The Ark of God to Jerusalem - 1 Chronicles 15-17

This is Episode #126 and today we’ll read 1 Chronicles chapters 15-17 together.   If at first you don’t succeed, read God’s law for instruction.  That’s what David did when bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem.  

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Transcript

Joy: You’re listening to Season 2 of the Lifting Her Voice podcast.   This is Episode #126 and today we’ll read 1 Chronicles chapters 15-17 together.   If at first you don’t succeed, read God’s law for instruction.  That’s what David did when bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem.  

Welcome

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Season 2!  I'm your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me - from the beginning - simply reading God's word together.  We built some spiritual muscles in 2020 with just the New Testament.  But this year we’re going all out, cover-to-cover, Old Testament and New.  So, whether with your first cup in the morning, your commute to work, or as the last thing on your mind before sleep, God’s Word will equip you for every good work.  I’m really glad you’re here!

1 Chronicles Chapter 15:

The Ark Comes to Jerusalem

David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”

David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives; from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives; from the Gershomites, Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives; from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives; from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives; from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For the Lord our God burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us the first time, for we didn’t inquire of him about the proper procedures.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord: on their shoulders with the poles.

Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments — harps, lyres, and cymbals. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith. Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.

David, the elders of Israel, and the commanders of thousands went with rejoicing to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom. Because God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with God’s help, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

Now David was dressed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah, the music leader of the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, the sound of the ram’s horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and the playing of harps and lyres. As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the city of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing, and she despised him in her heart.

1 Chronicles Chapter 16:

They brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in God’s presence. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he distributed to each and every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.

David appointed some of the Levites to be ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate the Lord God of Israel, and to give thanks and praise to him. Asaph was the chief and Zechariah was second to him. Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel played the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Psalm of Thanksgiving

On that day David decreed for the first time that thanks be given to the Lord by Asaph and his relatives:

Give thanks to the Lord; call on his name;

proclaim his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him; sing praise to him;

tell about all his wondrous works!

Boast in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Seek the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.

Remember the wondrous works he has done,

his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,

you offspring of Israel his servant,

Jacob’s descendants — his chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God;

his judgments govern the whole earth.

Remember his covenant forever —

the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,

the covenant he made with Abraham,

swore to Isaac,

and confirmed to Jacob as a decree,

and to Israel as a permanent covenant:

“I will give the land of Canaan to you

as your inherited portion.”

When they were few in number,

very few indeed, and resident aliens in Canaan

wandering from nation to nation

and from one kingdom to another,

he allowed no one to oppress them;

he rebuked kings on their behalf:

“Do not touch my anointed ones

or harm my prophets.”

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord.

Proclaim his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his wondrous works among all peoples.

For the Lord is great and highly praised;

he is feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and joy are in his place.

Ascribe to the Lord, families of the peoples,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;

bring an offering and come before him.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;

let the whole earth tremble before him.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be shaken.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,

and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Let the sea and all that fills it resound;

let the fields and everything in them exult.

Then the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his faithful love endures forever.

And say, “Save us, God of our salvation;

gather us and rescue us from the nations

so that we may give thanks to your holy name

and rejoice in your praise.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel

from everlasting to everlasting.”

Then all the people said, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

So David left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the Lord’s covenant to minister regularly before the ark according to the daily requirements. He assigned Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers. David left the priest Zadok and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon to offer burnt offerings regularly, morning and evening, to the Lord on the altar of burnt offerings and to do everything that was written in the law of the Lord, which he had commanded Israel to keep. With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord — for his faithful love endures forever. Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to play and musical instruments of God. Jeduthun’s sons were at the city gate.

Then all the people went home, and David returned home to bless his household.

1 Chronicles Chapter 17:

The Lord’s Covenant with David

When David had settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, “Look! I am living in a cedar house while the ark of the Lord’s covenant is under tent curtains.”

So Nathan told David, “Do all that is on your mind, for God is with you.”

But that night the word of God came to Nathan: “Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another. In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar? ’

“So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth. I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. When your time comes to be with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you. I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”

Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.

David’s Prayer of Thanksgiving

Then King David went in, sat in the Lord’s presence, and said,

Who am I, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? This was a little thing to you, God, for you have spoken about your servant’s house in the distant future. You regard me as a man of distinction, Lord God. What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? You know your servant. Lord, you have done this whole great thing, making known all these great promises for the sake of your servant and according to your will. Lord, there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, as all we have heard confirms. And who is like your people Israel? God, you came to one nation on earth to redeem a people for yourself, to make a name for yourself through great and awesome works by driving out nations before your people you redeemed from Egypt. You made your people Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.

Now, Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house be confirmed forever, and do as you have promised. Let your name be confirmed and magnified forever in the saying, “The Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, is God over Israel.” May the house of your servant David be established before you. Since you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build him a house, your servant has found courage to pray in your presence. Lord, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. So now, you have been pleased to bless your servant’s house that it may continue before you forever. For you, Lord, have blessed it, and it is blessed forever.

Close

I think David’s intentions were good in wanting to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem.  Never during Saul’s reign had he properly consulted God and David knew how important this was.  And not just because of rule-following but because he loved the Lord and wanted to know His will and obey it.  The text doesn’t tell us here how David regrouped; whether reading the law himself (which as you recall was what judges and kings were supposed to do daily) or whether he consulted the priests to investigate it for him.  One way or the other, he learned the proper handling of the ark and did what was required the second time around.

Finally, I have to tell you I can’t wait to read Psalms with you, which holds many of David’s songs and poems like we read today.  You know, I didn’t use to appreciate the Psalms, but gosh!  When you know the stories, the background, and how very much David loved the Lord, his joy is contagious.  This may sound weird to say, but I think I’m a more devoted Christian for having known David thru God’s word.  Let me know what you think at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray that by spending time in His Word every day, you will by changed.  Visit me at Lifting Her Voice.com with your comments and questions.  And don’t forget to visit the Blog page while you’re there.  If you like the podcast, it would be great if you’d give it a five-star review and share it with everyone you know.  Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you tomorrow!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.