Bible Pathway - May. 16, 2011

Highlights:

David is blessed by God and his reign prospers. Ark of the Covenant brought to Jerusalem with much thanksgiving. See how our sacrifices are vital to our worship (I Chr. 15:16-24).

During the forty years that Saul reigned over Israel, the Ark was ignored. But when David became king, he was deeply concerned that the Ark — above which the presence of God dwelt — have a central place in his kingdom. He knew the nation's success depended upon the presence of God being in their midst, so he said: Let us bring again the Ark of our God to us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul (I Chr. 13:3).

David first attempted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem on a new cart drawn by oxen, but this was a violation of the Law of God (Ex. 25:13-15; Num. 4:15; 7:9). As Uzzah reached out to steady the tilting Ark on the cart, he was struck dead (II Sam. 6:1-8).

On the second occasion David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the Lord unto His place, which he had prepared for it (I Chr. 15:3). David carefully obeyed the Word of God, telling the priests to sanctify themselves and to bear the Ark of God upon their shoulders as Moses commanded according to the Word of the Lord (15:11-15).

On that day, David provided an inspiring psalm for his choir to sing. It still lifts our spirits as we worship our wonderful Lord. David proclaimed to the world: Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the people. . . . sing psalms unto Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works. . . . rejoice. . . . Be ye mindful always of His Covenant (Agreement); the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations. . . . Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day His salvation. Declare His glory among the heathen. . . . For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. . . . Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. . . . let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth (16:8-31). Is it any surprise that David was a man after His own heart (the heart of God) (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22)? Yes, the Lord reigns. He is still Sovereign, and the world still needs to hear us praise the Lord and talk . . . of all His wondrous works.

The work of God must be done in His way — not in our way — if He is to be glorified. It is only as we serve the Lord according to His Word that we enjoy His presence and receive His blessing. Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).

Thought for Today:

I will say unto God my Rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy (Ps. 42:9)?

Christ Revealed:

Through David's fame and exaltation (I Chr. 14:17). God highly exalted Christ, our Redeemer, and gave Him a Name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9-11).

Word Studies:

14:13 spread themselves abroad made a raid, invaded.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for International Broadcasts sponsored by Lillian Conley Ousley • Staff: Ben Wallace • Government Officials: Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (MI), Rep. James Moran (VA), and Sen. Dan Coats (IN) • Country: Greece (10.5 million) in southeastern Europe • Major languages: Greek and English • Government restrictions on witnessing to others about Christ • 87% Orthodox; 8% Old Calendar Orthodox; 2% Catholic; 1.2% Muslim; .5% Jehovah's Witness; .3% Protestant; 1% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Wives, pray for a quiet, loving spirit to win your husband to Christ (I Pet. 3:1-2).

Optional Reading: 1 Corinthians 3

Memory Verse for the Week: John 15:7