Journal Through the Bible: Week 90 Tuesday

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I Chronicles chapter 15

We read in chapter 13 that King David had attempted to move the Ark of the Covenant from Kirjathjearim to the City of David but he had gone about it in the wrong way and it cost a man his life. The Ark then stayed in the home of Obededom until such a time as David could research the proper means of moving the Ark to the place he had prepared for it. This was accomplished 3 months after that first disastrous attempt. Apparently Obededom was of the tribe of Levi because such a man was named in this chapter as one of the musicians who played the harps when the Ark was moved to Jerusalem. He was also named as a doorkeeper for the Ark.

Does God issue any commands?

• God had said that the Levites were to carry the Ark of the Covenant on poles resting upon their shoulders. They were God's chosen group for the task. David repeated these instructions prior to his second attempt to bring the Ark to the tent that he had prepared for it in Jerusalem.
• As God had commanded the Levites and priests through Moses many years earlier, David told Zadok, Abiathar, Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab the priests or the chief men of the tribe of Levi to sanctify themselves and their brethren for the service of moving the Ark. David admitted that they had not moved the Ark properly the first time and had been punished accordingly.

Does God make any promises?

• God did not speak in this chapter.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• There is a time of great celebration when the king does things in a godly manner. Proverbs says that the people rejoice when the righteous reign. (See Proverbs 29:2.) Not everyone rejoices though. Those that hate the righteous and love wickedness will not celebrate his success. This happened to King David and it happened (and continues to happen) to Jesus. Michal, David's wife was compromised when her father made an adulterer out of her by giving her to another man after she had married David. She then despised David, the man to whom she was legally married, when she saw him worshiping the LORD. The inhabitants of the world were compromised by Adam's sin and became adulterers in their union with God. They then despised him. Since Jesus is God in the flesh this means that the union between Jesus and His creation, mankind, was broken. Many that belong to him by right of creation do not want Him to succeed as He carries out His righteous mission of making a place for the redeemed (John 14:2-3) , the very thing that the Ark of the Covenant represents!

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• Revelation 11:15 tell of the time that the nations of the world become the nations of the Lord, Christ, who will reign forever and ever. Verse 18 says that the nations were angry, which they now are since the world does not love Jesus, the King. This parallels the anger that Michal showed toward King David when he brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Verse 19 says that the Ark of the Testament (or Covenant) is then seen in its place that King Jesus prepared for it in the Temple in Heaven. David prepared a place for the Ark in his earthly kingdom. Jesus prepared a place for the Ark in His Heavenly Kingdom. It no longer needs to be moved but stands as a testimony that the work of the covenant was completed by the King.