1 Chronicles 15:1–29

Now the heart of David turns back, for meanwhile God has been blessing the house of Obed-edom. "David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it." His heart could not rest without that. "Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God." Now he has learned. He had been waiting on God. God had answered him about the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he seeks the mind of God about His worship, and about why his earlier plan had failed.

And now comes the proof of his having studied his Bible. "Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever." He said this as though he had made a great discovery, and so it was. But God had written it plainly four hundred years before: "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." The Spirit of God doubtless turned David's attention to this and related scriptures, and he at once prepared to obey the Word of God.

Now, it was not just David's choice. We might think so from the 5th verse. We might say, "Well, can we not find a place for the Lord? Are we not free to choose any place that seems nice and convenient to us?" No, no! ... "For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 'This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.'" David found the place God had appointed, the place the Lord had chosen, and to that place he brought the ark of the covenant for the Lord.

The altar of burnt offering stood at the high place at Gibeon, while the ark was at Jerusalem in a tent that David had pitched for it after bringing it up from Kiriath-jearim. If material things, ceremony or ritual had guided him, he would never have seen the house of God in the lowly tent that covered the ark of the covenant. Faith guided him, and faith saw the presence of God. Love guided him, and love delighted in the One whose presence he saw.

You could come to the ark at Zion, but without the sacrifice, which was the only way into the sanctuary. You could come to the altar at Gibeon, but that gave access only to the holy place, which stood empty. ... The altar — expiation — was the means needed to reach God's throne. Without it the Lord could not dwell in grace among His people. This truth had to be established all over again.

It had been a great day in Israel when the ark came to its tent on Zion. At that moment it was perhaps all that David wanted, though it did not fully match God's thoughts.

Now David's heart turns back, because meanwhile God has been blessing the house of Obed-edom. "And David built houses for himself in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it." His heart could not rest without that. "Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God." Now he has learned. He had been waiting on God. He had received his answer from God about the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he gathers the mind of God about His worship, and about why his former plan had failed.

God did not leave it to David, or to anyone else, to say how the ark of His testimony should be carried. He had chosen the Levites for this service, and everyone must respect and own His choice. Is it not the same today? God has a chosen company, His own saints. He has separated them from other people to serve Him, and He has entrusted His testimony to them. Every saint of God has the privilege, and the duty, to carry the testimony of God about His Christ from day to day.

He did not help the oxen. He did not help Uzza. Long before, the oxen had not carried the ark through the waters of the Jordan. They had not carried it round the walls of Jericho either. No; it was on the shoulders of the Levites that God had put it, and His order is the only happy one. God's order may not always look right to human judgement. Yet it always has the stamp of divine approval, and that is fully enough for every faithful heart.

If you want to know where to find the due order, read Exodus 25:13-15. The ark was only to be carried in that manner. God had written it plainly enough. But David had read his Bible carelessly until then. You may say to me, I do not see things as you do. Quite possibly. But go and read your Bible, and you will see what the Lord says the order of His assembly should be. That is the vital point. It is of the greatest importance to have the mind of God, and not to take our own way in anything to do with carrying the ark — which for us is the testimony of Christ.

Here we find the greatest care taken not just to gather Israel, but to have the priests and the Levites as well. But it is David who does it. The difference is remarkable — that now it is no longer a Moses or an Aaron. It is no longer the high priest. He is not the highest. There is one higher than the high priest. The king is above all — the shadow of Messiah.

Human desire and human arrangement have no place in the movements of the ark. The "due order" must decide its place and setting among the people of God. The lesson was severe and the stroke of God was serious. But once they learned it, it produced an atmosphere of joy, substance and praise. 1 Chronicles 15 and 16 picture this fully and richly. Such lessons will lead us to avoid all human intrusions into the service of God. They will secure much for His glory and for the joy of the saints.

Now David's heart turns back, for meanwhile God has been blessing the house of Obed-edom. "David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it" (1 Chronicles 15:1). His heart could not rest without that. "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever." Now he has learned. He had been waiting on God. He had received his answer from God in the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he gathers the mind of God about what concerns His worship, and why his former plan had failed.

The first time he undertook to bring back the ark, his neglect brought disaster on Uzza. Warned by it, David now gathers not only all Israel together, but also the Levites and the children of Aaron.

Once the kingdom was established, David's desire was to reunite the entire people. He wanted them gathered not around himself but around the ark, the throne of God where the mercy seat was found. Here we see with what care the king gathers Israel together, with the priests and Levites, to bring back the ark from Kirjath-jearim. He wants all the worshippers of the Lord for this.

The ark was not taken to the tabernacle at Gibeon, and this too had deep meaning. It was a complete judgment on the whole system connected with that tabernacle. The tabernacle was still standing, as well as the altar, and the priests offered sacrifices there; but the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had been taken away from it. The king disposed of the ark by his authority, placing it elsewhere... God now steps in through David and acts in power. That power sets the visible sign of His covenant with His people in a new place: Mount Zion, where the king reigns.

In his prosperity David does not forget the ark of God. The same earnest desire, but now obedience to God's ordinance. With what carefulness he now brings it to the place prepared for it... All is done according to the law. But the king directs; he takes the first place, not the priest... At the former time there was gladness of heart. It perhaps spilled out in unintelligent and uproarious shouting, not the orderly and reverent joy of those who worship God... Then it was fleshly joy intruding into holy things. God defended His own order and majesty, and had to judge them all in the person of Uzzah.

Here David acknowledges that God's hand was not only on Uzza but on them all. There was collective responsibility and guilt in this matter, and David no longer thinks of "Perez-uzza," but of the "breach upon us."

There is a great underlying principle there for our souls today. God has a "due order" for everything down here for His Church. If we step outside this divine order, there is pretty sure to be a Perez-uzza. The New Testament sets out very fully what David called "due order" for God's Assembly. Our Lord showed what its rallying centre would be. He said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:20).

Now David has learned. He had been waiting upon God. He had got his answer from God in the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he learns the mind of God about His worship, and why his former plan had failed. "Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to Him forever."

Having gathered the people, the children of Aaron and the Levites, David tells the priests and Levites to sanctify themselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. He had not learned this from his consultation with "the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and with every leader" (1 Chr. 13:1). He had learned it from the word of God.

Sadly, there are those in Christendom who have claimed this testimony for themselves. They are a priestly caste chosen by men, and many of them will perish in "Korah's rebellion" (Jude 11). God has not left it to men to choose His priests and Levites. He has chosen them, and to every one of them "grace was given... according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Eph. 4:7). Only this grace, given by God, can enable God's chosen to carry His testimony of Christ.

While the ark stood on the new cart, the priests and the Levites had no need to sanctify themselves. But when they carried it themselves they had to. They could not touch the objects of the sanctuary without self-judgment.

