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Transcript:
Alright, well, we are in the book of Numbers, still. We’re going to be in the book of Numbers for a while. We’re going to see what truth God can show us from his word is always something. It’s all good. I love it. And numbers. Chapter Seven, however, is very, very long. And we will be skipping a lot of verses. And I’ll tell you the reason for that. I’m not being sacrilegious. So those of you who are purists, and maybe just a little bit what’s the word I’m looking for when you’re afraid of blackcats and broken mirrors superstitious? I mean, sometimes he gets superstitious, a little bit we can, I do just a little bit. Like certain things. You can’t combine certain things with reading the Word. You know what I’m saying? Like if I’m on in the bathroom, and then the word of the verse of the day pops up on my phone, I don’t read it. You know what I’m saying? There’s no time to read the Word of God. Right. You got to wait and read it in an appropriate fashion when you’re drinking coffee. Hey, you know, I mean, because you know, I don’t want to be burned up or something like that. That’s not how it works. That’s how it works. I can’t help myself anyway, we are going to skip some verses, but I’ll tell you the reason why. Because they’re repeats. We are in Numbers chapter seven. And this is the beginning of the tabernacle worship. This is the beginning of the institution of all the things that God has told Moses on Mount Sinai, and now they’re ready to be put into practice. In chapter seven, verse one, it came to pass, when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, that he anointed it and concentrated it, and all its furnishings, and the altar and all this utensils, so he anointed them and consecrated them. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their father’s house houses us, me, who are the leaders of the tribes and over those who were numbered, may And offering. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your word and we ask and pray, Lord God that you would speak to our hearts from it this morning, Lord, that it would never be of one man’s interpretation, Lord, just as the Word says of itself, but your Holy Spirit, Lord, we present in this place today, Lord, to speak something specific and special individually into each person’s heart here this morning, Lord, something that they need to hear from you. Father, we ask and pray that you would do this in Jesus name, amen. So here we have Moses, they set up the tabernacle, he’s now anointing it and consecrating it and it’s ready to be put into service. But first we have these offerings that are going to be brought by the leaders of Israel and verse to the leaders of Israel, the heads of their father’s houses, who were the leaders of the tribes and over those who were numbered, made an offering. And they brought their offering before the Lord, six covered carts and 12 oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders. And for each one, an ox, and they presented them before the tabernacle. So for the 12, leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel, you had one cart for every two tribes or for every two leaders. So you end up with six cards, and you have one ox per leader of each family of each tribe. So you end up with six carts and 12 oxen. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, except these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall give them to the leave it to every man according to his service. So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levi’s, two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, and four cards and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Murari according to their service, under the authority of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, the priests, but to the sons of cohutta He gave none because there’s was the service of the holy things which were carried which they carried on their shoulders. So remember we read about this a couple chapters back to these specific families within the tribe of Levi to the family of Gershon and the family of Harare, remember Gershwin’s family they were charged with carrying all of the of the coverings for the tabernacle, and the Tent of Meeting all of the Badgers and skins and the rams skins and the the woven articles that were used to drape over the tabernacle and to cover it. And then the family of Murari. They were charged with carrying all of the boards and the sockets and the beams basically the framework for the tabernacle. These two were charged with carrying these items and so they’re given these oxen and are given these cards to carry these items, but to the family of kohath The Levi’s the family of Kohath within the Levi tribe, excuse me, they were not given oxidant cards because the articles of the tabernacle were to be carried by them. We’re going to talk a little bit more about that. But verse 10, now the leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed. So the leaders offered their offering before the altar. For the Lord said to Moses, they shall offer their offering one leader each day for the dedication of the altar, and the one who offered his offering on the first day was Nishan, the son of a Minitab from the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was 130 shekels, and one silver bowl of 70 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour, mixed with oil as a grain offering one gold pan of 10 shekels full of incense, one young bowl, one ram and one male lamb in its first year as a burnt offering one kid of the goats as a sin offering. And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of nation the son of a Amminadab. So here’s the here’s the picture. the tabernacle has been set up, it’s now been anointed, it’s been consecrated, and before they begin the service before they begin offering the sacrifices for the people and then daily worship. These leaders of each of the 12 tribes are bringing their offerings based on their tribe, the head of