Day 124 – 1 Chronicles 13-16

Talking Points

• As part of the restoration taking place under the unified kingship of David, plans are made to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. It is a great time of celebration and national pride.
• The ark is transported on a new cart, even though God’s instructions were for the priests to walk carrying the ark on poles. When the ark begins to slip, Uzza puts his hand out to steady it. The Bible says God’s anger burned, and Uzza is killed instantly.
  
  In this radical event, we see the holiness of God. We see the reverence that He requires. We also see that both of those things are to prompt exact obedience. David, seeing this, asks, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?” (13:12). No one is worthy of a relationship with our God. His holiness is unmatched. No sinner can stand. We need a Go-between, a Mediator.
• The record of David’s two battles against the Philistines is recorded again. As David leads the army to follow God’s plan exactly, they find great success. “David did just as God commanded him” (14:16).
• David sees the mistake of his first attempt to move the ark, and so he has the Levites carry it to the prepared place. The people celebrate, thanking and praising God. “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name” (16:29).

Thoughts

As parents, one of the biggest challenges in our home is teaching and training our kids to trust us enough to obey us. There are times when we discipline with punishments and times when a candid conversation seems to be enough. There are also times, in the midst of obedience, when we reward their behavior or draw attention to how peaceful and good things are when they follow our rules. This pattern comes with moments of grief and sorrow (from all parties involved), and moments that highlight mercy and forgiveness, and moments of “lights” turning on as we learn about true love and grace.

I have no delusions of this being an idea that we came up with. It has been taught to us over many years by our good and faithful Father.

See, when we disobey God’s good and wise commands, there are times when He punishes us. We can call them “natural consequences,” but the truth is, they are punishments put into place and filtered through His righteous hand. In His system, there are times when we can read His Word and learn from others’ mistakes, not always having to walk through the same sins to learn the lesson. And, then, in the moments of our obedience to Him, He blesses us tremendously, drawing our attention to how good and peaceful things can be when we follow His commands.

Reading the account of David, Uzza, and the ark moved in disobedience reminds me that only our wise and faithful God can teach us to trust Him more in both times of obedience and disobedience. When we disobey, He teaches us that our way is not the best, and so, if we are sensitive to His guidance, we trust Him more. When we obey, we see His trustworthiness, and He leads us to praise His infinite wisdom and love. And, while as parents, we may struggle with knowing when and how to discipline, He knows exactly what we need, and He won’t stop short.

Throughout His perfect plan, we see His mercy and forgiveness highlighted, and we learn about true love and grace. Only our God can do that! May we trust Him more and more.