Many long years the ark of God remained in Kirjath-jearim and during the forty year reign of King Saul, Israel inquired not of it (1 Chron. 13:3). The time came when David had ascended the throne of Israel and was established in the kingdom. Very soon he desired to bring the ark of God home to him, and in the chapter before us we find him acting on this desire. This was truly a right desire, and one that was lacking in King Saul, but David begins to act without seeking God’s mind. David had a zeal, and we can say, a zeal in a good thing, but in the first verse we read, “David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and with every leader.”
No mention is made of asking God about it, or seeking to discern from His Word how this should be done until after he consults with “every leader.” Then he says, “If it seems good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God.”
The Lord is now mentioned, and His blessing desired on their plans and undertaking.
There is always danger ahead when we “look this way, and that way.” By examining these first verses, we are almost prepared to expect mistakes and failures to follow. Whenever there is much consulting with man, and seeking to gain man’s approval, we are very apt to miss the Lord’s mind, and embark upon a path of our own planning.
In the next verse David brings forward a very great and good reason for bringing home the ark, reminding the Israelites of their past failure in not seeking it in the days of Saul. The desire was good, and the failure of the past should be brought home to their consciences, but neither a right desire nor reviewing our past failure will guarantee us against other failures.
The approval of the captains, every leader, and all the people was now secured. Everything was ready, “so David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath.” What a great assemblage! Everything outwardly pointed to a great revival in Israel. There was nothing like it in all the days of Saul, and it would seem to indicate God’s guidance and blessing.
But alas, “they carried the ark of God in a new cart!” God had decreed that “none but the Levites” should carry the ark, so whence came the cart? It was something new, something modern, and in keeping with the times. Had not the Philistines used a cart to send the ark of God home? Would it not be well to follow their example? It had proved very successful to the Philistines. Had not times changed since God had said that only the Levites should carry the ark? Still, all goes on well, and “David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.”
What an impressive sight! Surely God would be pleased with that, and especially so as they “played before God.” There was not one voice raised against it. What more could anyone ask? They had unanimity of purpose, word, and deed. Had anyone dared to object, the sounds of the music would have drowned his objection, and he would have been considered narrow or extreme.
No doubt times had changed, but God had not changed. His holiness and truth remain forever the same. David had forgotten the glory of God, and the majesty proper to Him. He had also overlooked the sin of the people which had caused the loss of the ark and God’s departure from among them. Accordingly God brings in judgment by smiting Uzza, who dared to put forth his hand to support the ark. There would have been no occasion for this action by Uzza, if God’s order had been followed.
Next we see the flesh, which had been acting, even in a good thing, showing itself in King David. “David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza.” What then—are we better than this servant of God? No, in no wise, for how often when we least suspect it, the flesh has been working in us, even in the service of God. We are each susceptible to being guided by our own desires, our longings, our wills, the thoughts of others, the remembrance of the past, and other things.
How many new carts there are in Christendom today! It is filled with them, and many may appear to be very successful in the service of God. Various expediencies are adopted in an effort to increase numbers. Schemes current in the world are used to attract people so that more may hear the gospel. They may even bring a lot of scattered or divided Christians together. More than that, God in His sovereign grace may use the gospel thus preached to the saving of many souls, but that is no sign of His sanction of our use of new carts. The world and most Christians may give hearty approval, and there may be great rejoicing “before God,” but may we shun all that is not according to His mind. We know that God’s purpose is that all His redeemed shall be one, and that He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, but our business is to walk in His path, according to truth and holiness, leaving the results with Him.
Satan is ever active and seeks by one means and then another to have us forsake the old paths (Jer. 6:16). For the saints of God, his power is broken, but we need to beware of his wiles, for we are not ignorant of his devices. Let us seek on our knees, in a sense of great weakness and failure, divine guidance for each step of the pathway, and pray earnestly that we may be kept “holding fast” that which He has committed unto us.