cf. l Sam. CT, 81.
That is where all improvements upon
Gods way come from.
III. Gods Judgment on Disobedi-
ence and Irreyerence, 60. David's
folly was soon made manifest. He
/ had sown the seed of disobedience
and soon reaped a harvest of greater
disobedience and death. cart drawn
by oxen, even though it was a new
cart, was no place for the ark; and
trouble soon comes: the oxen STUN
bled." OF course they did, but what
had oxen to do with drawing Gods
ark? The place for that was upon
the shoulders of fit men. 1t was quite
natural for Uzzah to put forth his
hand to steady the ark, but it was al
together wrong. 1t was an act of ex-
| plicit disobedience to God, and of
| gross irreverence. Even the sons of
Kohath, who were divinely appointed
to bear the ark, were not permitted
to touch the ark, or even to look at it
for a moment (Nu. 4:15, 10, 20, r.
V. Those are very solemn words
with which the 18th verse opens. r.
reverence towards God and His holy
T. &c q n a CT, Od IN,
great mercy often deals very sterniy
with it in order that we may know
how He regards it (cf Lev. 24;11-16;
10;1-3; / Sam. 6:19). Even in the
Christian dispensation men are cut
CT when they approach the table that J
sets forth the solemn truth about
Christs atcning death in a thought
less way q Cor. 11:27-30). We do
net need to suppose that Uzzah was
eternally lost. He simply suffered
temporal punishment for his sin, even
unto death (cf. Cor. 11.30-32; g.
81. David was displeased at Gods
judgment; he might much better have
been displeased with his own folly
that made that Judgment necessary.
When he had taken time to think it
over he put the blame where it be-
longed, on himself (1 Chron. 1911.
49,. We are often tempted to be
displeased at Gods judgments when
little honest reflection would show
us that we are to blame ourselves.
and that Gods Judgment is only
merciful way Of bringing us to our
senses.
III. God BIcsses tie Home in
Which He DwelIs, 1912. We have
Just seen God dealing in Judgment,
and now we see Him dealing in mer-
cy. A moment ago all was death,
now all is blessing. Obed-edom was
only heather by descent, a Gittite
(cf oh. 15:19) but he welcomed the
presence of God in his home, and
God blessed Obed. edom and all his
household. Nothing else brings
such blessing to house as the pres
ence of God in it, That ark in his
home was the symbol of Christ in our
homes Where He is there is blesg-
Ing for all (cf. Acts 1851.
Used Roof to Make Coffin.
When A. Johnson, pioneer. for
merly CT Ham Lake, MINI, died in
northwestern Canada, there was not
board or plank with which to build
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