Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like to turn to First Chronicles. First Chronicles chapter 12, verse 22.
For at that time, day by day, there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.
A little farther down in the chapter.
And the.
38 verse.
All these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel.
And all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.
Moreover, they that were nigh them, even unto Isakar and Zebulun and Nabtalei, brought bread on ***** and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen and meat meal, cakes of figs and bunches of raisins and wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly. Or there was joy in Israel. And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.
David said unto all the congregation of Israel.
If it seemed good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere that are left in all the land of Israel.
And with them also to the priests and Levites, which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us, and let us bring again the ark of our God to us. For we inquired not at it in the days of Saul, nor the congregation said that they would do so. But the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
So David gathered all Israel together, from shy ***** of Egypt, even unto the entering of Hema.
To bring the ark of God from courageous Jerome, David went up, and all Israel to Bala, that is to, that is, to Kerja Durham, which belongs to Judah. To bring up fence the ark of God, the Lord that dwelleth between the cherry bems, whose name is called on it.
They carried the ark of God and a new card out of the House of Abinadab, and Ozan Ohio drayed the cart, and David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with sultries, and with timbrels, and with symbols and with trumpets.
When they were come to the threshing floor of Chaidun, Aza put forth his hand to hold the ark. For the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against us, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark, and there he died before God. And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon us. Therefore that place is called Perez Aza to this day.
David was afraid of God that day, saying.
How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? So David brought not the ark home to himself, to the city of David, but carried it aside into the House of Obed Edom the Gittite. The Ark of God remained with the family of Obed Edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the House of Obed Edom and all he had.
On the 14th chapter.
Eighth Verse. When the Philistines heard heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, and David heard of it and went out against them. The Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Refium. David inquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand?
The Lord said unto him, Go up, for I will deliver them into thine hand.
So they came up to bail Perazim, and David smoked them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand, like the breaking forth of waters. Therefore they call the name of that place Bail Parasm. And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.
Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said unto him, going on up after them.
Turn away from them and come upon them over against the Mulberry trees, and it shall be when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the Mulberry trees. But then thou shalt go up to battle, for God has gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
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The 15th chapter. And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared an ark for a place for the ark of God, and pitched for the tent. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, For them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever.
David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem to bring up the Ark of the Lord.
Unto his place which he had prepared for it.
The 12Th verse And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites, Sanctify yourselves, both he and your brethren, that she may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel into the place that I have prepared for it for because you did it not. At the 1St the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the Jew order so David, and the so the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of.
Israel and the children of the Levites bear the ark of God upon their shoulders, with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded. According to the word of the Lord, David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be singers, with instruments of music, sultries and harps, and symbols, sounding by lifting up the voice with joy and.
The 24th verse in Shepherd and Jehoshaphat and Nathaniel and a Messiah.
And Zechariah and Benny, Ayah and Eliezer the priest did blow the trumpets before the Ark of God.
And all that Edom and Jay, Ayah, Jehiah, or doorkeepers for the ark. 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 came to pass when God helped the Levites that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that they offered seven bullets and seven Rams.
David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bear the ark and the singers.
And Chenanaya, the master of the song, with the singers David. I also had upon him an affidavit of linen. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
Was shouting him with the sound of the coronet and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with sultries and harps. And it came to pass as the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came to the city of David. And Michael, the daughter of Saul, looking out at a window, saw King David dancing and playing, and she despised him in her heart.
Well, I thought to in reading this portion tonight. Is that.
We cannot, we must always bear in mind that no time of happiness, or no time of triumph or special blessing in our lives has any assurance that thereafter we will have the mind of the Lord, our guidance for our pathway, or His blessing upon us.
Unless there is continual dependence upon the Lord and looking to Him, Oh, how easy it is for us, especially after some time when God has used us in any particular way or blessed us in any particular way, to rejoice in the blessing, to rest in the blessing, and to get our eyes off the Lord, to forget the need of.
Constant dependence upon him. We remember how the Lord took the disciples up onto that mount of Transfiguration.
And there they saw the Lord transfigured before them. There they saw perhaps what we might say.