Here we find the greatest care not merely to have Israel, but to have the priests and the Levites. But it is David that does it... And David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. He tells them that they were the chief of the fathers of the Levites, and that they must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these that were at their head.

The first time he tried to bring back the ark, David's neglect brought disaster on Uzza. Warned by it, he now gathers not only all Israel, but also the Levites and the children of Aaron. This sets out the whole order of Levitical service that David had appointed, and the relation between the priesthood and royalty. The priesthood comes under royalty, since the king is the Lord's anointed — though the service of the sanctuary belonged to the priesthood.

There is a great deep underlying principle there for our souls today. God has a "due order" as to everything down here for His Church, and if we step out of this divine order, there is pretty sure to be a Perez-uzza. The New Testament gives "due order" instructions for God's Assembly very fully. Our Lord showed what its rallying centre would be: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matt. 18:20).

"So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel." The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen — no more human effort to keep the ark from falling. The truth of God was dominant, and the power of God could act.

Gershon and Merari might need wagons and oxen to carry the boards and so on, but not Kohath. His charge was too precious to hand to anyone or anything but himself. So it was his high and honoured place to carry it all on his shoulders. What a privilege, for example, to be allowed to carry the ark, the table, or the golden lampstand!

It was the privilege of the Levites, the sons of Kohath, to carry the ark on their shoulders, and this rightly followed the destruction of the Philistines' new cart. The testimony of God is to be carried on the shoulders of His saints, borne in the lives of those who live near Him. Sadly, many today have their own way of carrying God's testimony. Instead of following the divine instructions of the Holy Scriptures with care, they have their own ideas. They think that the end justifies the means. This is nothing but ignorance of God and His word, and copying the men of this world instead of doing what God has commanded.

There is a higher than the high priest. The king is above all — the shadow of Messiah. David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and tells them that they are the heads of the Levite families. They must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these who were at their head.

The first time David tried to bring back the ark, his neglect brought disaster on Uzza. Warned by that, he now gathers not only all Israel, but also the Levites and the sons of Aaron. This gives the occasion for setting out the whole order of Levitical service, as David had appointed it. It also shows the relation between the priesthood and the kingship.

There was danger for them that did not exist in the same way for others, because they were in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence what is not worthy of Himself... But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. For them especially there is the danger of being cut off if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary. The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order.

There can be no real power where truth is sacrificed. There may be the appearance of it, the claim to it, but no reality. How can there be? God is the source of power, but He cannot associate Himself with what is at odds with His truth. So although "David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might," there was no divine power. God's order was shut out by the human arrangement, and it all ended in confusion and sorrow. How different it is in 1 Chronicles 15. There is real joy — real power.

Now David's heart turns back, because meanwhile God has been blessing the house of Obed-edom... His heart could not rest without that. Then David said that no one but the Levites should carry the ark of God. Now he has learned. He had been waiting on God. God had already answered him about the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he learns God's mind about His worship, and about why his earlier plan had failed.

God had not left it to David, or to anyone else, to say how the ark of His testimony should be carried. He had chosen the Levites for this service, and everyone must respect and own that choice. Is it not the same today? God has a chosen company, His own saints. He has set them apart from among men to serve Him, and He has committed His testimony to them. Every saint of God has the privilege, and the duty, to carry the testimony of God about His Christ with him day by day.

The beginning of 1 Chronicles 15 is remarkable. David tells the chief fathers of the Levites to sanctify themselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place he has prepared for it. They had not done this the first time, he says, and so the Lord made a breach on them, because they had not sought Him in the way He had appointed (vv. 12-13). These passages are missing in the second book of Samuel. Chronicles records David's fault as an exception, and it does so to present us with this admirable confession which grace at last produces in him.

Third son of Levi, and his descendants... The Merarites became a large branch of the Levites. They had charge of the heavier parts of the tabernacle. To carry these they had four wagons and eight oxen. In the land they had twelve cities from among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun, including the city of Ramoth-gilead. They shared in the duties that fell to the Levites during the kingdom. A third part of the singers and a third part of the doorkeepers were Merarites.

Merari's service has to do with the house of God, the church of the living God. It has to do with holding up Christ as the way of access to God. It has to do with supporting, strengthening, and steadying what is His witness in the world... His name, Merari, "bitterness," speaks of how painful such service is. Self-love will break down under it, or run off into some odd path that costs flesh and blood less... Who cares for these boards and bars, and pillars and pins and cords? Who thinks of God's plan and pattern, and all the fine details of divine appointment?

Each had his specific work given. There could be no misunderstanding about it... All they needed to do was to do the work into which the Lord had called them. All the instructions were given; obedience to these instructions, and faithfulness in carrying it out were the essential things. The same is true in connection with the church. Every member in the body of Christ has a service to render. Each member is put into place by the Lord Himself and He gives to each the service, as He gave to these sons of Levi and their families their specific work in and around the tabernacle.

The priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the Levites carried the ark on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses commanded, according to the word of the Lord. The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen, and no more human effort to keep the ark from falling. The truth of God was in control, and the power of God could act.

The beginning of 1 Chronicles 15 is remarkable. David said: "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for Jehovah has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to serve Him for ever" (v. 2). Then he speaks to the Levites: "You are the chief fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of Jehovah the God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not do it the first time, Jehovah our God broke out against us, for we did not seek Him in the way He had appointed" (vv. 12-13). These passages are missing from the second book of Samuel. Chronicles records David's fault as an exception, and it does so to give us this admirable confession which grace at last produces in him.

Eldest son of Levi (1 Chr. 6:16-71; 1 Chr. 15:7), but elsewhere named Gershon.

Levitical duties were appointed then as it pleased God. So each Levitical family could set to work, and no one was to interfere with them. They were responsible to God, and from Him they had received their authority for service. And here the principle of election was displayed. For while Gershon was the eldest son of Levi, and so his descendants might have expected that they would be selected to carry the sacred vessels on their shoulders, that work was entrusted to the descendants of Kohath, who was Levi's second son. How often do we see in Scripture that blessing and privilege do not run in the order of nature... The Gershonites were given the charge of carrying the curtains, the screen for the door of the tabernacle, the hangings of the court, the curtain which formed its door, and all their cords.

There were three principal houses — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. They and their sons each have a line of service put into their hands in Numbers 4, where they are counted again from thirty years old and upward. This also matters greatly. Nothing is more important than that each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. When he knows it, he should stick to it. It also matters a great deal never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

May we not say that this seventh chapter of Numbers is one of those sample pages from the book of eternity? We believe it is. On such a page the finger of God has engraved the names of His servants and the record of their work... Each one has his own special place on the roll, and each one his place in the Master's heart; and all will come out by and by.

David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. He tells them that they were the chief of the fathers of the Levites, and that they must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these who were at their head.