the family is bringing their sacrifices and their offerings to the tabernacle and God has instructed Moses to instruct the people to bring one each day so the first family For of the first tribe brings their their sacrifice their offerings on the first day, and every day after this, the next family, the next tribe is going to bring their offering and their sacrifice every single one of these guests their individual day. It’s almost as though God is being very careful. He’s being very methodical about this whole thing. He wants everything done in its order, just the way he had prescribed that God is very, very careful about this. And it’s interesting to see this Can you imagine this, the production of all of this, I mean, these tribes are enormous, the estimation is between between one and a half and 2 million people, a mixed multitude are in the wilderness, and could just add the logistics of that, you know what I’m saying? And then running, running worship service and in the tabernacle of meeting and everyone bringing it, I mean, it is an absolute it’s a zoo, right? I mean, it’s unbelievable between the animals and The people and the sacrifices and the offerings. So God is it’s almost like he’s having him step back, taking her time, one day at a time, the first tribe brings their offerings and their sacrifices, and then the next day, so on and so forth. Now, here’s what we’re going to start skipping some verses, because we’re going to go through the days and I’m going to read just the names of the leaders of each of the tribes. But But know that understand is they’re all bringing the same offerings, and they’re all bringing the same sacrifices. So I’m going to go down through it based on the verse that it’s found, so verse 12, was named Sean the son of a Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah, verse 18. Now we’re on the second day, the Nethanel, or Nathaniel sorry, the son of Zuar or the leader of the tribe of Issachar, presents his offering on the third day, verse 24, Eliab, the son of Helon, leader of the children of Zebulun, the tribe of Zombieland presented Offering, verse 30. On the fourth day, allies or the son of shed, your leader of the children of the tribe of Reuben presented and offering, verse 36. On the fifth day, she’ll shalom we shall Lumia the son of zorah should I, leader of the children of Simeon presented an offering. On the sixth day, le Assaf, the son of dual leader of the children of Gad, presented and offering verse 48. On the seventh day, Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the children of Ephraim, presented and offering verse 54. On the eighth day Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, leader of the children of Manasseh, presented an offering verse 60. On the ninth day, Abidan, the son of Gideoni, leader of the children of Benjamin presented an offering verse 66. On the 10th day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan presented and offering verse 72. On the 11th day Pagiel, the son of Ocran, leader of the children of Asher presented an offering. And in verse 78 on the 12th day a Ahira, the son of Enan, leader of the children of Naftali presented an offering. Wooh. Verse 84 this was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel when it was anointed 12 silver platters 12 silver bowls and 12 Gold pans Remember, each of the tribes gave one of these, each silver platter weighed 130 shekels and each bowl 70 shekels all the silver of the vessels weighed 2400 shekels according to the cycle of the sanctuary, the 12 Gold pans full event since wait 10 shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans weighed 120 shekels All the oxen for the burnt offering were 12 young bulls, the Rams 12 the male lambs in their first year 12 with their grain offerings, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering 12 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were 24 bowls, this the Rams 60 the male goats 60 and the lambs in their first year 60. This was the dedication offering for the altar, after it was anointed, wow. So this is the place in which worship and sacrifice for the Atonement of sins is going to take place and this is how after it was anointed, it’s kicked off with each of the 12 tribes bringing their offering, bringing their sacrifice all the same. No one more than anyone else, no one less than anyone else, everything being exactly equal and they haven’t waited out. You know what of the things that’s interesting when you when you start talking about the Mosaic Law and the, you know, the the the what we would call, I guess, rabbinical Jewish people and the way that they observed the law that they were extremely specific in every single thing that they did. And they were extremely specific. And that’s one of the reasons I think dad covered it was one of the, I think it was a prophecy conference that we were at. and Chuck Missler was talking about the way that the tabernacle was set up, and which tribes went on each side of the tabernacle, there was so many tribes and specific tribes, that camp to the north of the tabernacle, to the south of the tabernacle, to the east of the tabernacle, and to the west of the tabernacle. And he said, You have to understand in the mind of a Jewish person who is extremely dedicated to doing exactly because God wanted them to be specific. And when he told you to pitch your tent, east of the tabernacle, you did Do one degree northeast, all right, or one degree south east, it was east, straight out, straight out, straight out and straight out. And he and he went on to make this whole diagram of the thing. And he said, This is what it would have looked like from the top of Mount Sinai and it’s a giant cross. It’s a giant cross is what it would have looked like now. You know, I hope that’s what it looks like. You know, it’s very possible that that’s what it was. But the reason that it wouldn’t be possible is because the people were so very specific in how they worshiped God. They waited out to the shekel or to the to the, excuse me.
