07/08/2024 – Persevere in doing Good
1 Chronicles 13: 8 Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.9 And when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 11 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza to this day. 12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?” 13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had
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David realized that what the people needed the most was the presence of God in their midst. God is everywhere; but His presence signifies the manifestation of His being and attributes in favor of His people. No wonder Moses requested the presence of God before the people, otherwise they would not go anywhere!
The Ark represented the presence of God. It was meant to teach the people of God how to relate to His presence. David found out that bringing the presence of God cannot be achieved by doing things the way we want or the way that seems best to us. We may achieve many things by this approach; but we will NEVER achieve God’s approval.
David organized the transportation of the Ark well in many respects; but he failed in the essential: the respect for the holiness of God. One of the greatest risks we have to guard against is this: familiarity breeds contempt. The more familiar something or someone becomes, the less we appreciate it. Uzza grew up with the Ark in his house. He may have thought he had a pass on reverence and he may have lost the respect and healthy fear that the holiness of God requires. Nothing in the universe demands more respect, reverence and fear than the holiness of God. Let all the earth be silent in His presence.
The first lesson David learned (the hard way) is that the presence of God requires obedience. God’s tolerance diminishes the closer we get to His presence. The more we are given, the more that is demanded from us. Good intentions are not enough. The end never justifies the means. You may come to God as you are…but you cannot serve God, preach God, please God as you are- you need to be transformed!