"So David, and the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-edom with joy." That is the sure result of obedience... Notice how God takes note of the Levites when things are according to His mind. They are helped, and then in the sacrifices you see worship flowing up to God. If you and I set ourselves to obey the Word of the Lord, whatever it costs, we too shall find that God will help us. There will be joy in our souls, and worship, and fruitful service toward God.

The Kohathites descending from the four sons of Kohath numbered 8,600. They camped along the south side of the tabernacle. Their leader was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. They were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand and the two altars. Their care also covered the utensils and the veil, with all that related to these things. Whenever Israel traveled the Kohathites carried these things, though they did not see them. First the priests had to cover them with their appropriate coverings and insert the carrying poles.

Gershon and Merari might need wagons and oxen to carry the boards, but not Kohath. His charge was too precious to entrust to anyone or anything but himself. So it was his high and honoured place to carry everything on his shoulders. What a privilege, for example, to be allowed to carry the ark, the table, or the golden lampstand! Would it not have shown a complete lack of ability to value his high calling if he had looked for the help of oxen in his holy service?

Typically the Kohathite ministry is objective; his occupation is with what is outside himself in Christ. His prince is beautifully Elitzaphan, "whom God has hidden." Here it is indeed in the presence of God, and in occupation with Christ, that self is lost. He is the son of Uzziel, the "power of God."

God had not left it to David, or to anyone else, to say how the ark of His testimony was to be carried. He had chosen the Levites for this service, and His choice must be respected and owned. Is it not the same today? God has a chosen company, His own saints, those who have been separated from among men to serve Him, and to them His testimony has been committed. Every saint of God has the privilege, and the duty, to carry about with him from day to day the testimony of God concerning His Christ.

God has not left it to men to choose His priests and Levites; He has chosen them, and to every one of them "is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Eph. 4:7). This divinely given grace alone can enable God's chosen to carry about His testimony of Christ.

Here we find the greatest care not merely to have Israel, but to have the priests and the Levites. But it is David that does it. The difference is remarkable — it is no longer a Moses or an Aaron. It is no longer the high priest. The king is above all — the shadow of Messiah. So we have them, then, ranged in due order.

"Because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, because we did not seek Him after the due order." These words of David are missing in the second book of Samuel. Chronicles has, as an exception, recorded David's fault, and it does so to show us this admirable confession which grace at last produces in him.

The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen — no more human effort to keep the ark from falling. The truth of God was dominant, and the power of God could act.

"Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites." Now he has learned. He had been waiting on God. God had already answered him about the outward affairs of the kingdom. Now he learns God's mind about His worship, and about why his earlier plan had failed.

He remembers his fall, and the lesson is learned. Now he sets himself to act according to God's intention. So the work of man no longer spoils the work of God. God is glorified, the people are joyful, and the ark of the Lord has taken its place among them again. How different are the results we find in chapter 13, where David acts by himself without consulting the Lord, and he and all his people are plunged into affliction!

Son of Kohath, a son of Levi. His descendants are called HEBRONITES. Ex. 6:18; Num. 3:19, 27; 1 Chr. 6:2, 18; 1 Chr. 15:9; 1 Chr. 23:12, 19.

Of Kohath came the family of the Hebronites, one of the families of the Kohathites. Their number is given. Everything was laid down with the greatest possible care. God would avoid confusion in the service of the tabernacle, and He would leave no room for human will. He would make it the humblest thing on earth — a matter of simple obedience. Their charge, we gather, was to be a most honourable service: "the ark, and the table, and the lampstand, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary."

God had not left it to David, or to any other, to say how the ark of His testimony was to be carried, for He had chosen the Levites for this service, and His choice must be respected and owned. Is it not the same today? God has a chosen company, His own saints, those who have been separated from among men to serve Him, and to them His testimony has been committed. Every saint of God has the privilege, and the duty, to carry the testimony of God about His Christ with him from day to day.

David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. He tells them that they were the chief of the fathers of the Levites, and that they must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these men who were at their head.

He did not help the oxen; He did not help Uzza; the oxen had not borne the ark, of old, through the waters of Jordan; neither had they borne it round the walls of Jericho. No; it was on the shoulders of the Levites that God had put it, and His order is the only happy one. It may not always look right to human judgement. Yet it will always carry the stamp of God's approval, and that is more than enough for every faithful heart.

The first attempt to bring up the ark was marked by judgment, indignation and fear, but on the second occasion there is great joy. The singers were there, and "with instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy."

Son of Uzziel, a Levite, who helped to bring up the ark from the house of Obed-edom.

Kohath comes next with his four sons... His charge was the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the things belonging to all this... His prince is Elitzaphan, "whom God has hidden." Here it is indeed in the presence of God, and in occupation with Christ, that self is lost. He is the son of Uzziel, the "power of God."

David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. He tells them that they were the chief of the fathers of the Levites, and that they must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these who were at their head.

He did not help the oxen. He did not help Uzza. The oxen had not carried the ark, long before, through the waters of Jordan. They had not carried it round the walls of Jericho either. No; God had put it on the shoulders of the Levites, and His order is the only happy one. It may not always commend itself to human judgement. Yet it will always have the stamp of Divine approval, and that is fully enough for every faithful heart.

And may we not say that the seventh chapter of Numbers is one of those sample pages from the book of eternity? On it the finger of God has engraved the names of His servants, and the record of their work. We believe it is so... Each one has his own special place on the roll, and each one his place in the Master's heart; and all will come out by and by... Every act is faithfully set down, and the substance and style are put before us with care. We have the name of the man, what he did, and how he did it.

These modest duties are very valuable in the eyes of the Lord. See how God gladly registers all the names of their fathers. It is the same today. Serving tables, passing the bread and the cup, taking care of the "upper room" — the Lord forgets none of it.

Fleshly desires and human arrangement can have no place in the movements of the Ark. Its place and setting among the people of God must follow the "due order." The lesson was a severe one. The stroke of God was serious. But once the lesson was learned, it produced the atmosphere of joy, substance and praise... So let us not be afraid of the exercises these chapters raise: God's choosing; God's preparation; God's due order; God's commandment according to His own word; the need for sanctification and for seeking the Lord.

He had not learned this from his consultation with "the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and with every leader"; he had learned it from the word of God.

But it is David who does it. What a difference — it is no longer a Moses or an Aaron. It is no longer the high priest. He is not the highest. There is someone higher than the high priest. The king is above all — the shadow of Messiah. So they are set in their proper order. And David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and tells them that they were the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, that they must sanctify themselves — not just the Levites who did the work, but these who were at their head.

When they set the ark on the new cart, the priests and the Levites had no need to sanctify themselves. When they carried it themselves, they had to. They could not touch the holy things of the sanctuary without self-judgment.

"Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule." These passages are missing in the second book of Samuel. Chronicles has, as an exception, recorded David's fault, and it does so to present us with this admirable confession which grace at last produces in him.