Was one of the most wonderful scenes in their whole experience in the Lord's pathway here. But when they came down from the mountain and a child was brought there, possessed with an evil spirit, they were not able to cast out the unclean spirit.
And they asked the Lord, why could not we cast him out? And the Lorde answer was this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting. Oh surely if they had been up in the mountaintop they would now be full of power to be able to meet this difficult situation. But no, they needed to be.
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Independence upon the Lord. The thought of fasting brings in the thought of self judgment.
And on the in that state could they overcome this attack of the enemy? So we find it over and over again on the day of Pentecost. What rejoicing. There was 3000 souls saved saved. But it wasn't long until we find Ananias and Sapphira. They lied about the price of their land and God had to deal.
Oh, how important I say it is.
Brethren, that we should go on continually in the path of dependence upon the Lord, and in obedience to His word. It says in the 16th Psalm the first verse, Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.
And we need this every step of the way.
Well, this portion that we have before us in First Corinthians 12 is a very happy occasion. For a long time David had been haunted by Saul. Those who had followed David had been in a place of rejection. They had been down there in The Cave of Dalam. They had been identified with a despised leader. But now God's time had come when David should be exalted.
When He should be given the place of headship over the whole Kingdom. And so we find the great numbers here come out to make David king. And isn't it true that it's very easy for us when there are large crowds, when there is happy ministry, when Christ is brought before us in power, that is very easy for us.
To all come and enjoy such occasions, and just like these who came there was great joy in Israel.
Their hearts were lifted up. This wasn't any pretense or sham either. And one doesn't say or even think of that when great numbers of the Lords people come together for happy occasions over His word that is the sham or anything of that nature. The heart does respond to the precious ministry of Christ. The heart of the Christian, no matter how cold it may be, does respond to that precious name.
In fact, that's the proof that one is a Christian, for it says in first Peter 2.
Unto you therefore, which believe he is.
Precious, I've often said that that's the verse God gives us for ourselves.
To show us how that we have believed in the right way. I can remember when I was a a boy hearing the preacher say, have you believed in your head or in your heart? And I must confess it perplexed me quite a bit. Did I believe in my head or had it really got down into my heart? Well this verse was a great help to me.
You therefore which believe He is precious, and when you believe in your heart, your heart goes out to the person. When it's only in the head, there's no affection for the person. But if you believed in your heart, you love that precious Savior. We love Him because He first loved us. If you were walking down the street here in Detroit, someone comes up to you and speaks well of the Lord Jesus.
Doesn't your heart respond to the mention of that precious name? Oh, I'm sure that that is so in every Christian I know. Christians that are filled with doubts, doubt their salvation, but the mention of the precious name of the Lord Jesus fills their hearts with rejoicing. All the enemy has succeeded in making them very unhappy by filling them with doubts, and yet God has given to them that precious assurance.
That the thought that their heart responds to that name shows they have believed in their hearts. So I quote the verse again unto you, therefore, which believe He is precious. And I have no doubt that when all these people came together with a perfect hearts, as they were not of double heart, they came there. They rejoice to see David in his place of authority. They delighted to see him in the.
Belong to him. But they hadn't had the courage to identify themselves with him and his rejection. And David rejoiced to see them come too. And David welcomed them. If we had read the whole chapter, we would have seen that. And he welcomed them all. But there was a special place given to those who had shared his rejection.
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When he chronicles his mighty man.
He talks of those who were faithful to him in his rejection, and dear fellow Christian, the Lord.
Values every little bit of desire in your heart and mind to please him.
But I do believe that, believe that it gives special joy to his heart, and when we seek to follow Him in the path of rejection. And so when we come together to the meetings, and there are only a few there, just a feeble few, and the ministry perhaps is not bright and happy as at other occasions. When is our brother brought before us in the conference? There might be a famine in the land.
There might be a famine in the assembly when we still sodgern in that land, when we still seek to go on with the people of God. That gives special joy to the heart of the Lord. It gives special joy to Him. Oh, may we have the privilege of giving joy to the heart of the one to whom we once caused such sorrow. It was our sins that caused in that untold sorrow and suffering.
That he endured upon Calvary's cross, and now we have the privilege of doing something.
