Ark of God
99
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord
with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of
the Lord came into the city of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked
through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the
Lord, and she despised him in her heart.”
The dignity and pride of king Saul’s daughter was shocked that
king David should lay aside his garments of royalty, and lay by his
royal scepter, and be clothed with the simple linen garments worn
by the priest. She thought that he was greatly dishonoring himself
before the people of Israel. But God honored David in the sight of all
Israel by letting his Spirit abide upon him. David humbled himself,
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but God exalted him. He sung in an inspired manner, playing upon the
harp, producing the most enchanting music. He felt in a small degree
that holy joy that all the saints will experience at the voice of God
when their captivity is turned, and God makes a covenant of peace
with all who have kept his commandments. “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.”
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. “And they
brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the congregation,
and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did
the priests and the Levites bring up. And king Solomon, and all the
congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him
before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor
numbered for multitude.”
Solomon followed the example of his father David. Every six
paces he sacrificed. With singing, and with music, and great ceremony,
“the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his
place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under
the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their two
wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and
the staves thereof above.”