Now, it was not just David's choice. We might think it was. We might say, "Well, can we not find a place for the Lord? Are we not free to choose any place that seems nice and convenient to us?" No, no! David found the place that was God's place. After he brought the ark back, David says, "Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might." "For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place. This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it." David found the place God had appointed, the place that the Lord had chosen. To that place for the Lord he brought the ark of the covenant.

The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen — no more human effort to keep the ark from falling; the truth of God was dominant, and the power of God could act.

If you want to know where to find the due order, read Exodus 25:13-15. They were to carry the ark only in that way. God had written it plainly enough. But David had read his Bible carelessly until then. You may say to me, I do not see things as you do. Quite possible; but if you will go and read your Bible you will see what the Lord says the order of His assembly should be. That is the vital point. It is of the greatest importance to have the mind of God, and not to take our own way in anything that concerns carrying the ark — for us, the testimony of Christ.

These passages are missing from the second book of Samuel. Chronicles records David's fault as an exception, and it does so to show us this admirable confession, which grace at last produced in him.

Here David acknowledges that God's hand was not only upon Uzza but upon them all. There was shared responsibility and guilt in this matter. David no longer thinks of "Perez-uzza," but of the "breach upon us."

Only one thing was missing. It looked unimportant, but it was very serious, and it would teach the king a bitter lesson. The great outpouring of joy and praise accompanying the ark's return could not take the place of obedience to the Word of God. The first was excellent; the second was both necessary and obligatory.

He was taught to throw away human traditions and simply follow the written Word of God. That Word said nothing about a cart and oxen to carry the ark. "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God." This was very clear. The whole mistake grew out of forgetting the Word, and out of copying people outside God's covenant, who had no ability to understand God's mind on any question.

It is possible to do a right thing in a wrong way… Let us beware of human reason. Let us not copy others because they seem to succeed… People often ask, "What is the harm" in doing this or that? Or, do the Scriptures condemn it? But the question should be: What do the Scriptures teach? What do they command? What is the Lord's will?

We are often surprised that the Lord exposes people who walk according to the Word of God when anything goes wrong… This is the reason. It is the very fact of having His Word — the very fact of seeking to walk by the Spirit of God, by His Word. Elsewhere it would stay hidden, but God does not let it pass. He uncovers it. So we have all the profit, but we have the shame — all the profit of God's Word, but the shame of our own lack of proper feeling.

There is a great, deep principle here for our souls today. God has a "due order" for everything here for His Church. If we step out of this divine order, a Perez-uzza is almost certain to follow… All such would do well to ask themselves, Is this really the "due order" of God's Word?

The lesson was severe and the stroke of God was serious. But once they learned it, the lesson produced an atmosphere of joy, substance and praise… We learn such lessons the way grain is sifted on a threshing floor. They will make us avoid every human intrusion into the service of God, and they will secure much for His glory and the joy of the saints.

While the ark sat on the new cart, the priests and the Levites had no need to sanctify themselves. When they carried it themselves, they had to. They could not come into contact with the holy things of the sanctuary without self-judgment.

The priests, Levites, and people were often called upon to sanctify themselves, to be ceremonially fit to approach God and His sanctuary. Leviticus 20:7; Numbers 11:18; etc. God said that He will be sanctified by those who come near Him (Leviticus 10:3). We must come to God with reverence, keeping away from whatever does not suit Him.

David calls for Zadok and Abiathar the priests. He tells them they are the heads of the Levite families, and that they must sanctify themselves — not only the Levites who did the work, but these men who were over them. "Because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, for we did not seek Him according to the due order."

We are often surprised that the Lord deals with people who walk according to the Word of God in a way that exposes them when anything goes wrong. Why will God not let things stay hidden? Why does He bring out what is painful and humiliating? This is the reason. It is the very fact of having His Word — the very fact of seeking to walk by the Spirit of God, by His Word. Elsewhere the thing would stay covered, but God does not let it pass. He uncovers it. So we have all the profit, but we also have the shame.

The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen — no more human effort to keep the ark from falling. The truth of God ruled, and the power of God could act.

Today every believer, like the Levite Kohathites, is responsible to carry Christ on his shoulders as the One who upholds the throne of God's glory. They did not touch the ark; they carried it with poles. We must not leave this witness to any organization that man invents — a new cart with its impersonal "oxen" to power it. Too often God's people hand their responsibility over to their "denomination". They bear no personal witness to Christ in His place of gracious, sovereign authority.

The lesson was severe and the stroke of God was serious. But once they learned it, it produced the atmosphere of joy, substance and praise that fills 1 Chronicles 15 and 16. … So let us not be afraid of the exercises these chapters raise: God's choosing; God's preparation; God's due order; God's commandment according to His own word; the need for sanctification and for seeking the Lord. Lessons like these … will lead us to avoid every human intrusion into the service of God, and will secure much for His glory and the joy of the saints.

If you want to know where to find the due order, read Exodus 25:13-15. The Ark could be carried only in that way. God had written it plainly enough. But David had read his Bible carelessly before this... It is of the greatest importance to have the mind of God, and not to take our own way in anything to do with carrying the Ark — for us, the testimony of Christ.

He was taught to throw aside human traditions and simply follow the written Word of God. That Word says nothing about a cart and oxen to carry the ark. "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God." This was perfectly clear. The whole mistake came from forgetting the Word and from copying the nations outside Israel. They had no ability to understand the mind of God on any question — least of all the solemn and important question of how to carry the ark.

It was the privilege of the Levites — the sons of Kohath — to carry the ark on their shoulders. It was right that this came after the destruction of the Philistines' new cart. The testimony of God is to be carried on the shoulders of His saints, borne in the lives of those who are near to Him. Sadly, many today have their own way of carrying God's testimony. They do not follow God's instructions in Scripture with care. They follow their own ideas, and think that the end justifies the means.

The staves went into the rings on the two sides (or feet) of the ark, so that it could be carried through the desert. Some have stressed the word "feet." The thought is that the ark, carried on the shoulders of the priests, would rise above their heads, where all the people could see it. It is clear that the staves in the rings remind us that our Lord always journeys with His people. If they are pilgrims, He will be a pilgrim too, and fulfil His own word, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5).

The beginning of 1 Chronicles 15 is quite remarkable... "Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule" (vv. 12-13). The second book of Samuel leaves these words out. Chronicles does record David's fault, which is rare for this book. It does so to give us this fine confession, which grace at last produced in him.

We are often surprised that the Lord exposes those who are walking according to the Word of God when anything goes wrong. Why does He not let such things stay hidden? Why does He bring out what is painful and humiliating? This is the reason. It is the very fact of having His Word — the very fact of seeking to walk by the Spirit of God, by His Word. Anywhere else such a failure would stay hidden, but God uncovers it. So we have all the profit, but we also have the shame.

