Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-29
SABBATH SCHOOL.
LESSON
For August I'D Sam. 8
BIZ DE. MARION MsR. HULL

courts with praise. PSa.
| David's first efforts after being
| anointed king over all Israel were
| directed toward the cementing of
| the tribes into one nation. Abrier
| had done his work we'll for there
were $4,000 men that could keep
rank, who came out of all the tribes
of Israel to anoint David king at
Hebron. Among them were many
mighties-the three over thirty, the
one who did many mighty deeds, the
one who single-handed killed 800,
those of Benjamin who could shoot
we'll with either right or left hand,
and many others. IF you like hero
stories, read these caretully.)
The Philistines resented David's
growing power, and laid siege to his
city twice; but he utterly defeated
idols. Finally his Kingdom became
SO powerful that it was recognized
! by the surrounding nations. Eiram,
lung of far-aWay Tyre, sent great
tlmbers for the purpose of erecting
a house for him, and sent men to
work with them.
! Yet in spite of David's wonderful
! successes there was craving in his
| heart for something more. He real
| lied that all of his successes were
| because Jehovah was with him. He
knew the value of having one, all
l IL
would work for him. He wanted ali
| Israel to share that blessing. David
| appreciated that no kingdom would
remain secure without religion as
| it's center.
For over twenty years the Ark
of the Covenant had been in the house
of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim, just
| about ten miles from Jerusalem. He
had the Urim and the Thennin with
him. Why not bring the Ark to
Jerusalem, too, and make Jerusa-
lem the religious, as we'll as the po-
litical center of his kingdom?
| The ark was the most sacred thing in
| Israel. 1t had been built by Bezaleel
1900 years before this, at the d.
rection of Moses, and, according to
| the mount. 1t was box Of shittim
| wood covered within and without
with gold. The Talmund says Beza7
| leel made three boxes, the outer and
| the inner ones of gold, and fitting
perfectly. At any rate this three
trinity, for it was meant to be
symbol of Gods presence and a sign
of His covenant with His people.
1t had been at the center Of the
camp when it had rested and IN
the center of the line of march when
they moved 1t was when the feet
of the priests bearing it touched the
| water that the Jordan banked up
like a wall and let the children OF
| Israel march across dry shod. II
was borne around Jericho seven
times before the walls fell. Joshua
had wept beside it at All. 1t had
been at Shiloh until Eli had let the
elders of Israel take 1T out as
talisman When it was captured II
was then victorious even, for the
idol Dagon fell down on its race pc
fore the ark, and the men of Gath
and Ekron begged that it be taken
out of their territory. 1t had peen
sent by the Philistlnes on new cart
to Bethshemesh, and because tne
men here had more curiosity than
raWarence. 10000 of them were slain.
Ry their request it had been car
ried to Kerjith- jearim, where 1t hao
remained ever since
David thought of it again. Would
II not be great to have this sympol
of Gods presence in His Guy! In
1t were the tablets of the. law Az
ron's rod that budded, and a pot OIL
mamma. David might have taken
few men and brought 1t TO the Guy
of Jerusalem; but he was wiser than
that. He wanted every man TO want
it. So he consulted with every cap
tain and every leader OF the pe w.
until they. became so enthused over
the idea that 10000 of them accom-
nanied him to Kerjoth-Jear1m TO
bring the Holy Ark, the Ark OF the
Testimony, the Ark of the. CoVenant
of Israel, the Ark of the CoVenanl
Of Jehovah OF nests t Ina 1e rWsiLei
The revival of religion had begun
A Good Thing Done in a Bad way
In transferring it they adopted it
the Philist1ne way. A new cart was
made and the Ark placed upon it.
This was entirely contrary to the
command of Jehovah, for He had in
c. Ys11 tod r 11 Ia
be carried on the shoulders of the
kohathites, the descendants of the
Levi. Why they should have adopt
ed this heather way in the face of
Gods explicit instructions is hard
to imagine. They placed Uzza and
Ah1o, the sons of. Abinadab, to walk
along beside it. They had grown up.
since it had been in their fathers
house, and the Ark had become a
familiar object to them. Familiarity
had bred contempt Gin the sense of
lack of appreciation of it's real sig
nificance).
With great pomp the procession
started, and all went we'll until the
oxen drawing the cart stumbled on
one of the rough by-paths of that
mountainous region. Uzza put out
his head and steadied the Ark and
dropped dead! 1t looked like Sc
we're punishment but God had had
slaves made to go through the rings
at the four corners with which this
Holy Ark was to be handled and
these only by the Kohathites. No
one was to touch it, for it was the
symbol of His presence. A flag is
just cheap piece Of cotton, but it
cannot be used as the cloth to pol
ISL your shoes, for it represents our
treated. Men have been shot for
tramping it under foot. The Ark was
gold chest, but it was much more
it stood for Gods presence, and
could not be handled in any but
Gods way without dire consequences,
DAVID was displeased and afraid
He didn't want his parade so abrupt
ly ended, and yet he was afraid to
move another step; so he put the
Ark in the house of Obed-edom! It
was to be noted that while David
was not afraid. He was Levite,
pointed by David as one of the door
Keepers Of the Ark. (: stayed there
three months, AND ever; day Obed-
edom was glad that he h%3 found
plaee Tor 1T. God paid CAed-edom
well for his lodging" for all of the
Will be blessed that has Gods pres
ence, for "in His presence there is
tullness OF joy and at His right
hand there are pleasures forever
more" Every life will be blessed
that makes real the Word of God in
1t; for the Bible reveals the Living
Word to US who is the Antitype Of
the Ark and makes real the Presence
of God in our lives today Goodness
is profitable for the life that now is,
as we'll as for that which is to come
The Right way
David heard about it and saw no
reason why he should not have the
blessing Of Gods presence in his
city. He had learned his mistake.
and was big enough to confess it.
He called together the Levites and
had them sanctify themselves, and
with great company of people he
went to the house of Obed-edom to
finish his undertaking.
So the procession started, walked
SiX nacsS and stnIaasG I..I,.. - |