That will give him joy, that will cause his heart to rejoice, for he delights to have his own with him, just like Davidde men down there when one when they heard him say that he longed for a drink of the water by the well of Bethlehem. Oh, how he appreciated the devotedness of those men who broke through the host of the Philistines and went out and drew water for him. He valued them.
Well to return to this chapter tells us that in the 39th verse and they were with David three days eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. The next verse tells us of the different tribes of Israel and how they all helped in this and there was joy in Israel.
Well, it came to me because of the three days that we had had together.
And how the Lord had granted us such a happy time and fellowship one with another over His word, And how our brethren had prepared for us, and the oneness of heart that was displayed. And so, as we come to the end of this 12Th chapter, we would say, what a happy occasion, what joy.
There was in Israel, but when we open the next chapter, we find them acting on the joy.
Instead of turning to the Lord, we find them turning to one another.
And acting in their own wisdom instead of turning to the law that isn't that very natural to our hearts. When there's a time of great joy, we look at one another, we rejoice to look into one anothers faces, we speak of these things and we forget.
The need of dependence upon the Lord we forget the need of looking into His word for guidance.
Every step of our pathway and also what we find in this 13th chapter was a right thing done in a wrong way. Wasn't it a very fine desire to bring up the ark of God? All that was a very fine desire. God was pleased with that desire. He was pleased that David should desire to bring up the ark of God for.
Neglected in the days of Saul and now, David valued that place. That was the meeting place between God and his people.
God said there I will meet with thee, and there I will commune with thee. It was above the ark upon the mercy seat where God said He would meet with His people. And David valued that. David valued it. Do you And I value the fact that we have the privilege of meeting with the Lord, that we have the privilege of coming around him in the place that he has marked out in His word and they're meeting with.
Him while David valued that, but it says in the first verse, David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and with every leader that he turned to the word of God. Did he ask the Lord what he should do? No, He consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds and every leader. Weren't there men of understanding there? Yes.
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Us that there were says in the 32nd verse of the 12Th chapter.
In the and the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were 200 and all their brethren were at their commandment.
The next verse of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, so on. Well, surely they could depend on these men of understanding. They had the understanding. They knew what Israel ought to do. But no matter how much understanding we have, no matter how much God may have used this in the past, no matter how much we have been blessed by Him in the past.
We need Him for each day, we need His wisdom, His guidance, His strength, and we need His precious word. For man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God shall man live so. Because the fact that these were here, such men of understanding and some that were expert in war, and they were not of a double heart, surely.
Could depend on them, and there was such a happy state among them. So he turns to the captains.
He asks them. He says it's in my heart to bring up the ark of the Lord.
And notice what he says here, the 12Th verse at the third verse of the 13th chapter.
And let us bring again the ark of our God to us. For he inquired, not added in the days of Saul. He didn't say to bring it into his place. He didn't say to bring it into the place that the Lord had appointed, nor did he say that they would seek the Lord's mind as to how this should be done. No, there was there was an occupation with.
This joy and with all of the was going on among them.
There wasn't a turning to the law.
Well, it says in the fourth verse, and all the congregations said that they would do so.
For the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. Yes, they they were all agreed about this. And not one of them said, let us turn to God's word and let us ask the Lord about this matter. No, they were all agreed, so surely they must be right if they were all agreed. Well, I say what they wish to do was right, but the manner in which.
Doing it was not right. It wasn't according to the Word of God. It wasn't according to that which He had marked out in His Word. And where did they get this idea at all of using a cart and having oxen drive it? All this idea had come from the Philistines. Well, they might have said that, but God put His blessing upon it.
When the Philistines sent back the ark and it was placed in that cart.
Why the oxen went ahead and brought it right back to the land of Israel.
God manifestly put His blessing on it when the Philistines did it. But the Philistines didn't have this book. The Philistines didn't have the word of God and Israel did. They were more responsible and brethren, we may look around and christen them and say, well, isn't God putting His blessing on them there? And isn't he putting his blessing on them there?
Well, they're not as responsible as you and I are, God said to his people.
You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you.
Another verse said, Unto whom much is given, of the same shall be much required. And so Israel were much more responsible, because they had the oracles of God they knew. And God did bless the Philistines for the measure in which they acknowledge the true God of Israel.