The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen — no more human effort to keep the ark from falling; the truth of God was dominant, and the power of God could act.

While the ark was moving from place to place, with no sure resting place for the Lord among His people, there was no service of praise. It is not until David brings up the ark to its resting place that the song begins.

The Levites have changed their service. No longer do they have burdens to carry through a wilderness, but they lift up their songs in the house of the Lord.

Then (v. 16) David sets up choral worship, the singing of psalms... It was he who recalled the Levites to their proper place, and summoned the priests in their due order. He also had the singers appointed with instruments of music — harps, lyres, and cymbals sounding, lifting up the voice with joy. All is new here. It relates to David's mind about Zion, the chosen centre, after he had left aside the tabernacle at Gibeon and all the order Moses first set up.

At the earlier time there was a gladness of heart. It perhaps spilled out in loud, unthinking shouting, not the orderly and reverent joy of people who worship God... Then it was fleshly joy pushing its way into holy things, and God, defending His own order and majesty, had to judge them all in the person of Uzzah... Now it is holy joy, and David's heart is bowed. He lays aside his royal robe and puts on a priestly one, a robe of linen, like the Levites and the singers. He humbles himself to take part in the song as one of the company, yet he was the true leader.

"Sounds of joy" (v. 16) were heard, because "Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it" (v. 22). What we sing is of great importance. It is also a very good thing to be able to sing well. You may not have a very good voice. That is not the point.

Ancient musical instruments, made of metal plates struck together. By themselves they made no tuneful sound (compare 1 Corinthians 13:1), and they only worked alongside other instruments. In Corinthians they picture someone making a show in speech without love in the heart.

Why such particular care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God, through David, gives the service of song to these leaders has a meaning for the church now. There all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.

This is no warrant for Christians to use such instruments in the worship of God. The reason is that the distinctive mark of the Christian is, as the Apostle says, to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." But an earthly people would have an earthly way of expressing their praise. So everything here is fitting.

While the ark was moving from place to place, with no sure resting place for the Lord among His people, there was no service of praise. The song does not begin until David brings the ark up to its resting place. Then we see "David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers."

The first attempt to bring up the ark was marked by judgment, indignation and fear, but on the second occasion there is great joy. The singers were there, and "with instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy." At the king's command, the Levites appointed the three chief musicians: Heman, Asaph and Ethan. The gatekeepers were there too.

This gives Christians no warrant to use such instruments in the worship of God. The mark of the Christian, as the Apostle says, is to sing with the spirit and with the mind also. But an earthly people would have an earthly way of expressing their praise. So everything here is right for its time. "So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers. Everything was appointed in the most orderly way.

In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest, because of the gifts he had received from God. For the Kohathites it was Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God."

The particular care taken here shows how important song is: the leaders of that choir had to have a kind of double witness of their right to the name of Levi, and so of their fitness to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the Levite tribe. The family line of each one is traced back to Levi. No such care is shown for any other branch of Levite service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because none must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether for a willing or a groaning slave, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. God, through David, assigns the service of song to these three leaders with great care. That has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.

The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying on their shoulders the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar, and the golden lampstand. From among them Heman is chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is spoken of as "Heman the singer," and his genealogy is traced through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good reason to praise God for His rich mercy. Dathan and Abiram died with their children, and Korah shared their fate. Yet the record says, "But the sons of Korah did not die." God spared them in His sovereign mercy. So no one was better suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.

But was there no heart worship in these three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan? Let their psalms bear witness. There are twelve ascribed to Asaph, one to Heman, and one to Ethan.

"So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers. Everything was appointed in the most orderly way.

It is David who orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD" (1 Chron. 15:15). He also appoints the singers, the musicians, and the "gatekeepers for the ark" — and Scripture lists their very names.

The importance of song as part of the service given to God comes out in the particular care taken over the leaders of that choir. They had to have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi... No such care is shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because only those who have the right may sing. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should slaves have songs? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God by David gives the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.

Among them all, the name of Obed-edom is repeated four times, and it shines above all the others. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle along with the sons of Merari; he is singer, doorkeeper for the ark, and musician. Obed-edom was a witness to God's grace and an object of it. That grace had blessed his house and everything that belonged to him (1 Chron. 13:14), because the throne of God was present in his home. So he gets very special mention in this book of God's purposes in grace.

And who were the doorkeepers? They took the greatest possible care of the ark. Think of the order of the Assembly when it gathers for worship, the testimony of the gospel, the ministry of the Word of God, and who is admitted to His Assembly today. In all of this it matters greatly to have the spirit of the doorkeepers here. We are to be very careful about everything that belongs to Christ and His interests.

Obed-edom became a doorkeeper of the ark when David brought it up to Jerusalem. Here we see him and his large family as doorkeepers of Solomon's future temple, and of his sons it is said that they were mighty men of valour, able men in strength for the service. We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests (1 Chron. 9:13), called for these qualities. It is not enough to say that this unattractive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness; strength and valour are needed as well.

The Spirit of God stoops to arrange, through David, for the doorkeepers, just as He did for the high priest and for the different groups of priests. Everything has its place. Whatever has to do with the service of God is great in His eyes. It is only we who make so much of the difference between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.

Now the singers are properly appointed. This is a true and acceptable service to God, a service of song to Him. Why indeed should they not sing? The first time, there was gladness of heart. Perhaps it poured itself out in loud shouting that had no understanding in it. It was not the ordered, reverent joy of people who worship God... Now the singers are appointed; Heman, Asaph, and Ethan take the lead. Back then, it was the joy of the flesh pushing into holy things. To defend His own order and majesty, God had to judge them all in the person of Uzzah.

You can see how important song is in the service given to God from the special care taken over the leaders of that choir. They had to have a kind of double proof of their right to the name of Levi... Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan... Why such special care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God, through David, gives the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.

Ancient musical instruments, made of metal plates struck together. On their own they made no tuneful sound (compare 1 Corinthians 13:1), and players could use them only alongside other instruments. 1 Chronicles 15:16, 19, 28; Ezra 3:10; Psalm 150:5 and so on. In Corinthians it is a picture of someone making a show in speaking without love in the heart.

This gives Christians no warrant to use such instruments in the worship of God. What marks out the Christian is, as the apostle says, to "sing praise with my spirit... sing with my mind also." But an earthly people would have an earthly form of expressing their praise. Therefore all is in season. "So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers — everything appointed in the most orderly way.

While the ark kept moving from place to place, the Lord had no sure resting place among His people, and there was no service of praise. The song does not begin until David brings the ark up to its resting place.

But was there no heart worship in these three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan? Let their psalms bear witness. There are twelve ascribed to Asaph, one to Heman, and one to Ethan.

