The account of David bringing the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem from Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) is a very helpful lesson for all leaders to study [2 Samuel 6]. It marks one of the turning points in his relationship with YHWH. It matured him in his understanding of who God is.
You see, David had a very intimate knowledge of God. He had walked with him from a young age and valued the words of God in scripture more than anything else. He penned so many songs of love and intimacy about his relationship with God - including the famous Psalm 23 with concludes with these words:
''Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.'' (verse 6 -CEV)
But as we mature into the heirs of God, we realise that 'Daddy God' is not just giggles, tickles and play. He is also Lord and Master. While our relationship with him is a love based collaboration, it is not that sort of understanding of 'love' we have in our present world. It is not the 'if you love me you will let me do whatever I like' kind of love, rather, it is God saying 'if you love me you will obey me'.
As Paul wrote in Hebrews 5:8 of Jesus Christ our Lord, ''Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him''
YHWH is 'GOD' and as such He must be revered and his position as Head acknowledged.
David in the account in 2 Samuel chapter 6 was doing a good thing: he was bringing the Ark of the covenant - i.e. the box which represented the presence of God - back into Jerusalem the central city of Israel. He was so excited but then the oxen that carried the Ark stumbled. Attempting to 'save' the Ark from tumbling off the cart, one of David's men reached out his hand and steadied it. He died on the spot.
This statement in verse 9 reveals a pivotal point in David's understanding of the Lord : 'David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”'
His 'Shepherd' was now one to be feared.
As we read on, we see that David later realised his mistake in taking God too casually and in not revering him as GOD. The Ark of God he feared prospered the family he left it with exceedingly. When he was informed, he decided to try again to bring the ark to Jerusalem. But this time around, he checked what the scriptures said about the handing of YHWH's Ark of covenant : he found out that it was only meant to be handled by the Levite Priests and even then, only carried on their shoulders.
This time around, he followed the prescribed order. And not only that, he set up musicians to sing songs of praise and worship and ''when those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, '' 2 Samuel 6:13 - 14.
David's fear was no longer dread after gaining understanding from the scriptures. It had become reverential fear [see 1 John 4:18]. His love, still intact, had matured by his learning that YHWH is to be obeyed, respected and honoured as GOD.
Jesus our Lord is our friend and the first born among us- he is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters. But he is GOD. Yes, he is the son of God but God none-the-less. He heads The Church.
I revere him. Do you?
The word of the Lord that came to me is Isaiah 29:11- 14 (CJB)
''For you this whole prophetic vision
has become like the message in a sealed-up scroll.
When one gives it to someone who can read and says,
“Please read this,” he answers, “I can’t, because it’s sealed.”
If the scroll is given to someone who can’t read
with the request, “Please read this,” he says, “I can’t read.”
13Then Adonai said:
“Because these people approach me with empty words,
and the honor they bestow on me is mere lip-service;
while in fact they have distanced their hearts from me,
and their ‘fear of me’ is just a mitzvah (rules) of human origin —
therefore, I will have to keep shocking these people
with astounding and amazing things,
until the ‘wisdom’ of their ‘wise ones’ vanishes,
and the ‘discernment’ of their ‘discerning ones’ is hidden away.”
Kindly permit me to restate verse 13 in it's Easy-to-read version:
13 The Lord says, “These people come to honor me with words, but I am not really important to them. The worship they give me is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
Our knowledge and revelation of who God is and the place of Jesus in all affairs in His Church is reflected in our actions and leadership. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. How can a man not fear taking the place of heading The Church? By this I do not mean leading a congregation or denomination, I mean heading ALL the body of Christ. Are we not afraid?
Jesus is Lord and Christ, He heads his church - that is his position. A position he fills for all eternity by the will of his Father and our Father - YHWH.
Why are you not afraid?
Till we have a real relationship beyond 'human rules they have memorised' and beyond infancy with God, we will not realise that to be an heir in reality means we have come to that place where we realise that the Father is HEAD of all things.
He has a plan and as heirs we follow his plan because our understanding has grown to the point that his will has become our will.
Heirs put the Kingdom above all things. Heirs honour the King in all things.
Therefore there is only one head in this vision of oneness, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
'' But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.'' Matthew 23:8-10 KJV
''It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 1 Chronicles 15:13
''Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!'' Hebrews 12:9
'And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.'' Colossians 1:18
''Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.'' Hebrews 2:11
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