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And I say this, that wherever in Christendom we find a measure in which people acknowledge the Lord, God blesses according to that measure, but where you and I have the word of God and the truth of God when we're gathered out to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
In separation from all its of man to give the Lord Jesus his place of honor and obedience to His Word, we are more responsible.
And things that may seem to pass among those who are outside will not pass among those who are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it didn't pass here at all.
Well they all came together. What a wonderful gathering this was fifth verse. So David gathered all Israel together from shy ***** of Egypt, even unto the entering of Hema to bring the ark of God from Kurja Durham. Wasn't this a wonderful gathering all Israel come together and.
All the instruments of music all the same, all this wonderful.
This wonderful display, and yet it was not according to the mind of God. Oh, brethren, surely we can see that there may be that which puts on quite a nice exterior which looks quite impressive. But all God is jealous for the glory of His Son. God wants to have his blessed Son exalted. He wants to have him honored and.
The way it strikes me is this that when this.
CART was built and Aza and Ohio were driving the car. Why the the Ark was down behind them and here they were out in front and they were getting the honors.
The ark was more, shall I say, down little lower, and these men were in a place of honor, driving the cart along. And I believe that that's the tendency of our natural heart to want to get honors for ourselves. I've often thought of a remark by our brother Brown. He said Christendom has become a vast arena where men strive for honors for themselves.
And you and I are not in communion with the mind of God.
Unless we're honoring Christ.
You remember how, as you were said, what shall be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honor. And great honors were to be brought to such a one, And those honors were given to the despised Jew more to chaos. And God delights to honor his Son. O brethren, are you and I in our lives?
Seeking the honor and the glory of Christ.
If we are, then we'll be turning to His word, and we'll be in conscious dependence before Him. But if we're seeking honors for ourselves, we'll seize every opportunity to be out in front, to be noticed, to put forward our opinions, to be, to be, to have everyone look up to us, the body for seeking the honor and the glory of Christ.
Will be will be willing to be hidden.
The Lord Jesus might be exalted. I often think of the story that was told of dear.
Mr. Darby one time when he was visiting Auburn in France and.
Someone came and was saying some things that were very unkind and untrue to that dear servant of God. And another brother was standing by and heard these insults given to Mr. Darby. And Mr. Darby remained silent. He didn't answer. He didn't say a word.
A law. He was really being insulted. And this brother said to him, he said, Mr. Darby, why don't you speak up and defend yourself? What he's saying is not true. And the answer of that dear servant of God was.
He hasn't said anything against my Savior yet. Oh, what a sweet answer. Well, there was one who was seeking the honor and the glory of Christ.
All brethren, how many difficulties would be saved amongst us in our homes?
And in our business life and in our assembly life, if this was before us, that Christ alone might be honored. I've sometimes said this, if a brother says something that's untrue about me, if I just stop and say to myself, well, it could have been true, and but for the grace of God, it would have been true.
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Then I wouldn't get angry about it, because it was quite possible that I could have done the thing if God hadn't preserved me.
But the reason we get angry is this. We're as good as saying, oh, I wouldn't do a thing like that.
I'm not so mean that I would do a thing like that and so we really have high thoughts about ourselves, but all how needful that we say that the Lord Jesus is the one whom God delights to honor that in all things he might have the preeminence Wellness was a very impressive thing.
To see all the singing and these instruments of music and this cart and the.
Hawks and driving it and other and a higher out in front.
In a place of honor and prominence, surely everything looked very beautiful to the eye of the natural man. But God was not pleased. They hadn't asked Him, they hadn't looked into His word, and they had given honor to men instead of giving honor to his presence in the midst of his people, of which the ark was a symbol. And so.
The oxen stumbled and the ark began to shake, and as A and a higher out in front, driving it as a put forth his hand to steady the ark because the oxen stumbled.
Perhaps I shouldn't say that the Ark shook. The Bible doesn't say here that it did, but it does say that Aza put forth his hand to steady it. At least, he thought perhaps it would have.
I don't believe it did, actually, because I believe God's eye was upon that ark and it wasn't necessary for us to put forth His hand. God was taking care of that ark just as He had taken care of it when it was down in the country of the Philistines, and the gods of the Philistines fell on their faces in the presence of that ark.