When David prospers, he does not forget the ark of God. The same eager desire is there, but now there is obedience to what God commanded... Along with this present care there is a confession that the first time "we sought Him not after due order." Now the singers are properly appointed. It is true and acceptable service to God, a service of song to Him. Why indeed should they not sing? The first time there was gladness of heart, and it may have poured itself out in thoughtless, noisy shouting. That is not the orderly and reverent joy of those who worship God.

It is David who not only orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of Jehovah" (1 Chron. 15:15), but who also appoints singers, musicians, and "doorkeepers for the ark" whose very names are listed.

The Greek and Latin translators gave it one sense in 1 Chronicles 15:20 and a different sense in the title of Psalm 46. The meaning of the word is unknown, and the differing attempts to translate it in the versions confirm that we do not know it. The word is thought to come from a word for "a virgin," and so it may mean soprano voices.

The psalm is a "song upon Alamoth." That means, without doubt, "with maidens' voices." It may well remind us of Miriam and the women of Israel joining Moses' song of triumph at the Red Sea (Ex. 15)... The word used here means, in its earliest sense, the "hidden ones." It refers to those still hidden away in their father's house. It may well be applied to the godly remnant who at last become the nation, brought out of their obscurity and owned by their King as His own.

There is no such care shown for any other branch of Levite service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because none must be allowed to sing, but those who have the right. And who now have the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether to a willing or a groaning slave, deliverance must first come, and in that comes the appointment to sing.

This gives Christians no warrant to use such instruments in the worship of God, because the mark of the Christian, as the Apostle says, is to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." But an earthly people would have an earthly way of expressing their praise. So everything here fits its own time.

What melody there will be in the temple of the thousand-year reign! What a "joyful noise" from all lands when Messiah reigns! Then the ark will rest in its place, prepared by the true David. He will appoint the singers then, and set them over the service. The scene given in 1 Chronicles is only a passing glimpse of what the earth will see and hear.

A Hebrew word in the headings of Psalm 6 and Psalm 12, and in 1 Chronicles 15:21. In the margin these passages read "on the eighth," and the Greek Septuagint translation agrees. It was probably an instrument of eight strings (from shemoneh, "eight"). Gesenius says it means "octave" — so, the lowest notes of the scale, sung by men.

Some render it Octave, meaning that it is to be played an octave lower than it is written — so, I think, Gesenius. I prefer the margin.

The beginning of 1 Chronicles 15 is quite remarkable. David said: "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. Jehovah has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him for ever" (v. 2). Then, speaking to the Levites: "You are the chief fathers of the Levites; make yourselves holy, you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of Jehovah the God of Israel to the place that I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it at the first, Jehovah our God made a breach upon us, because we did not seek Him after the due order" (vv. 12-13). These passages are missing in the second book of Samuel. Chronicles does record David's fault, which is unusual, but it does so to give us this admirable confession, which grace at last produces in him.

David not only orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of Jehovah" (1 Chron. 15:15). He also appoints singers, musicians, and "doorkeepers for the ark," and their names are written down. Among them all the name of Obed-edom, repeated four times (and twice more in 1 Chron. 16:38), shines above all the others. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle together with the sons of Merari; he is singer, doorkeeper for the ark, and musician. Obed-edom was both a witness to God's grace and an object of it. That grace had blessed his house and all that belonged to him, because the throne of God was present in his home. So he receives very special mention in this book of God's purposes of grace.

Why is the harp mentioned here, or an instrument of ten strings? Because praise has a wide range of harmonious melody. The low notes are necessary to accompany the high ones. Even at the lowest point of sorrow and distress there may be true, heartfelt exultation. All the notes in between are necessary too. Together they give a sweet harmony of praise and adoration to Him who is worthy of far more than all the honour the whole universe can give.

This is no warrant for Christians to use such instruments in the worship of God. The reason is that the distinctive feature of the Christian is, as the Apostle says, to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also." But an earthly people would have an earthly way of expressing their praise. So everything was in season. Then we find the singers and others — the doorkeepers, even — everything appointed in the most orderly way.

When David used the new cart, we find stumbling, death, displeasure and disappointment. Joy, gladness and worship were nowhere to be seen. All this is reversed when the "due order" is observed. "Lifting up the voice with joy" (v. 16) was heard, for "Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful" (v. 22). It matters greatly what we sing, as well as being a very nice thing to be able to sing properly. You may not have a very good voice. That is not the point. Can we say, "I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also"? (1 Cor. 14:15). It is a great thing to be a New Testament Chenaniah. To be "skilful" in the assembly is a great thing, whether prayer, song, worship or testimony are in question.

Chief Levite skilful in song (but see the margin). 1 Chr. 15:22, 27.

David was the "sweet psalmist of Israel," who knew how to praise the Lord, and he had good reason; but he also established "the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there"... While the ark was moving from place to place, with no sure resting place for the Lord among His people, there was no service of praise. It is not until David brings up the ark to its resting place that the song begins.

The importance of song is seen in the particular care taken that the leaders of that choir should have a sort of double witness to their right to the name of Levi, and therefore to their qualification to lead the song... There is no such care shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because none must be allowed to sing but those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether to a willing or a groaning slave, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing.

Musical talent was owned formerly; but He now seeks the adoration of the spirit according to the truth of the gospel. And while only a few of God's children could be qualified for the former, all are qualified for the latter.

This is no warrant for Christians using such instruments in the worship of God, because the distinctive feature of the Christian is, as the apostle says, to "sing praise with my spirit... with my mind also." But an earthly people would have an earthly form of expressing their praise. Therefore all is in season.

When David came to the throne and set up the service of song in the house of the LORD, "the sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, prophesied under the direction of the king" (1 Chr. 25:2, 6). All was under the chief musicians, but the king controlled them — "the sweet psalmist of Israel." The service of praise to God today is not with instruments of music as in David's day. But there is praise in which God delights, and the One who leads it is He who says, "In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise" (Heb. 2:12).

It is David who not only orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of Jehovah" (1 Chron. 15:15), but who also appoints singers, musicians, and "doorkeepers for the ark" whose very names are listed. Among them all the name of Obed-edom, repeated four times (and twice more in 1 Chron. 16:38), shines above all the others. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle together with the sons of Merari; he is singer, doorkeeper for the ark, and musician. Obed-edom was witness and object of God's grace, which had blessed his house and all that belonged to him (1 Chron. 13:14) because the throne of God had been in his home. He receives very special mention in this book of God's purposes in grace.

Only the priests could blow the trumpets. It takes a priest to give the signal that gathers the Assembly together (see Num. 10:1-10). It was their work and theirs alone — not the work of the Levites. And who were the doorkeepers? They took the greatest possible care of the Ark. It is of great importance to have the spirit of these doorkeepers today: in the order of the Assembly when it gathers for worship, in the testimony of the gospel, in the ministry of the Word of God, and in who is admitted to His Assembly. We are to be very careful about everything that concerns Christ and His interests.

