1 Chronicles 15:13 gives us a dire lesson to ponder. In 1 Chronicles 13, David commits to move the ark of God to Jerusalem. You probably are familiar with what happens. The ark is placed on a wagon and as the wagon passes a threshing floor the oxen pulling the wagon do something to jar the ark so that it begins to topple over. Uzza puts out his hand to keep the ark from falling over. Problem. He is not a Levite. He is not supposed to touch the ark. Neither is the ark supposed to be on a wagon. God strikes Uzza dead on the spot.
David is angry. He leaves the ark there and the farm prospers.
Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 15:13. David acknowledges his approach to the Lord was wrong. He came to the Lord, to serve the Lord, with good intentions but on his terms, not God’s. It may have been more efficient and quicker to move the ark in a wagon. But, that is not the way that God had commanded the ark was to be moved.
David acknowledges that and goes back to the task correctly.
As I read and thought through this event in Israel’s history there are some lessons for me. I have to come to the Lord on His terms not mine. At an elementary level that means that I have to come to Him through His son, John 14:6. But as I thought through this there may be more. I tend to come to Him on my terms more often than not:
I am instructed by David’s failure. It highlights my own.
David is angry. He leaves the ark there and the farm prospers.
Fast forward to 1 Chronicles 15:13. David acknowledges his approach to the Lord was wrong. He came to the Lord, to serve the Lord, with good intentions but on his terms, not God’s. It may have been more efficient and quicker to move the ark in a wagon. But, that is not the way that God had commanded the ark was to be moved.
David acknowledges that and goes back to the task correctly.
As I read and thought through this event in Israel’s history there are some lessons for me. I have to come to the Lord on His terms not mine. At an elementary level that means that I have to come to Him through His son, John 14:6. But as I thought through this there may be more. I tend to come to Him on my terms more often than not:
- Without confessing my sin
- On behalf of what I want done, my kingdom, not His
- For the furtherance of my agenda, not His
I am instructed by David’s failure. It highlights my own.
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