Yeah, they waited out to the shekel, they waited out specifically, everything was exactly the way God had prescribed it to be. That’s a lesson. That’s a lesson in and of itself for us. We have this great freedom in Jesus Christ because of the grace that was one for us, because he paid it all. He died on the cross for our sins so that we don’t have to be entangled up with all of the things of the law that are contrary to us that Paul talks about. It’s against us because it’s contrary to our very nature. And so we have this wonderful freedom that that’s given us in Jesus Christ, that we can live our lives before Him and do what the Holy Spirit does the puts on our hearts to do or not do with the Holy Spirit puts on our hearts not to do, we don’t have to walk around heavy hearted and weighted down with a burden of religiosity. We’re free from all of that is that awesome? Like we have complete freedom. I love that portion when God tells Abraham to go into the promised land and wander throughout the promised land to the north, the south east and the west and wander, Rhonda wherever you want to go. Just look it out and see all that is there. And it’s just beautiful picture of the promise that we have in Jesus Christ, that He has set us free. You know, people in the world have this idea in their minds that to become a Christian means you get all you get locked up. It’s like being locked up. It’s like going to jail like morality jail, I can’t do this, and I can’t do this, and I can’t do this. But it’s impossible for them to see from the perspective of God, what it looks like and what it feels like to be a person who’s redeemed and set free from these bodies of death. Because they believe in their hearts that they’re free to get drunk. And they believe in their hearts that they’re free to carouse, and they’re free to run around, and they’re free to do all of these things. And, and, and, and we don’t look at these people as being less than us or worse than us. But they see that as they’re free to do those things. And what they don’t realize is that they’re not free at all they are was the Bible says slaves to sin. They don’t have any freedom or choice in it at all, but to obey their flesh. There obedient to their fleshly desires, where you and I have been set free from that we have the ability to deny the flesh. Now, we don’t always do so good at it, right? We still have those same desires, those latent desires. We still have those issues in our hearts and those issues in our lives and maybe some strongholds that go all the way back to our us, that we still deal with and we’re still constantly chipping away at and praying about and agonizing over. But God has given us freedom from those things. We are free to serve God and you’re free. Because the handwriting of requirements the law that condemned you because you’re a sinner, by the blood of Jesus Christ has been completely washed away. So understand this as a Christian when you blow it when you screw up, right not if when We blow it and when we screw up, it’s already been atone for, it’s already been washed away. Jesus Christ didn’t just die for the sins of of the Year Zero or zero 33 ad, where he didn’t just die for the sins that were taken, but he died for all sin for all men who would call upon his name, past, present and future. We have been complete that that’s freedom. That’s freedom. But yet the understanding that we have is because we have been bought at so great a price. The Bible says we need to remember that our bodies are not our own. We are servants of Almighty God, and we are been we have been called into his service to walk in the light and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. So he has called us to something higher, and because of the freedom that we have in Jesus and because of the grace and forgiveness that we’ve experienced, we have have the ability because of the Holy Spirit to do the things he’s called us to do. We didn’t have the ability before. Now we have that ability. So it’s not about freedom is is completely misunderstood by the people of this world. And I think that freedom is completely misunderstood many times by people in the church that think, well, I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, I’ve been washed, washed free. So it doesn’t matter what I do. God forgives me, God forgives me, God, that’s not what it’s about at all. And God does forgive.
