Preschool
This is my beloved Son: hear him (Luke 9:35).
David Brings the Ark Home
Memory Verses
Primary
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him (Luke 9:35).
Junior
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him (Luke 9:35).
Background Scripture: 1 Samuel 6-7; 1 Chronicles 13; 15; 16
Lesson Scripture: 1 Chronicles 13:6-14; 15:3-4, 12-14; 16:1-2
Introduction
The Ark of the Covenant symbolized God dwelling among his people. In this lesson the ark is brought back to the tabernacle in Jerusalem after it had been taken some years earlier by the Philistines during battle.
The ark also carries meaning for the New Testament Christian, representing the presence of God within his church and each individual member. A spiritual blessing always follows those who will worship the Lord in the inner sanctuary of the heart.
Key Verse
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Cor. 3:16).
Lesson Scripture
1 Chronicles 13:6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
10 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.
11 And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
13 So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.
14 And 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.
15:3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord unto his place, which he had prepared for it.
4 And David assembled the children of Aaron, and the Levites:
12 And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.
13 For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
16:1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.
2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
Studying the Lesson
We first read about the ark of the covenant when Moses was given the blueprint for the first tabernacle. In fact, the ark was the first item to be described (Exod. 25:8-10). This indicates the importance of the ark in the tabernacle.
The tabernacle, and later Solomon’s Temple, was designed in three sections. The outer court was where the priests offered the sacrifice. Inside this court was the Tent of the Congregation which was divided into two sections. The first room, which was called the holy place, consisted of the table for shew bread, the golden lamp stand, and the altar of incense. In the second room was the ark. The holy of holies was divided from the holy place by a heavy curtain that no natural light could penetrate. The holy of holies was to be entered only once a year by the high priest with an offering of blood for the people.
The ark was a chest about four feet long by two feet wide and two feet high. It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold inside and out. An ornate lid of gold was placed on top, and above the lid was the mercy seat with a cherub on either side.
There were three items placed within the ark: “the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant” (Heb. 9:4). The manna symbolized the daily sustenance God had for his people. The rod that budded indicated God’s order and calling of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. The tables of the covenant symbolized the law, written and engraved by the finger of God.
The ark was not to be flaunted and carried into battle to bring God’s blessing except by God’s express direction. When the Israelites entered Canaan and were facing Jericho, God instructed the priests to carry the ark before the people as they marched around the city. At the end of King Saul’s reign, the Philistines came against Israel, and as a desperate measure, the decision was made to carry the ark into battle to bring the blessing of God on the fight. As a result, King Saul and his sons and Eli and his sons lost their lives, and the ark was taken by the Philistines. The ark was a curse to the Philistines, and in time they sent it back to Israel. It was lodged at different places with a blessing residing on the households where it was kept. Once David had consolidated the kingdom, he was able to bring the ark back to Jerusalem, and it was put into its proper place.
Practical Truths for Today
The symbolic forms of the Old Testament have rich meaning for the New Testament church and for the everyday life of a Christian. Christ opened the door for each Christian to experience true spiritual life. When Christ died on Calvary, the veil of the Temple was torn open from top to bottom. This indicated that the holy of holies, where the ark of God had originally been placed, was accessible to all. Not only did God make this accessible to all but calls us to meet Him there to experience true fellowship with Him.
We do not experience true spiritual life by only observing the ordinances and sacrifices of service in the outer court. Man tries by self-sacrifice and serving others to bring himself into a right relationship with God, but God views these efforts as “filthy rags.” Man will not find God with his intellect. Much study of Scripture and doctrine or a defense of biblical truth will not bring him into communion with his Creator. The new birth, which is the foundation of spiritual life, is found by meeting God in the inner court of his spiritual temple. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Col. 2:6).
The nearer a person comes into God’s presence, the more sinful and depraved he sees himself. Isaiah said, “Woe is me!” (6:5) when he saw God in the Temple. Upon Isaiah’s confession and commitment to God, an angel took a live coal from the altar and touched his lips. God cleansed Isaiah and enabled him to go forth in the strength of the Lord. God’s desire for each one of us is that we will come into his presence and, receiving new life, go forth with our hand in his to tackle the challenges of our day.
The intellect may readily try to reestablish control of a believer’s heart and mind. Living under the control of the Spirit is not agreeable to the flesh and the carnal mind of man. It is in communion with God through the Spirit that we continue to grow in spiritual life.
In the ritual of temple life, the priest was allowed to visit the sacred place only once a year. Are we tempted to revert to the letter of the law and make this trip only once a year at revival time? The veil has been rent, and we need to come on a frequent, even daily, basis and experience true salvation and be filled with the indwelling warmth of the Holy Spirit. We have direct access to the mercy seat of God every morning!
The presence of God is integral to the gathering of the saints. True worship is a heart matter. It is reverently bowing before the throne of God. A vibrant congregation has worshipping individuals at its core. If true worship is missing, the congregation will be challenged to find true unity. The focus will be on trying to promote the spirit of unity rather than unity of the Spirit.
Questions
- What was the sin of Uzza in trying to steady the ark?
- If church worship seems like a formality, what can be done to make the presence of God more real?
- What are some ways to nurture a sense of awe and worship in the presence of God?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).