The Brinkley argus., 1915-05-28
|| I|ONAL. UllYSulO0L
 LESSON 'tBy E. O. SELLERS. Acting Director of sunday School Course of Moody Bible Institute, chicaso)
LESSON FOR MAY 30 BRINGS ARK TO JERUSALEM.


 LESSON TExT-II Samuel 6:12-1s and PsAlm A fStudy all of chapter 6)
 GOLDEN TExT--I was glad when they said unto me. Let us go unto the house of the Lord.-Psaim l22:l.
 This event probably occurred B. c. 1O42. in the twenty-second year of David's reign. It would be good plan to assign to various pupils such subjects as: Gal What the ark was and how ft came to be lost; tb) Where it had been since the days of Joshua; tc) What occurred to it while in possession of the Philistines; (d) Who was Obed-edom? Gel Uzziah? () ; Michal? (g) How Jerusalem came to be the seat of government.
 |. The Ark Recovered. w. Is. David realized that while God was the God of all the tribes. still there was nowisible religious center; there was the consequent danger of confound- ing the local place of worship with that of some local Baal tgod) 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 fstines q Sam. 6: 1-1S) in their mode of transferring the ark rather than to have 1t carried upon the shoulders of the priests (Josh 3:3). Preceded by David and the house of Israel" i. e., leaders of the people and all others present, they began the return jour- ney from the house of Abinadab.
 ll. The Ark Retarded, w. 6-1f. They had reached one of the open places used as 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 1t from fall ing. Why was he slain therefore? We nave already suggested the reason. How to carry the ark was plainly writ ten (Num 4:5-12; 7:9). Neglect of Gods word gets many well-meaning people into trouble, along with their friends, also. The ark was the sym bol of Gods presence, and men had to be taught to revere his holy name and his glorious presence (see last clause v. 9. Uzziah's sin was the sin of irreverence He seems not to have sensed the invisible God in his visible abode. The result struck ter TOT into the heart of David and the people, and the ark was left in the house of Obed of Edom for a period ot three months. David's improved plan" was a proved failure.
 Ill. The Ark Restored, w. 9-1s. David, by thus abandoning the ark, aearns to have resented the judgment 1E kod yet he must have realized 7 p11Srf0od had sufncient cause for his s1ec The ark is type of Christ. wko is Immanuel, God with us. The SSxk contained the law of God, as E (hrist enshrined the will of his Fa-
 or. Over the law was the blood 0ftnkled mercy seat where God met & people (Ex. 25: 18-22). In Christ
 H&find our mercy seat where we kW God. Though this ark brought 34ogment to Uzziah it brought bless bH to Obed-edom (v. 12). Even so Christ brings judgment or joy accord tnG to our treatment of him. Obed- edom % piously cared for the ark that both he and his household were rich ly biessed. If Christ is really in our hearts we will be blessed, and Christ abideth forever.
 w. The Psalm of Praise, Ps. 24. In the Jewish synagogue this psalm is recited at the carrying back of the book of the law to it's 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 steep. and the twenty fourth tHsl6Sof the reigning, glorified Lordusz ' 6Ewhole earth is Jehovah's 4 I 63So incident better teaches < 0nvUIn viz, that he is God of HS Gnrsh and not . mere tribal deity 7 l1e founded" and established" it and ail .the fullness." and they that dwen therein" are his by creative and rsdemptive right Since we belong to him we owe him worship and serv ice-and . servant is one who "stands'' V. 3. The conditions of fel- lowahip with Jehovah are clean hands and pure heart" (v. 4, those who deal with honesty and reverence ..vanity. and ''idolatry" are frequently synonymous terms.
 Thahfst and the fourth condition - e others, the second and the 1o one's inner life tsee l John x NHo reward of acceptable worship and service is "blessing from the Lord', (v. 5). In verse eight we find Israels great name for God first usec in the Psalms.
 He is glOriously strong, this Lore of the hosts of heaven.
 In I Cor. 2:s, Jesus who was cruci iiea is called the Lord of Glory" Even so our coming King is strong and I(i6hty' and will prove himself ~miSi4y in battle (see Rev. 1s:19-2D
 Wken he. the King of Glory. leads enu11yfty captive all of his followers win have part in that triumpha satfy.