And I think that, you know, God’s more merciful than we give him credit for, you know, because it’s easy for those of us who kind of understand some of these some of these, I would say there’s I would call them deeper truths that we need to be walking in the light and God wants us to be walking blameless and upright before him. When we see Christians who are not who are just all over the place. It’s easy for us to then become judgmental. And for us to begin to look at him say well, I dealt or even saved God is so gracious and God is so merciful. And I’m grateful. And I’m thankful to be a part of a body that puts such high and lofty importance on the Word of God, to study it to know if because this is the way in which we know God’s heart. This is the way in which we know God’s mind. This is the way in which we know what God wants us to do which way God wants us to go, the Word of God. And God is very specific. We know and understand the more you get to know God, the more you understand, he hasn’t changed, right? He’s the same yesterday, today and forevermore. And Jesus said, I’ve not come to abolish the law. I’ve come to fulfill the law. All of these things remain to this day. And when God judges Planet Earth someday and he judges everyone on planet earth someday, they’re going to be judged according to the law. They’re going to be judged according to the perfect law. And if they’re not found written, their names are not found written in the land. Book of Life, then based on what the law teaches, they will be condemned. That’s the way it works. That’s the way it works. So the law has not been cast away, or cast aside. We have just been set free guys, set free. No one else is free from the law except for those who are in Christ. We’ve been set free from it. But that doesn’t mean that we throw it to the side. It doesn’t doesn’t mean anything for us. Absolutely not. This is the heart of God. This is the mind of God when he talks about being a jealous God, when he says I’m jealous for you. And you know, I patrols you know, even even Paul uses this language in the New Testament, I patrol you to one groom. I’ve given you to one, and you’re going after this and you’re going after that thing. The heart of God remains the same. He wants us to have a relationship with him. He wants us to walk in His light and he does not want us to stray so everything is done. Specifically, everything is done in order in the way that it’s brought in the way that it’s offered and everything is exactly the same. Now, I wanted to kind of focus in a little bit back at the beginning of chapter seven. On these tribes are specifically the tribe of Levi. And these three families within the tribe, the family of Gershon, the family of Murari, and the family of kohath. And we kind of mentioned a little bit and I wanted to read you a couple of portions out of the Scripture and then a really long portion. That’s a one of my favorite portions of Scripture, my favorite Bible story. If you turn back to Numbers, chapter four, Numbers chapter four, verses five and six and 15. And this is God Of course. Speaking About the Ark of the Covenant Numbers chapter four, verses five and five to six and 15. When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his son shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony of the testimony with it, then they shall put it put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue. And they shall insert its poles, verse 15, and when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary, and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of kohath shall come to carry them, but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting, which the sons of kohath are to carry. In other words, the Ark of the Covenant covenant, the table of show bread, the altar of incense, all these things were were to be carried. They were not to be that’s why they didn’t get cards. That’s why they didn’t get ox and they were to be carried in a specific manner by the priests. Now I want to read it awesome. One of my favorite Bible stories in First Samuel chapter five. And bear with me because we’re going to do some reading here. Time is it we got a little bit of time we’re gonna, we’re gonna fly through this, but I love this story. And I wanted to read it with you guys this morning.