God saw to it, and God will ever guard the glory of His Son. And if you and I are in community.
With his thoughts, why we only need to acknowledge him?
In his rightful place, well, Aza was smitten down as a was smitten den.
And it tells us here that David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon us. Therefore that place is called Perez Aza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? While I say David was afraid of God, David was exercised.
Why had this happened and all if there is anything that ever happens?
Among the people of God we ought to be exercised by it.
We find that David discovered later why this had happened.
They hadn't asked the Lord, and they hadn't gone to his word about it.
They had done this according to their own plan. And so sometimes when we try to put through some plan or do something in human wisdom, we get a little displeased when God doesn't prosper our plan. But if God thwarts our plan, if he frustrates us in some purpose in life, should we not be exercised as to why God has allowed it? Should we not see?
Has a purpose in it. And we might say, well, that was us fault. He was the one that was wrong. Well, he was wrong, but the whole circumstance was wrong. The whole thing was displeasing to God. And as a was the one who put forth his hand, He was the one who did the, shall I say, the overt act. But the whole circumstance was not according to the mind of God.
So when they can send God didn't say Akan has sinned.
Said Israel hath standing, we ought to be exercised and not say, Well it's that persons fault, it's what that person did. But let us each be exercised. David was exercised, he said, How shall I do it? How shall I do it? Oh, let us look up as our brother brought before us yesterday. Let us look up and say.
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Lord, what wilt thou?
Have me to do?
And I think there's a very sweet little point here in the end of this chapter.
That when David at this time was not permitted to bring up the ark of God to his place, that it was carried into the House of Obed Edom and remained in his house for three months. To me this is a very touching little incident. That is.
God had made known his displeasure.
And the fact that as it was smitten, but we find here this man valued the presence of God, he valued that ark. And so when this plan was frustrated, why he allowed his house to be opened and the ark of God was carried in. Well, my thought in connection with it is just this.
That when difficulties arise and when troubles arise.
Isn't it grand that we can still keep our homes for the Lord, that we can still give Him His rightful place in our homes, and if we do, the Lord will bless us for it? How often one has found that when difficulties come among the people of God, a whole home will be affected.
The family will become discouraged and turned aside. And why is it?
Well, I believe it's because there wasn't what was done here. There isn't the fact that if there has been failure, we can still seek to honor the Lord in our own homes. We can still seek to keep our homes as a place where the Lord Jesus is given His rightful place. We can still have a heart for God and for His people, for as they kept that ark, it wasn't.
Say it wasn't that they themselves boasted to be anything.
But it was simply that they themselves enjoyed the Lord's presence there in their home, while this time of exercise, shall I say, went on until David learned what was the mind of God in connection with the carrying up of the ark.
May God grant that no difficulty in our lives.
May be allowed to hinder us in our homes from seeking to give the Lord Jesus.
The place that he has, he rightfully deserves. And if we do as it says here, the Lord blessed the Lord blessed the House of the Obed Edom and all he had, he didn't say to his children, well, look what other did. And look at David. He didn't know what to do. Look, he he consulted the captions instead of turning to the Lord.
Now we find no mention of that ol bet Edom value the ark in his own home.
He valued the article. Let us not speak of the failures of one another, but let us speak of the worthiness of Christ. I was thinking this evening fact, I wasn't just sure what the Lord would have me to speak about tonight, but I was thinking a little bit of the 45th Psalm. And in that beautiful Psalm it says my heart is indicting a good matter.
I speak of the things which I have made touching the king. My heart is the tongue.
My, my tongue, rather, is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips, brethren. I always enjoy that salmon, especially because of this, that it's in the second book of the Psalms, when God's people were driven out from Jerusalem when it was in the possession of the enemy.
The heart could still be kept.
Fresh and happy in his life and the world may be in a condition of turmoil.
We are living in days of declension, but Christ is always the same.
And you and I can always be Speaking of and thinking of a good matter. We can be occupied with the things that we have made touching the king, that precious one, that worthy one, whose garments smell of myrrh and owls and kasha, who's ever beautiful to the one who sees in him.
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The altogether lovely one.
