Another thought is that you won this one game due to how the cards were played strategically or by spite. Not so great an example and when thinking of family, one would desire the child to win, but you cannot play their cards for them when they are desiring to play them on their own!
Is there a dilemma? There is if you desire to keep the presence of God. You play according to the rules and play to have fun, not out for blood, right? And when we do engage in any activity, do we keep God in mind?
Again, our game was a 'family' game but I think about many who play to "win", out for blood, to take the high honor and leave the loser at a loss, leave the loser in the dirt, kicked to the curb and to fan the hand with a wave toward hopefully indulging the crowd for more accolades.
What makes us tick? Are we mindful God is watching us in activities, as well as our job, our home life and if we drove safely on the Interstate on the way home today after a 'full' day at the office ?
Was thinking of David wanting to move the Ark and how there were men who desired to move the Ark of God in their own style and ambition. 2 Samuel 6:1-16 gives us some details on how some thought the job should be done.
The Ark Being brought to
Jerusalem: 2 Samuel 6:1-16 NKJV Again
David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty
thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from
Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the
Name the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark
of God on a new cart, and
brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which is on a hill, and Uzzah and
Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
Names
have meanings: Uzzah
( STRENGTH, BOLD, POWER). Ahio( BROTHERLY, COURTEOUS), the sons ........ Abinadab( THE VOLUNTEER, AS OF A SOLDIER)
With the meaning of these men' names, we think of Abinadab, the father and how he was to look over the two boys he had raised hopefully for the LORD! But these two proved to be careless following their own pursuits
of how to move the ark as the father did not appear on the scene to do his
duty.
David has brought 30
thousand men……..carrying the Presence of God forward to Jerusalem: choice men….gathered
in peace to give respect to the Ark of the covenant. Yet these two have chosen to set the ark of God
on a new cart: It is important to note that transporting the
ark on a cart was against God's specific command. The ark was designed to be
carried (Exodus 25:12-15) and was only to be carried by Levites of the family
of Koath (Numbers 4:15). And you shall put the poles into the
rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles
shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. — Exodus
25:14-15 ...........At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of
Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the
LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.
— Deuteronomy 10:8
2 2 Samuel 6: 6 And
when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark
of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD
was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.
Certainly
some chaff was blown away……..for they had come to Nachon’s threshing floor and
the oxen stumbled. Of course, Uzzah tried to steady the oxen when the cart and
ox were not to be used in this procedure of moving the Ark to the city of
David.
It was Uzzah who committed an error! Even though the ark
was in his father’s house, he presumed to know the best method for moving the
ark and it proved fatal. And Uzzah
saw no different between this article and most likely anything else he moved
for his father or the king. Yet no man was to touch the ark with their hand.
2 Samuel
6: 8 And David became angry because of
the LORD's outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez
Uzzah to this day. 9 David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said,
"How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" 10 So David would not move the ark of
the LORD with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the
house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of
Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the LORD blessed Obed-Edom and all his
household.
David knew they were not
following the rules…Abinadab and his sons did not revere God… The very account given in 1 Chronicles 15:13-15 tells
us that during these three months David investigated the Scriptures to see how
the ark was to be transported. He was going to find the instruction needed to
move the Ark in safety for all men! So David leaves the Ark in the home of Obed-Edom.
In 2 Samuel 6: 12 Now
it was told King David, saying, "The LORD has blessed the house of
Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David
went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness.
If we look at the history of Obed-Edom before the Ark of the Covenant we find that the field his home stood on was dirt with rocks. THERE was NO grass. There were Broken down
fences, no livestock…and.....his family wore ragged clothes! They were "the desolate,
the poverty stricken…and ....after only a 3 month period, Obed-Edom had increased with
livestock, servants, fences, and the house looked newer. They dressed in finer
clothing……AND was something that people could SEE…….
2 Samuel 6: 13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark
of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 14
Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a
linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the
LORD with shouting and with the sound
of the trumpet.
16 Now
as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter,
looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the
LORD; and she despised him in
her heart.
1 Chronicles 15:11-15 shows us that David specifically commanded
the priests to carry the ark the right way - on their shoulders. We often think
that a "new cart" or "strength" or a "friendly"
manner is the way to bring the presence and glory of God. But God always wants
His presence and glory to come on the shoulders of consecrated, obedient,
praising men and women.
We are kings and priests for the Lord. We have received Him into
our hearts and as such we carry His presence. Uzzah was strength and probably
displayed his muscles and good looks. Ahio was friendly and probably came out
speaking and waving with the occasional great smile he displayed when putting
on a production. I mean seriously, King David is here with how many men…..Ahio
was going to play his cards for the winning hand.
But the production to play out was going to be for God’s glory and
not by man’s behavior, attitudes or plans. Learning what God desired, David put
into play that which God desired for Himself. He paid attention to instruction of God’s word and move the Ark for
God’s glory and not for King David nor
for Uzzah who died nor for Ahio the brother!
At the close of this chapter….it is David who danced before the LORD
with all his might. And when we do anything in our life, may we know it to be
important to do that activity that is bringing glory to God. Our heartfelt
worship giving God glory is the hand that wins. For it will show in our hearts
as it did for David that day the ARK returned to Jerusalem according to God’s
Word and was displayed for all to see!
For whatever we do, it should be for the Lord, not because we are so smart, so beautiful, so handsome, or so witty, but that what we apply to do with family members will be fruit that is of the Holy Spirit and power in our lives that proves God is with us and He is for us....and will be with us everyday till the very END of the age! ( Matthew 28:20)
YOU have the winning hand when you do it God's way, indeed!
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
Press On
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Trees Walking
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