First Samuel chapter five. First Samuel chapter five. Now, remember, Eli was the high priest and he had two sons, who were who were not nice guys. Okay. And God had told Eli, get a hold of your sons and straighten them out. They were cheating the people at the tabernacle, they were taking the best portions of the meat for themselves. They were taking advantage of people in all sorts of awful ways. And God warned Eli and Eli didn’t do anything about it. So God’s gonna bring devastation upon your family. And he was all We’re going to, to bring judgment upon the people of Israel for their sins in a way to so there’s a there’s a, the Philistines basically attack them there’s a fight a battle with the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of the testimony rather, is stolen is taken, verse, chapter five, verse one and First Samuel. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Now listen, let me just pause real quick. When I’m reading this, I want you to remember the the holy way in which the ark of testimony was to be treated, okay, and the awesome power that resided on the mercy seat because of the presence of God. Okay, as we read the story, and why the children of Israel were to be so careful and how they treated it and handled it. When the Philistines took the ark of god they brought it into the house of daggone and set it by day God is a half fish, half man. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was daggone, falling on its face to the earth before the Ark of the Lord. So they took daggone and set it in its place again, I’d already been gone, I’ve been out of town. And when they arose early the next morning there was daggone, falling on his face to the ground before the Ark of the Lord and the head of day gone and both the palms of His hands were broken off. On the threshold, only descanse torso was left of it. Therefore, neither the priests of day God nor any who came in today, guns house tread on the threshold of Dagon, and Ashdod to this day. But the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of God and he ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was they said, the Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is harsh toward us, and Dagon our God. Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the Lords of the Philistines and said, What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, let the Ark of the God of Israel be carried away to gas to the care of the ark of god of the God of Israel away. So it was after they carried away that they Hannah, the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction. Now gas is getting hammered. And he struck them into the city both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. Therefore they sent the ark of God to ekron. So it was as the ark of God came to ekron that the ekor nights cried out no kitten, saying they brought the ark of God of Israel to us to kill us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the Lords of the Philistines and said, send away the Ark of the God of Israel and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people, for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there and the men who did not die, were stricken with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. You ever see Raiders of the Lost Ark? I love that movie, man. And part of the reason I love that movie is because God melts the Nazis faces at the end and I love The part when it’s in the, in the ship of the whole of the ship, and they’ve got it in this, the Ark of the test of they call the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of the testimony in the crate with a Nazi symbol. And then over here the power of God and, and the Nazi symbol birth, that would really happen I think that’s one of the reasons I love that movie. I’m like, that’s what happens. Right? So this is this is no joke. This is the this is an accounts written death. This is what happened to the Philistines is read through it, the cities are being destroyed.
People are walking around, tumors are popping out all over their bodies and they’re dropping dead because of the Ark of the testimony that’s there. And because of the fact that they’re not honoring it. What blows my mind and all of their conversations is none of them ever say that. Maybe maybe maybe maybe we should switch God’s it’s like they don’t walk on the threshold anymore because that’s where Dagon fell and broke his face off. Like really? How about burn the threshold for heaven’s sakes, How about send the ark back up and said me with it and I’m going to start growing my curls. You know, I mean, because this is ridiculous. I need to be worshipping this guy. It’s incredible to me. It’s incredible to me, the heart of men, the heart of men that they could see this with their own two eyes and experience and see God’s outstretched arm and the power of God and completely misattributed and completely misunderstand, send it away, send it, send it away. Send it away. I need to know this guy. It’s amazing, isn’t it? Listen, you’ve given I’ve been given eyes to see. You’ve been given ears to hear not of your own goodness, not of your own brain power, right? God. God’s mercy, God’s grace and the power of His Spirit. He opened our eyes. I love this story is amazing to me. Now the Ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months and the Philistines calls with the priests and The Diviners, saying what shall we do with the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place. So they said if you send away the Ark of the God of Israel do not send that empty but by all means, return it to him with a trespass offering, then you will be healed. And it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. Then they said, What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him, this is going to be good. They answered Five golden tumors, okay, and Five golden rats, according to the number of the Lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and all your Lords therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravaged the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel? Perhaps he will lighten his hand from you from your gods, and not likely and from your land. Why then, do you harden your hearts listen to this as the Egyptians and Pharaoh harden their hearts When he did mighty things among them, the Philistines remembered hundreds of years after the children of Israel had left Egypt and away in Canaan, the Philistines remembered what God had done in Egypt and look at the language that these pagans use. Why would you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians did? When he did mighty things among them, did not they? Excuse me? Did they not let the people go that they might depart Now, therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows, which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart, and take their calves home away from them. Then take the Ark of the Lord and set it on the car and put the articles of gold, which you are returning to him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side, then send it away and let it go and watch if it goes up the road to its own territory to best Shemesh, then he has done us has done us this great evil, but if not, then we shall know that it is It is not his hand that struck us. It happened to us by chance.