Only come to the 14th chapter. The reason I read this is because in the eighth verse we find here that the Philistines at this time came out again David.
You know, seems to me the devil always comes when we're discouraged. Did you ever feel discouraged? I have. I suppose everyone has, and it always seems the devil.
Gathers together a great force against us when we get a little bit discouraged, doesn't he? He just brings such an army that it looks altogether hopeless.
And he makes the outlook look so dark, so impossible that we say.
What shall I do? What shall I do? Well, that's the condition of things that we find here in this 14th chapter. And David was displaced. He had made a mistake, and the ark hadn't reached Jerusalem. And now the Philistines gather together their armies and come out. Well, David's going through an exercise through all this. And so it tells us in the 10th verse.
And David inquired of God and David.
And choir of God, he could have got all together cast down said it's all hopeless. I tried to do the right thing and I thought everyone agreed with what I was doing too, because they all said that it was the right thing to do. But he said he might have said, well it's it's useless. But when he saw the enemy, he turned to the Lord. He inquired of the Lord, oh how beautiful this is.
And.
And it says here.
I go up against the Philistines, and wilt thou deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up, for I will deliver them into my hand.
And God did. And David didn't forget to thank the Lord. He didn't forget to thank him.
We often forget to thank the Lord. We think about our disappointments, we think about our troubles, we pray about them, but we often forget to thank Him for the many blessings that we receive, the little hymn says.
Unnumbered comforts to my soul, Thy tender care bestow before my infant heart conceived from whom those comforts flow.
Isn't it true that we forget? Well, David here didn't forget, he said the Lord.
Has broken forth upon mine enemies. Well, did the enemy leave them alone then did he say, well, Davidde in a such a nice state of soul, I won't attack him now. Oh no, he comes with a second attack. He comes again next time. But David perhaps had learned something of the futility of the uselessness of depending on past circumstances or experiences or on human wisdom.
Anything. And so he didn't say, well, I attacked them the other time and I had a complete victory. I'll do the same again.
Now notice.
It says here.
The 13th verse in the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley. Therefore David inquired a gain of God. And God said unto him, going on up after them, turn away from them, and come upon them over against the Mulberry trees.
He didn't act here upon what had happened in the past. He acted upon the special wisdom given to him of God for this circumstance.
And all, brethren, every circumstance that rises in your life or mine.
Is a different 1 from 1 we have ever met before. As dear Mr. Darby said. And he said in one sense, in one sense, experience is not what we need in the things of God, it's God himself we need. Well, one doesn't mean that experience, and he didn't mean that experience wasn't valuable. But if we rest on it, we can make some great mistakes.
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It's God we need, it's the one who alone can undertake for us. And so in this second instance, he asked the Lord again. And the Lord says this time go around another way. And so David did that and the Lord gave him a victory. This time. David was learning. What was he learning? Not to depend on his own wisdom, not to depend upon man.
Not to depend upon past experience, but to defend upon the Lord. And so the Lord did come in and deliver him. And let me say again, before we speak of this next chapter, if there are any of us here that should be discouraged or cast down, and the Philistines seem to be gathered together against us, let us remember that God is always sufficient for every.
From staff and if we look to him, he will not fail. He knows the situation fully, he's allowed it.
In I want to sometimes said in first Peter chapter 5, it says casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. The next verse says, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion. Walk at the boat, seeking whom he may devour.
I used to think that Satan was a roaring lion in connection with persecution, but I believed that Satan is a roaring lion in connection with discouragement. Discouragement when you get discouraged, or that's when the enemy seeks to come in.
You know, a Christian that's being persecuted for the name of Christ is happy, but a discouraged Christian is open for the attacks of the enemy.
And if you and I don't cast our cares upon the Lord, then we better watch because.
The enemy is going to be right there, and we surely can't meet him in our own wisdom or strength. David must learn that. You and I must learn it too.
Well, now David desires to bring back the ark of God. All this exercise has been good for him. And everything that God passes us through in our lives, brethren, is good for us. All that Edom got a blessing by the mistake of David. And you and I have got many blessings from the mistakes of Peter. And so if if others have made mistakes, let's profit by them. God's written these things.
