The Custodian – Series 1
When the Lord wants to bless you, He puts something in your care, When he wants to bless Adam, He puts him in charge of the Garden of Eden, although he walked out of it. When He wants to bless David, He crown him as king and put him in charge of His people. When He wants to bless Mary, He made her in charge of the birth of our saviour…the list goes on.
There is an interesting story in 1 Chronicles 13. It is the story of how David decided to bring back the Ark of the Lord from the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim. The Ark was captured during the time of Eli, his sons were killed at battle and the Ark was taken away by the Philistines to mock the God of Israel, but God defended Himself (I Samuel 5). When the Philistine took the Ark to their country, certain calamities befell them. When it was taken to Dagon temple, their god fell before the Ark, and the people were smitten with tumours and struck with diseases. As a result of the affliction, they decided to send it back to Israel with offerings. But because they don’t understand how to handle the Ark, it was a problem for them and every land it passed, along the line, it landed in the house of Abinadab. He was of the tribe of Judah, the Ark was in his house till David decided to go and bring it to his city. The event happened before Saul became king. When Saul became king, the ark was ignored, he never bothered about such a powerful significance that can determine his posterity. He preferred to consult the dead than to go and seek God’s face. The Ark signifies the presence of God. Saul preferred his strength than God’s, no wonder his sudden exit from the throne and from the earth.
When David became king, he understood and knew the essence of the Ark, because it signifies God’s presence among Israel. He decided to bring it to Jerusalem in David’s City, but an event occurred which took him aback and in verses 12-14, the bible says, 12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”
13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.
Prior to this, David was so enthusiastic about bringing the Ark to Jerusalem(David’s City), but he changed his mind when on their way from the house of Abinadab, Uzzah died as a result of trying to save the Ark of God from falling. How did this happen and what is God trying to teach us? The Ark was placed on an Oxen, which was a major mistake David made. The Ark has a guideline and ways it should be carried. This will be discussed more in series II (God of Principle). The Oxen had slipped and the Ark tilted to fall, as Uzzah stretched his hand to save it, he was struck dead. The death of Uzzah scared King David, if the Ark can kill the son of whom the Ark has been for years, I better be wise. Instead of moving it to David’s city, he instructed that the Ark should be kept in Obed-Edom’s house.
Why will God kill a man who was trying to save the Ark from falling? And what then happened to Obed-Edom?
To be continued in Series II…
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