Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-03

melody. The text implies ,verSe :, nay
me he"pIe United with him. forming l.
s'"Hu orchestra. as thcv PASSED along
me WAY y" shouts of laughter ua
boasts a: personal achievement no iuu.l
d''Istlhi> hvTalding the approach of Iin
'IieHtN' ""r" heard. hat rather the
S""rl' trn""r sounds that echoed tl.
nedrtS emotions and waited praise %
RASHNESS Az Narhon's thrashins
m mo- '.I, pro- .SSion suddenly halted. ~
"a on" "i IN" keAlierS of the ark lad
n"tn instantly smitt"n with death TlHs
SAD event was regarded As = dir.rt , ~
'd'loh from God tv"rs. - The manner
az tH'l c"ath. ar some incident nor 70
."i ueu' Indicated til" divine displeasurr
ne precise nature of the offeuse * ,ot
Stated. but may be inferred The oxp,
WHO We're hauling the ark stumbled ana
caused ii TO shake. and Izzah nut our
ms hand 10 steady il. There should have
been no oxen employed David annea,s
To have followed the examnle Of ~.
IhliiStines Il Sam. vi:2-1tD and 10 have,
i"fS"'t"n the law which required the ark
10 Toe borne on the shoulders of priests
tNumh. iv:l"l. The terrible death NAV
nave Decl "a punishment for this irreg,-
laflty. 1t may b" that Izzah had he
come careless and irreverent. partly be-
cause of this mode Of handling the Ga,
, ,ied vessel and partly because OF lis
long connection with ii. AS its custodian
he may have indulsed I'm a famiIiaritv
n"t longer To be tolerated. somew har after
me spirit Of Nadab and Abihu in The
Wilderness Hev. X:1-5D
a,.,. rEA ri NG.-rhe purpose TO carry TN"
ARK TO Jerusalem WAS abandoned In the
pieS"nce OF the dead David was con-
FUSED and afraid. lie had reason Ia
.iilhk mat 10 some extent he also wa =
da 80. was God pleased with his un-
w" '. ltIh.nS Ought the ark TO b. Pc
i'oNed: Was this the proper time for
itS removal" Had the right method heen
sm,pioyed? Such questions would na,u-!
.ana arse IN the mind of the king AS he
soueHt Tor an explanation Of this disas #
UI. HOW often in this life good men fird
themselves and their projects over
mheiined by mysterious interpretations o.
80 iN iuence: There was othing for Ds-
VIA TO do but TO wait and learn the Mill
vi ,Iod. The ark swas therefore carried
asiue 10 the house of Obededom tho (;it
tile II enron. Xiii:13) q Leyite az Az,
.rts OF holath. entitled to receive it
men the people dispersed to their bopes
otolhariiy one would be greatly ,,,s.,
pointed at the failure of a measure =,
t ,;h announced Did David lose pres
.ier Win the people? Were they disposed
10 critlclSe linn or TO question: his lnador
snip: The Scripture does not answer
bLESSlNG.-The entrance of Tho
q mo ms rome proved immensely prof.
i,apie TO obed-edom. The very fact OF
.a1 Ing Al there was mark of confidence
,liiu distlhctlon that give him national
hohor. Besides. the ark was the sanr.u-i
a'S VI the dlVlne presence. and God dwelt
IN IL ana blessed those who received IL.
DuihhS the three months in which this
good man kept his trust, he was album
oahtIE and openly rewarded. even az la
pan was favored for Jacobs sake Gen.
NM The blessing of God WAS both
spiritual and material There was a di-
rect influence upon the soul, bringing
peace and gladness, and an attendfn,
good entering into all worldly affairs.
tDeut, xviii :3-6) Such was The bless
ing that came upon Joseph in Egypt
onsh., NNNX:3). upon Job in the latter
end of life Ooh. xlii:1o). upon Abraham
ana the patriarchs. (Gen., xv:D. Solo
mon understood this, and referred 10 il
Nrov. iii:3-1O. as did also the last of tn.
prophets fMaL, iii:10).
ENCOCRAGED-The blessing that
came upon Obed-edom was apparent 10
all. The gifts Of God cannot be conceal
ed They are SO rich and numerous, withal
SO peculiar as TO point directly to their
Oliver. and thus become the DISTINGUISHING
marks of His favor Matt. yi:ls). Com
ment is excited and ere long the prosper
lty or good man becomes a standing
proof that God loves his own. a most
valuable method of advancing religion
prov. iii:16-1O. Word was brought 10
David concerning Obed-edoms fortune.
He learned that the ark was not TO be
feared: that its presence was greatly TO
he desired. The interval since Uzzaii's
death may have been improved in medi-
tatlon upon the whole matter, and his pur-
pose was reawakened and his plan revised.
Particularly did he provide this time that
the ark should be borne by the priests
q Chron., Nv:2). and that place. a
tabernacle. should be prepared for ID in
advance. Moreover. the Levites sanctified
themselves for the occasion Il Chron.,
xv:12). And when all details were ar
ranged a procession was formed a. before
and the ark was carried with rejoicing
into the city.
CONCLUSION.-His care for the
ark proof of David's piety. Tn
like his predecessor. he relied upon the
help of God for success i'm the adminis; ra-
ton Of his government. and. like Moses.
determined Ia employ all rigltful means
to secure the Divine presence UN.,
XXXiii:14-1J). His act was therefore re-
turn to the theocratic spirit From that
day forward the nation grew more and
more into its original form. and gradually
advanced toward the golden era of it's
history. \ few years later temple was
the ark was deposited. and that became tho
center of hope and influence for centuries
after. In many passages. prepared for
worship, David breathed the noblest sell
timents of the heart. inspired as lie con-
sidered HIMSELF in the very house of God
psalm, lNXXiV 80. And SO there went
forth among the people a peculiar rev.
erence for the institutions of religion, I'M
doubtdly increased by the circumstances
attending the bringing of the ark into
Jerusalem.