We might profit by their mistakes, and He teaches us even through our own mistakes, if we turn to Him.
And seek his face in them. And so David profited by all this.
And so now over Edom have got a blessing. David had got a blessing. And so he said, well, I'm going to bring back the ark of God to his place. That is, he didn't say I'm going to do it according to my plan or bring it to my place, but he was going to bring it to the place where God would have it and he was going to do it in the way.
That was pleasing to God. And where would he find that out as he called together the captains of thousands and hundreds and every leader?
Does he say, I think this, or I think that? No. Notice this in the second verse. Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever. Where did he learn that?
How he learned that in God's Word.
Searched the word.
We need those two things, prayer, the reading of the Word, the chapter before we find them, independence, asking the Lord's mind.
And in this instance, when it was a question of bringing up the ark, he turns to the captains, he turns to all these men of understanding, and he says, I know God has told us how in his word, it's the Levites that are to carry the ark of God. That wasn't human wisdom. That was from the word of God. And I believe, brethren, that there's either a principle or a direct Scripture.
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To govern our conduct in every circumstance of life. I'd like to encourage you, dear young people, you boys and girls here.
To read the Old Testament and store your mind with these lovely stories.
You will find that God will use them in blessing in your life later. These stories are written to teach us lessons in our lives. We see David discouraged. We see David making a mistake, and we see him going to the Word of God. Isn't it nice to have your mind stored with these things and see how God comes in? You know when you buy a part for your car and you're going to put it on, there's written instructions and then there's.
A picture. Well, I like to look at the picture. I read the instructions too, but the picture means quite a bit to me. And God's got the written instructions in His Word, and He's got the pictures too. And you and I have got both, if we acquaint ourselves with the Old Testament, with his beautiful pictures and all the instructions written down for us in the New Testament.
Oh how lovely it is. It's all here for us.
Well, David found out from the word of God that the Levites were to carry the ark.
They were. They didn't copy the Philistines this time.
Staves were already in the ark. They didn't have to make anything. There was number new carp to be made. The ark had been made long ago according to the pattern that Moses had seen on the mount. The staves were already in it. They didn't have to do anything but just to lift up that arc. And I like to think of it in this way, that now the men were hidden. God doesn't tell us the names of the men that carried the arc at all. That didn't matter.
And as far as I can see, the men were probably quite hidden underneath the ark. They cause that beautiful ark with the cherry bins and it's shining gold was lifted up far above their heads. And the person of Christ, the glory of Christ is above our understanding. It's, it's something that we can't understand.
When others tried to steady the ark it was. It seems to me it's a picture of 1.
Who perhaps might even try to explain the person of Christ?
We can't do it, brethren, but we can lift that Blessed One up.
And give them a place of exaltation above our understanding.
High above our praise, the little hymn says, Worthy of homage and of praise worthy by all to be adored. Other hymns says, no place too high for him is found, no place too high in heaven. Well, here they start now to bring up the ark. And now there's a scene of real rejoicing.
And notice what David says in the 15th verse, the 12Th verse rather. And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both he and your brethren, that he may bear up the bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel, under the place that I have prepared for it. For because you did it not. At the 1St, the Lord our God made a breach upon us.
Or that we sought him not after the due order?
So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
David acknowledges his mistake here. And David says to the Levites.
Sanctify yourselves, and how important this is. If we have made a mistake to own it, to own it and the next thing is to set us set ourselves apart. The word sanctified means to set to be set apart, and we ought to set ourselves apart, for the Lord says in the 17th of John.
Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
So you and I ought to be set apart for the Lord. So what a beautiful scene we have here. How this exercise has resulted now in blessing.
And here they start out to carry the ark up to Jerusalem, to the place where God had appointed. And it's a scene of great rejoicing. There was singing, there was rejoicing.
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David danced before the Lord. He was so happy over this. And if you and I would have a rejoicing that abides, we need to go on the path of obedience and dependence to the law.
Find Michael, Saul's daughter, despising David when he was bringing up the ark on the new car. She didn't despise him at all for that, because that was an idea that came from the natural man. She didn't despise him, but when the ark was being brought up in God's way, then this woman who was a picture of of nature.
She looked down, despised.