The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to drive back any attempt against the house of God. They had to keep watch with unfailing energy, so that no defiled person entered the courts of the Lord. They also had to keep the doors open, so that no priest with the right to enter the temple was shut out.

Of his sons it is said that they were rulers in their father's house, that they were mighty and brave men, strong men fit for the service. We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests (1 Chron. 9:13), called for these qualities. It is not enough to say that this unimpressive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness. It needs strength and courage too.

The doorkeeper's place is the lowest as to self — and the highest in Christ, with songs of praise. And these same doorkeepers are keepers of the ark. And is not that ark Christ? Are these keepers not entrusted to make known the very heart of Christ? As He lived because of the Father, so the doorkeeper is called to live because of Christ.

The doorkeeper has to be first to admit others, and has to remain till the last; he is there longest of all. In the margin it reads, "I would choose rather to sit at the threshold." We get a different thought in this; he is content with the threshold, the lowest place, so long as he is in God's presence.

Only the priests could blow the trumpets. It takes a priest to give the signal that gathers the Assembly together (see Num. 10:1-10). It was their office and theirs only — not that of the Levites. The Levite cannot do it.

It was the testimony of God, given publicly, with two main aims: to gather the people, and to make them journey. And that is how it works in practice. The testimony of God gathers His people around Him, and makes them go forward.

Note that only the sons of Aaron, the priests, could blow the trumpets. Those who raise God's testimony must have free access into His presence, and be in communion with His mind. Nehemiah 4:18 shows this well: "The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me" — close to his leader, to catch the guidance of his eye, and to hear the word of command. It is not enough to give out a testimony, even a divine one. The testimony given must be received from God for the moment.

The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to be able to turn back any attack on the house of God. They had to watch with unbroken energy, so that no defiled person entered the courts of the Lord. And they had to keep the doors open, so that no priest with the right to enter the temple was shut out.

It is hardly enough to say that this unattractive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness. Strength and courage are needed too.

And who were the doorkeepers? They took the greatest possible care of the ark. When it comes to the order of the Assembly gathered for worship, the testimony of the gospel, the ministry of the Word of God, and admission to His Assembly today, it matters greatly to have the spirit of these doorkeepers. We are to be very careful about everything that relates to Christ and His interests.

It is David who not only orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD" (1 Chron. 15:15), but who also appoints singers, musicians, and "doorkeepers for the ark" whose very names are listed. Among them all, the name of Obed-edom, repeated four times (and twice more in 1 Chron. 16:38), shines above the rest. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle together with the sons of Merari; he is singer, doorkeeper for the ark, and musician. Obed-edom was a witness to God's grace, and an object of it: that grace had blessed his house and all that belonged to him (1 Chron. 13:14) because the throne of God had been present in his home. So he receives very special mention in this book of God's counsels in grace.

David was most exalted when he took the place of nearness to the ark of God. The linen robe and the ephod were there for this very purpose, so that he might rightly come near the ark of God. That was his aim — not the throne but the ark. He had the throne, and he valued it as God's gift, with himself chosen and called to it. But the ark of God was far nearer and deeper to him.

The first time there was gladness of heart. It may have poured itself out in loud shouting that understood nothing. It was not the orderly, reverent joy of people who worship God. At that time David and all Israel played before God with all their might. Now the singers have their appointed places, and Heman, Asaph, and Ethan take the lead. The first time it was the joy of the flesh pushing into holy things. To defend His own order and majesty, God had to judge them all in the person of Uzzah. That joy shows what it really is as soon as rebuke comes: David was displeased and afraid. The joyous procession never reached Jerusalem.

That is the sure result of obedience... Notice how God takes account of the Levites when things are like this, in line with His mind. He helps them. Then, as a picture, the sacrifices show worship flowing up to God. If you and I set ourselves to really obey the Word of the Lord, no matter what it costs, we too will find that God helps us. There will be joy in our souls, and worship, and fruitful service towards God.

The elders of Israel were not left out, and neither were "the commanders of thousands." But this time no one asks their advice. They are called to join the joyful crowd.

The Lord was glorified in all this, and He could therefore give real joy and gladness, strength and energy. There was no more stumbling of oxen. There was no more human effort to keep the ark from falling. The truth of God ruled, and the power of God could act.

Among all these names, the name of Obed-edom shines above the rest. It appears four times here, and twice more in 1 Chron. 16:38. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle along with the sons of Merari. He is also a singer, a doorkeeper for the ark, and a musician. Obed-edom both saw God's grace and received it. That grace had blessed his house and everything he owned (1 Chron. 13:14), because the throne of God was in his home. So this book of God's purposes in grace gives him very special mention.

Michal did not believe, so this action made no sense to her, and neither did the king's behaviour. Yet it was of very great importance. It tied royal power in Zion — that is, the royal power of Christ, as deliverer in grace — to the sign of the LORD's covenant with Israel. God set that sign up there in grace, after Israel had already failed completely under the law, and even after they had rejected God as their King.

In a word, this was a scene with which God could consistently connect Himself. He did not help the oxen; He did not help Uzzah. Long before, the oxen had not carried the ark through the waters of the Jordan, and they had not carried it round the walls of Jericho. No; it was on the shoulders of the Levites that God had put it, and His order is the only happy one. His order may not always look right to human judgement. Yet it will always have the stamp of divine approval, and that is more than enough for every faithful heart.

The beginning of 1 Chronicles 15 is quite striking: "Then David said, No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever" (v. 2). Then, speaking to the Levites: "Consecrate yourselves... Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule" (vv. 12-13). These passages are missing in the second book of Samuel. Chronicles, as an exception, records David's fault — and it does so to present us with this admirable confession, which grace at last produces in him.

They had no choice in the matter. Their service was simple obedience, yet it kept them very near to God, and, if their heart was in it, it was a rare delight. And notice too, they had to walk together. No one could carry a vessel of the sanctuary without a bar, and that means at least two bearers. They had to set aside every personal consideration. One might be stronger than another, or able to walk faster; but neither the strong nor the weak could decide the pace or the time... But walking this way in their divine order, might they not count on help from Him who showed His glory on the ark they carried?

And it was when the help of God came that "they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams" (1 Chr. 15:26). This was a perfect offering for the occasion, the bull that gave the highest expression of sacrifice to God, and the ram that speaks of consecration.

"They sacrificed," we read, for this seems to have had the character of a peace offering rather than of a burnt offering. But the Levites had moved only six paces (2 Sam. 6:13) when they sacrificed these animals. They began well, and all went on well, and the ark entered the tent on Zion which David had prepared for it.

Notice how God takes account of the Levites when things are according to His mind. He helps them, and then in the sacrifices you see worship flowing up to God in picture. If you and I set ourselves to obey the Word of the Lord in earnest, no matter what it costs, we too shall find that God will help us. There will be joy in our souls, worship, and fruitful service towards God.

