The Lord wants to bless and help His people.
“The Ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had”. 1 Chronicles 13:14
God removed Eli and his sons from the priesthood by the hands of the Philistines, but the Ark of the Lord was captured. They probably thought that they’d taken a great prize at first, but soon discovered that the God of Israel was not to be mocked. Death and panic broke out in their cities, the people were struck with tumours and rats appeared. Their own god Dagon fell down twice before the Ark of God and the second time his head and hands were broken off. God has no problem dealing with the enemies of His people, but Israel were indulging in idol worship. 1 Sam 7:3
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task”? 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16
Paul tells the Corinthians that to people who are being saved, the smell of Christ is fragrant and attractive, but to others it is the smell of death. The Philistines discovered they had the smell of death in their cities, Ashdod, Gath and Ekron. No one wanted the Ark of the God in their city, ‘They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel round to kill us and our rulers’. Eventually their priests and diviners told them to send it back where it belonged, to the people of God. The Ark came first to the people of Beth Shemesh and they slaughtered the cows pulling the cart and offered sacrifices to the Lord. However, they became too familiar and looked inside it and seventy died as a result. 1 Sam 6:1
The Ark was then moved and stayed 20 years in Kiriath Jearim. In the book of 1 Chronicles 13, David prepared to bring the Ark up to Jerusalem (City of Peace) but even he (a man after God’s own heart) didn’t get it right and Uzzah died when he touched the Ark. David was afraid and left the Ark for a time at the house of Obed-Edom and God blessed the whole household. The Philistines couldn’t wait to get rid of the Ark, but Obed-Edom and his whole house were blessed, what a contrast! We must thank God for Jesus, our Passover Lamb, by whom we’re made righteous before a holy God. We can’t touch God’s presence in our own righteousness, only through Christ. However, God is calling us to come near today, not in wilful sin, and be blessed in His presence.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
God wants to bless us, let’s make any correction necessary to stand in His blessings today, for us and our homes.
God bless you today.