The Cost of Bringing the Presence Back
Introduction:
• David returned the Ark and blessed the people.
• He spare No Expense to honor the Lord
• But this was a long road getting to this point.
1 Chronicles 13:3 (NKJV) 3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.”
1. First attempt at returning the Presence.
2 Samuel 6:1-7 (NKJV) 1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the LORD on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
Big celebration
• New cart
• Uzzah died.
• David was angry.
• Ark went to Obed Edom 3 months.
2. There is always a right way and a wrong way.
1 Chron. 13:1 David consulted with the Commanders of ….. and every leader…
• The first attempt cost a lot of time and effort and on the outside had the resemblance of worship but was only a celebration.
• David’s right attempt was the wrong way mainly because he did not consult the Lord but rather his commanders.
3. The Lord blessed Obed Edom.
2 Samuel 6:12 (NKJV) Now it was told King David, saying, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.
• David was motivated to bring the Ark to His house.
• The blessing of the Lord should motivate us.
• Hear me, not just the blessings of the Lord, but the blessing of the Lord.
• So we have to do things the right way.
4. David went back and regrouped and changed who he was consulting with.
1 Chron. 15:4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites …
• The Church and people of God need to restore consulting with the Lord and not…
1 Chron 15:13 because we did not seek Him
• Ela… Let us get more determined to seek Him in our decisions, with our time, in the use of our finances, in our thoughts
1 Chron. 15:14 So the priest and Levites sanctified themselves.
• It is going to cost us to consult of the Lord…
5. David figured out all kind of things once he started consulting the right people …
• David to the Levites…
• David “So what do you think went wrong”
• Levites “well what were you thinking”
• David “I don’t know just bring the Ark of His presence to my back yard”
• Levites “who told you to build a new cart”
• David “my commanders”
• Levites “why were you getting counsel from your commanders regarding God’spresence”
• And it went on and on…
6. Until the whole plan and expense was finally centered on God’s order, sacrifice and giving.
• How long it must have seemed for there to be a call to sanctification.
• The priest were to carry the Presence.
• Sacrifice was to pave the way.
• Consecration not celebration was the needed preparation.
• The Levites were called on to prepare worship not just music and celebration.
• All of this comes at a cost.
• “Count the cost”
• Every six steps – 30,000 steps – 5,000 sacrifices.
7. The he blessed the people with more
1 Chronicles 16:1-6 (NKJV) 1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. 4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.