He takes a priestly place. He was the king, and he takes the lead as the obvious chief of the great procession that brought the ark of God to Zion. Even so, there is no display of royal clothing or earthly grandeur. David was most exalted when he took the place of nearness to the ark of God. The linen and the ephod were for the very purpose that he might fittingly be near to the ark of God. That was his aim — not the throne but the ark. He had the throne, and valued it as God's gift, knowing he was chosen and called to it. But the ark of God was far nearer and deeper to him.

Revelation 19 perhaps gives the meaning of the linen most definitely. Of the Bride, the Lamb's wife, it is said, "it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Revelation 19:8). Do not confuse this fine linen with the "best robe," which is Christ our righteousness (Luke 15:22). That robe is put on the sinner the moment he turns to God in true repentance and faith. But the "fine linen" is personal holiness in actual life. The Holy Spirit produces it in the lives of God's saints.

David added his own dancing before the Lord. He did not wear his kingly garments, as though he were of any importance compared with what the ark signified. He was clothed instead with a linen ephod, or tunic. This speaks simply of practical righteousness. That is far more important than a man's dignified outward position of honour.

While the ark was moving from place to place, with no sure resting place for the Lord among His people, there was no service of praise. The song begins only when David brings up the ark to its resting place. Then we see David clothed with a robe of linen, with the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song (1 Chronicles 15:27).

When David's new cart was in use, we find stumbling, death, displeasure and disappointment, while joy, gladness and worship were plainly missing. All this is reversed when the "due order" is kept. Now the voice is lifted up with joy (v. 16), for Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the song; he instructed about it, because he was skilful (v. 22). It matters greatly what we sing. It is also a good thing to be able to sing properly. Your voice may not be good, but that is not the point. Can we say, "I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also"? (1 Corinthians 14:15).

David regulates everything. He himself wears the robe of fine linen, and so do all the Levites who carry the ark (v. 27). He also wears a linen ephod (v. 27), as Samuel the prophet had in earlier days (1 Samuel 2:18). He offered "the burnt offerings and the peace offerings" (1 Chronicles 16:2). His identification with the priesthood goes further still, for like Melchizedek "he blessed the people in the name of the LORD" (1 Chronicles 16:2). Finally, as the true anointed of the LORD, he satisfies the poor with bread (v. 3; Psalm 132:15-17). So he displays all the marks of the Levite, the prophet, the priest in Aaron's line, and the eternal priest and king. Christ, the Man according to God's purposes, will wear all of these when He appears in His kingdom.

There can be no real power where truth is sacrificed. There may be the appearance of it, the assumption of it, but no reality. How can there be? God is the source of power, but He cannot associate Himself with what is at variance with His truth. So although "David and all Israel played before God with all their might," there was no divine power. God's order was shut out by the human arrangement, and it all ended in confusion and sorrow. How different it is here. There is real joy — real power.

When the new cart carried the ark, God intervened in judgment. Now the Levites are called to serve, and "God helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD" (1 Chr. 15:26). It was when the help of God came that "they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams." This was a perfect offering for the occasion: the bull gave the highest expression of sacrifice to God, and the ram speaks of consecration.

Ancient musical instruments, made of metal plates struck together. They produced no melodious sound on their own (compare 1 Cor. 13:1), and could only be used with other instruments. In Corinthians it is a picture of someone making a show in speaking without love in the heart.

And the priests also, in the movement from the house of Obed-edom, blew the trumpets. David's arrangements for the ark fully recognised their use of the trumpet, and the temple arrangements recognised it still more (see 2 Chron. 5:12-13). In the same way they had a recognised place in the battle (2 Chron. 13:12, 14).

But there are no details here. We must look to the book of Kings for completeness. Chronicles gives us simply a glance, a fragment, and nothing more. The great point is God's part, not man's. Michal merely represented the unbelief of Saul's house, the unbelief of the natural heart. She had no sympathy. She felt herself degraded by David's humbling himself before the ark of the Lord. She had no appreciation of the moral grandeur of the scene.

And as the ark itself was a mystery, so was this journey of it. It was the expression of the return of the Lord to His Israel in the latter day. For then, through trials, they will be brought to the joy of God's presence again. In the same way, here the ark, the symbol of that presence, is brought from its distant exile and seated on the heights of Zion.

For grandeur and scope this Psalm stands, perhaps, unequalled. It was most probably sung as the ark was moving from the house of Obed-edom to mount Zion. So it opens with the words of Moses, as in earlier times the ark was beginning to move through the wilderness (Num. 10). And we are told that when David carried it, singers went with it (1 Chr. 15). Here we are as if listening to the song they sang.

We must look to the book of Kings for completeness. The Chronicles give us simply a glance, a fragment, and nothing more. The great point is God's part, and not man's. Michal merely represented the unbelief of Saul's house, the unbelief of the natural heart. She had no sympathy. She felt herself degraded with David's humbling himself before the ark of Jehovah. She had no appreciation of the moral grandeur of the scene.

One person was watching whose heart was not in tune with that worship. She scorned the idea of laying aside kingly dignity on any occasion — not even to join in praise to the King of all the earth. David's heart was overflowing with fullness of joy; Michal's was taken up with the thought of David's appearance. The ark of God does not have the first place in her soul, and so she is called here not the wife of David, but Saul's daughter. In her father's time the ark was not thought about, and she, brought up in that neglect, does not think of the ark now. Though she loved David, she had no heart for God; she was still Saul's daughter. The closest of earthly ties with the saints of God cannot bring the unrenewed heart into fellowship with Him.

Dancing in public before the ark may not have been a kingly act. But the dignity of the king was forgotten in the joy of the worshipper. What a compelling power there is in joy and gladness! And when this joy is from God and with God, how unworthy earthly appearances and earthly concerns become.

He made himself ridiculous. At least that is what Michal, Saul's daughter, felt and said. She saw her husband forgetting his dignity so that the Lord alone might be exalted. The world often judges the worship given to God by His children to be ridiculous. The more that worship is according to God, the more those who offer it will be despised. This is because the worshipper takes no account of himself. "We... worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh," says the apostle.

David was able to bear the sneer of contempt from Michal, the daughter of Saul. He could bear it because he was acting before the Lord. Listen to his fine reply to her reproach: "It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD — and I will celebrate before the LORD. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes." Precious determination! May it be ours, through grace. Low in our own eyes — happy in God. Humbled to the very dust in the sense of our own vileness — lifted up on high, in the sense of the grace and loving-kindness of our God.

"They brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it." All the people are blessed and satisfied. Michal, left in her proud isolation, is struck to her shame with barrenness until her death. The character of this daughter of Saul reflected that of her father. In Saul there was hatred; in Michal there was contempt for the Lord's anointed. There can be no more fellowship between her and the king.