Devotion 242
“Handling the Ark of God”
Reference: 1 Samuel Chapter 6
Man will never be able to properly handle the Ark of God until we are lined up with the Word.
The Word is in the Ark. The two must match. Any mismatch will cause frustration and at times death.
Let’s read:
1 Samuel 6:1 “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.”
The Philistines had the Ark of God in their possession for seven months but could not benefit from it because they didn’t know how to handle the Ark.
They had not the Word.
Instead of the Ark being a blessing to them , it became a curse because of the lack of the Word.
The Word of God remains a blessing to the believer and a curse to the unbeliever.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 6:2-5 “And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. [3] And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. [4] Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. [5] Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.”
Instead of believing the God who cut off the head and hands of their idol Dagon, the Philistines in their lack of the Word come up with their own ideas as to how to handle the Ark of God.
So it’s the world today. They make up their own ideas of God and His Word and call it spirituality, wisdom, and philosophy.
These men were called “the lords of the Philistines” for they were supposedly the wisest group in the land. Thinking they are wise, have become fools.
Romans 1:21-23 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
It is the condition of not just the Philistines of that day but our world today.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 6:6-13 “Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? [7] Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: [8] And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. [9] And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth–shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us. [10] And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: [11] And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. [12] And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth–shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth–shemesh. [13] And they of Beth–shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.”
The believer rejoices to receive the Word of God for the Word saves.
The unbeliever has no use of the Word of God because the Word of God is only received by faith.
The unbeliever looks to get rid of the Word of God because they feel condemned.
John 3:17-18 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Don’t try to get rid of the Word, just believe it, and you’ve passed from death to life.
We conclude our reading:
1 Samuel 6:14-20 “And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth–shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. [15] And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth–shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. [16] And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. [17] And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; [18] And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite. [19] And he smote the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. [20] And the men of Beth–shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? [21] And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath–jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.”
The Holiness of God prevents Him from coming into direct contact with sinful man. The Ark and Word of God can only be handled in holiness.
David let a sincere man die from mishandling the Ark.
2 Samuel 6:6-9 “And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. [7] And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. [8] And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. [9] And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?”
God has a prescribed way of handling his Ark.
Let the Word of God (the prescribed way) guide your ark. Remember, in Christ, you are the ark of God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Handle your ark in Holiness, in Christ!
Reference: 1 Samuel Chapter 6
Man will never be able to properly handle the Ark of God until we are lined up with the Word.
The Word is in the Ark. The two must match. Any mismatch will cause frustration and at times death.
Let’s read:
1 Samuel 6:1 “And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.”
The Philistines had the Ark of God in their possession for seven months but could not benefit from it because they didn’t know how to handle the Ark.
They had not the Word.
Instead of the Ark being a blessing to them , it became a curse because of the lack of the Word.
The Word of God remains a blessing to the believer and a curse to the unbeliever.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 6:2-5 “And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. [3] And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. [4] Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. [5] Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.”
Instead of believing the God who cut off the head and hands of their idol Dagon, the Philistines in their lack of the Word come up with their own ideas as to how to handle the Ark of God.
So it’s the world today. They make up their own ideas of God and His Word and call it spirituality, wisdom, and philosophy.
These men were called “the lords of the Philistines” for they were supposedly the wisest group in the land. Thinking they are wise, have become fools.
Romans 1:21-23 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
It is the condition of not just the Philistines of that day but our world today.
We continue our reading:
1 Samuel 6:6-13 “Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? [7] Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: [8] And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. [9] And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth–shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us. [10] And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: [11] And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. [12] And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth–shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth–shemesh. [13] And they of Beth–shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.”
The believer rejoices to receive the Word of God for the Word saves.
The unbeliever has no use of the Word of God because the Word of God is only received by faith.
The unbeliever looks to get rid of the Word of God because they feel condemned.
John 3:17-18 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Don’t try to get rid of the Word, just believe it, and you’ve passed from death to life.
We conclude our reading:
1 Samuel 6:14-20 “And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth–shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. [15] And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth–shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. [16] And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. [17] And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; [18] And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth–shemite. [19] And he smote the men of Beth–shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. [20] And the men of Beth–shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? [21] And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath–jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.”
The Holiness of God prevents Him from coming into direct contact with sinful man. The Ark and Word of God can only be handled in holiness.
David let a sincere man die from mishandling the Ark.
2 Samuel 6:6-9 “And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. [7] And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. [8] And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. [9] And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?”
God has a prescribed way of handling his Ark.
Let the Word of God (the prescribed way) guide your ark. Remember, in Christ, you are the ark of God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Handle your ark in Holiness, in Christ!
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