Doing It Right

Then David said, None should carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever. 1Ch 15:2 AMP
And (David) said to them, You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, both you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. For because you bore it not [as God directed] at the first, the Lord our God broke forth upon us--because we did not seek Him in the way He ordained.  1Ch 15:12-13 AMP

Three months earlier an attempt had been made to bring the ark of Jehovah to Jerusalem but it was placed on a cart drawn by animals. God's displeasure at the use of this method resulted in the death of one of the priests.

I have often wondered why, when David made the first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem, the priests didn't instruct him as to how it should be done. I believe I understood something about that today that I hadn't seen before.

The members of the Levitical order had been abused, despised, and ignored under Saul. Earlier in this book it is declared that King Saul had never inquired of the Lord at the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chron. 13:3) which was the symbol of God's presence in the midst of the people. Strangely he did seek out a medium at least once to try and find direction for himself and the people.

This is pure conjecture but I can only imagine that when David called for the ark to be brought up to the capitol city, the priests and Levites were reticent to say anything when the king proposed using a new cart to carry it. Many of their number had been slain by the previous king because they didn't do what he demanded (1 Sam. 22:19). Would this king also be upset if they disagreed with his methods.

Fear of a man may have held them back from doing the will of God.

How important that we fear the right things and keep them in right priority.

See what happened when the king and the spiritual leaders of the people put the fear of God first. "And when God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord [with a safe start], they offered seven bulls and seven rams."

1Ch 15:26 AMP

He showed His approval and blessing and the ark made the journey to Jerusalem with much celebration and no consternation.

There is a right way to honor God and when we approach in that manner He is pleased and we are blessed.

Let not the fear of men overcome our fear of God regardless of personal cost.