God’s desire in the Old
Testament, from what we see in scriptures, was to dwell in Jerusalem. By the
time David became King, He was not there because the Ark which carried His
presence, was in Abindab’s house. So David made the first attempt to bring it
back to its rightful place but Uzah was killed in the process whilst he was
trying to help. He wanted to steady the Ark which was falling from the cart; as
a result of which David angry with and more afraid of God so that He left the
Ark in Obededom’s house.
David felt that God was mean.
Instead of immediately searching to see if they had done anything wrong, he
abandoned the Ark. All he could think of was all the trouble he had been through;
the cost of the new cart he got and so on, things he thought should make God
happy with Him but a cart was not what God asked for. With God it is not
obedience until it is complete. So David abandoned the Ark in Obededom’s house
and God blessed Obededom excessively. I call it ‘unusually excessive’ because
it must have been for it to have caught the king’s attention so much so that he
wanted the ark back.
2 Samuel 6: 12
“Then king David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed Obededom’s household and
everything he has because of the Ark of God.’ So David went there and brought
the house of God from the house of Obededom's to the City of David with a great
celebration.”
I do believe of course that the
presence of God brings blessings. The bible says there are pleasures forever in
His presence; however, I believe that Obededom's unusually excessive blessing
was because God wanted to catch David’s attention. He wanted to provoke Him to
good works – which would be the return of the Ark to its rightful place. God
achieved His purpose for David was not a stubborn man. He had a heart for God. He
was often so sensitive to God that he responded appropriately to God even when
he had done wrong unlike a number of us who just insist on rebelling against
the word. For some, of us, our disobedience is not deliberate but we are too
carnally minded to perceive the mind of the Spirit of God even with the best
intention.
1 Timothy 4: 2
“These people are hypocrites and liar, and their consciences are dead”
It would have been sad if Obededom
was deceived by his newly acquired wealth and felt powerful enough to oppose
the king. Funny as this may sound some of us may be that deceived by wealth. We
would suddenly gain unusual confidence based on the unusual blessing not even
mindful of the fact that the God who gave it suddenly can also take it
suddenly. Be assured that confidence built on anything or anyone other God and
His word will give way and the end is foolishness. We forget that since it was the
king’s “stupidity” and the mercy of God that made the Ark come to us, if we act
stupidly too, it may go to another. God may choose to use another to provoke us
to good works.
Romans 10: 19 “But
I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in
the time of Moses, God said, ‘I will rouse your jealousy through people who are
not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”
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