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Ark of God and the Fortunes of Israel
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a manifest distrust of God, as though He who had brought the ark
from the land of the Philistines could not take care of it. Angels who
attended the ark struck down Uzzah for presuming impatiently to
put his hand upon the ark of God.
“And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall
the ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not remove the ark
of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside
into the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite.” David knew that he was a
sinful man, and he was afraid that, like Uzzah, he should in some
way be presumptuous and call forth the wrath of God upon himself.
“And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the
Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his
household.”
God would teach His people that, while His ark was a terror and
death to those who transgressed His commandments contained in it,
it was also a blessing and strength to those who were obedient to His
commandments. When David heard that the house of Obed-edom
was greatly blessed, and that all that he had prospered, because of
the ark of God, he was very anxious to bring it to his own city. But
before David ventured to move the sacred ark, he sanctified himself
to God and also commanded that all the men highest in authority in
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the kingdom should keep themselves from all worldly business, and
everything which would distract their minds from sacred devotion.
Thus should they sanctify themselves for the purpose of conducting
the sacred ark to the city of David. “So David went and brought up
the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David
with gladness....
“And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in His place,
in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and
David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.”
In Solomon’s Temple
After Solomon had finished building the temple he assembled
the elders of Israel and the most influential men among the people,
to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of
David. These men consecrated themselves to God and, with great
solemnity and reverence, accompanied the priests who bore the ark.