July 9, 2015
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Second Time Around

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Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, You endow me with poise however fierce the pressure, with patience however fierce the pain. I bless Your name.

Read 1 Chronicles 15:1-16

[1] After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. [2] Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before him forever.” [3] David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. [4] He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites: [5] From the descendants of Kohath, Uriel the leader and 120 relatives; [6] from the descendants of Merari, Asaiah the leader and 220 relatives; [7] from the descendants of Gershon, Joel the leader and 130 relatives; [8] from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the leader and 200 relatives; [9] from the descendants of Hebron, Eliel the leader and 80 relatives; [10] from the descendants of Uzziel, Amminadab the leader and 112 relatives. [11] Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. [12] He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. [13] 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.” [14] So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. [15] And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. [16] David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

Doing God’s work in God’s way can be a joyful experience (16).

This time David intends to do the right task the right way. In the intervening years he had built a palace, expanded his family and defeated the Philistines (1 Chron. 14). Then he prepared a site for the Ark before pitching a tent ready for its eventual arrival. He had by now discerned the reason why the first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem had failed: it was a sacred object that needed to be guided and installed by consecrated people. They had previously failed to inquire of the Lord about the right process, but a detailed authorized plan was now in place.

The Levitical families, their roles and locations, had already featured in the Chronicler’s genealogies (1 Chron. 6). God had instructed Moses that the tribe of Levi be set apart to “carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name” (Deut. 10:8). So in this procession senior Levites carried the Ark on poles over their shoulders (Exod. 25:10-16) to protect them from accidentally touching it. Some provided joyful music, singing accompanied by strings and percussion. Others were appointed protectors of the Ark at its relocated venue.

The right plans and personnel were essential, but so was the right preparation. Even people already set apart for sacred purposes had to consecrate themselves (12) for this significant task, according to Mosaic purification rituals. David took great care this second time around that this significant project would bring God’s pleasure, not anger. We too should take care to seek God’s guidance not just about what to do but how to do it. How easy it is to rush into worthy tasks with an inadequate awareness that we are God’s people who need to do his work in his way with appropriate planning and spiritual preparation.

Apply

How do you prepare for doing God’s work? Confess those times when you have tackled good tasks impulsively. Commit a current project to the Spirit’s inspiration and direction.

Closing prayer

Dear God, I want to do Your work in Your way. Forgive my default setting of doing things my way. Steep my life to trust in Your provisions and resources.

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