The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-05-25
LESSON FOR MAY 80
BRINGS ARK TO JERUSALEM.


This event probably occurred B. C..
1O42, in the twenty-second year of
| David's reign. 1t would be a good
| plan to assign to various pupils such
subjects as: (a) What the ark was
| and how it came to be lost; (b)
Where it had been since the days of
| Joshua; (c) What occurred to it while
in possession of the Philistines; Cd
Who was Obed-edom? (e) Uzziah? (f)
| Michal? (g) How Jerusalem came to
be the seat of government.
|. The Ark Recovered, Wv. is. David
realized that while God was the
God of all the tribes, still there was
no visible religious center; there was
the consequent danger Of confound-
ing the local place of worship with
that of some local Baal (god) and the
possible breaking up of the national
reliance upon Jehovah. Where Kir.
jath-jearim was is not definitely
known, but perhaps it was eight or
ten miles west of Jerusalem. The ark
had lodged here for perhaps seventy
years. David and they that were with
him followed the example of the Phil
istines Il Sam. 6:1-18) in their mode
of transferring the ark rather than to
have it carried upon the shoulders of
the priests Josh. 3:3). Preceded by
David and the house of Israeli" /. e.,
leaders of the people and all others
| present, they began the return jour-
ney from the house of Abinadab.
II. The Ark Retarded, wv. eli.
They bad reached one of the open
places used as a threshing floor when,
the oxen slipped and the cart was
shaken. Uzziah, one of the two into
whose charge it had been placed, laid
hold Of the ark to keep it from fall
ing. Why was he slain therefore? We
have already suggested the reason.
How to carry the ark was plainly writ
ten (Num. Asp; 7:9). Neglect of
Gods word gets many well-meaning
people into trouble, along with their
friends, also. The ark was the SYM
boil of Gods presence, and men had
to be taught to revere his holy name
and his glorious presence (see last
v.
Of irreverence. He seems not to-
have sensed the invisible God in his
visible abode. The result struck ter
ror into the heart of David and the
people, and the ark was left in the
house of Obed of EdOm for a period
of three months. David's improved
plan" was a proved failure.
III. The Ark Restored, Wv. GIG.
David, by thus abandoning the ark,
seems to have resented the judgment
of God, yet he must have realized
that God had sufficient cause for his
acts. The ark is type of Christ,
who is Emmanuel, God with us. The
ark contained the law of God, as
Christ enshrined the will of his Fa-
Their. Over the law was the blood
sprinkled mercy seat where God met
his people Eek. 25:18-22). In Christ
we find our mercy seat where we
meet God. Though this ark brought
Judgment to Uzziah it brought bless
ing to Obed-edom ". 12). Even sc
Christ brings judgment or joy accord
ing to our treatment of him. Obed-
edom so piously cared for the ark that
both he and his household were rich
ly blessed. If Christ is really in our
hearts we will be blessed, and Christ
abideth forever. 1t has been suggest
ed that Obed-edom was only heather
by descent, a Gittite ". II, see chap
ter 1919, but he welcomed the pres
ence of God in his home. The hap
Jennings in his house were quickly
noised abroad, and soon David's fear
and pique gave way to 10y" ". IL
R. W, for this time David brought
up the ark into the city of Jerusalem
in the God-appointed way, accom-
panied by sacrifices and dancing. This
dancing was not of kind to find fault
with, nor was it merely demonstra-
ton designed to attract attention. To
say that the presence of God, or of
the Holy Spirit, depends upon some
sort of physical emotion, holy jump
ing, frances, and the like, is untrue,
for it is not in accord with the teach
ing Of the Bible. Note this dancing
was before the Lord Most modern
dances seem to be advanced by Satan,
as the results so we'll demonstrate.
Whenever any emotion is evidenced
| in connection with religion, someone
| is ready to raise an objection. In
this case the objection came from
| David's own household. Michal evil
| denced her fathers disposition of
churlishness, and in her reproach of
| David evidently forgot Saurs lack Of
| dignity when he lay naked among the
prophets q Samuel 1920.
w. The Psalm of Praise, Ps. "a.
In the Jewish synagogue this psalm
| is recited at the carrying back Of the
| book Of the law to its shrine, and in
| the Greek church at the conservation
| of the church. The twenty-second
psalm presents the suffering Savior;
the twenty-third presents the risen
Savior as the shepherd caring for and
leading his sheep, and the twenty
fourth tells of the reigning, glorifed
Lord The whole earth is Jehovah's
/ (v. u and no incident better teaches
the converse, viz, that he is God of
the earth and not mere tribal deity.
He founded and testa blished" it,
and all the fullness," and they that
dwell therein" are his by creative and
redemptive right. Since we belong
| to him we owe him worship and serv-
ice-and a servant is one who
stands" V. 81. The conditions of fell
| lowship with Jehovah are clean