#530 Humble to HUMBLE

David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us.3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of[a]it[b] during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.

7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.

9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

11 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.[c]

12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had. 1 Chronicles 13 NIV

Speaking to the assembly, the representation of all the tribes of Israel, he is the king yet wants to be advised, wants the consent of heart not of fear. There is fear, but it is the most lovely kind, and it will become even more beautiful, but for now it is his fear of repeating the same failures of Saul. "We did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul." Now this should be a road worth taking for sure, but it is not without it's bumps or lessons either. It was not so worth while to Saul, being king was enough to him, like title to so many, that what I say stands on my designator alone, but does that mean you can't be questioned? If you won't be questioned does that mean you can't be wrong? David is suggesting here that this could make a difference. I am reminded of the early history of my own country, and a man who is now touted as an agnostic or deist, by myself many times as well, for that is what I was told. I was taught or convinced by my own arrogance that men were sufficient to govern of themselves, that there was this brotherhood of hope. But on June 28th, 1787, in Philadelphia, after much debate and deliberation at the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin delivers

this speech

It was not an easy road even then, some thought that it would cause the people to lose faith in the founders. They wondered that those waiting or looking on would see it as a sign of their own weakness, yet here, David sees the neglect as Saul's failure and Franklin sees it, humble prayer, as strength, for he is convinced "that God governs in the affairs of men." 

Humbly approach, for even the demons know there is a God, but God is in no way obligated to the wants and desires of men. You worship a man, yourself, when you think that men dictate the approach or hold the tickets to heaven. He took a people and set them apart from the world, from the corrupt forms of religion, to teach them Who He is, who they are, the nature of sin, the impossibility of human effort to ever overcome the breach. So while we may come alive to the notion or idea of God, the relationship is a reconciliation to His own terms, good will and provided by His pleasure in grace. David finds wisdom in wanting the presence of God close to him, but here we see that the congregation takes for granted such a presence as well. God is not learning anything, but He has already given direction concerning. It is a terrible, terrible thing, to fall into the hands of an angry God, to be judged by the measure of my heart, my thoughts, and without the promise of Christ, impossible. So this is where we are and where David comes to see himself after the death of Uzzah, hopelessly lost, confused, desperately poor in spirit. "How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?" This is beautiful fear, the fog is starting to lift, the other side is not the stones throw you thought it to be, you cannot see the other side of this precipice. Every inch of this road has to be made by God's direction, we can pout like children forever in our closets, but God does not have to change, He is holy and I am not. If I decide to approach Him, then I should not be surprised that He has given instruction about this as well, that it is even possible is because someone else has made the way straight. Someone else answered the how. 

 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4: 9-12

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21