Really, really, like really, you brought the ark into the house of day God is so on its face, you picked it back up. The next morning was on his face, his face broken off, its hands broken off around the same time your entire city broke out in tumors and people start dropping in the streets. So then you send the ark to the next city, and they all break out in tumors and start dropping in the streets. So then you send it to the next city. Perhaps this is God, are you kidding me? It’s crazy, isn’t it? But this is this is the fleece that they threw out there. Then the men did so they took to milk cows, and hitch them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they sent the Ark of the Lord on the card and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. Then the cows headed straight for the road to best Shemesh and went along the highway lowing as they went and did not turn a side to the right hand or to the left and the Lords of the Philistines. went after them to the all the way to the border of Shemesh. Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it. Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of that Shemesh and stood there, a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart, and offered the cows is burnt offerings to the Lord. The Levi’s took down the Ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it in which were the articles of gold and put them on the large stone. Then the men of ves Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the Lord. So when the five Lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to ecker. On the same day, imagine that conversation. These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the Lord one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for gap, one for ektron and the golden rats according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country village is even as far as a large stone of Abel, on which they said the Ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua, a vest, Shemesh, then he struck the men of Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,000 men of the people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth Shemesh said who was able to stand before the holy Lord God, and to whom shall it go up from us? So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of care jack jerem, saying, the Philistines have brought back the Ark of the Lord, come down and take it up with you. Then the men of Kir Jeff jerem, came and took the Ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Bennett, dab on the hill and consecrated Ellie’s or his son to keep the Ark of the Lord and it’s There, okay, until we fast forward to Second Samuel chapter six, verses two through 10. The Ark remains there, no one dared touch it. No one wanted anything to do with it 50,000 50,000 because they looked inside the arc. Second Samuel, chapter six verses two through 10. And David arose and went with all the people who are with him from bail Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God whose name is called by the name the LORD of hosts, who dwells between the chair of them. So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of urban adab, which was on the hill and ooza and Akio, the sons of vinta dabbe drove the new cart and they brought it out of the house of has been adab, which was on the hill accompanying the ark of God and the heel went before the ark then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments for wood on harps on stringed instruments on tambourines on systems and on symbols. And when they came to Nikon’s threshing floor, was up, put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it. For the oxen have stumbled, then the anger of the Lord was aroused against ooza. And God struck him there for his error, and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against it was any call the name of the place Perez, who’s a To this day, and David was afraid of the Lord that day and he said, How can the Ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not move the Ark of the Lord with him into the city of David but David took it aside into the house of old bed itam the get tight now, later on, David is going to go back down and get the ark and do it the right way. And everything is going to be fine. There was no reason to be afraid of the Ark of the testimony. The reason that they were afraid of the Ark of the testimony was because of disobedience. Because of the the Philistines had, of course, brought it back to their home or their homelands, and God had ravaged their lands. And then from there, they put it on the cart, you know, which, again, golden rats and golden tumors and chest next to the ark and to milk cows. Okay. None of this prescribed by God, none of this the right way. And yet, it’s amazing to me how God showed mercy to the Philistines, despite of them even being near the ark, let alone handling it and because where that where was their heart, they were fearing God. It’s I see God’s mercy in that despite everything that had befallen them, and then it comes back to the hand the Land of Israel. And they’re like, well, let’s make sure everything’s okay. Big. Let’s make sure that those jerk Philistines didn’t steal the 10 commandments out of the ark. 50,000 50,000 people are wiped out. relights that day, so they put it to the side afraid. What are you afraid of? It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When cain is angry in his faces downcast, God says, Why are you upset King? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? amazing to me how people go through this life, depressed and down nervous and we all get depressed. I’m not trying to put a trip on anybody. Okay? But so often, Christians go through this life downcast and defeated and upset and struggling and flailing and their life is a mess. But they won’t do the right things. Can you pray for me? Can you pray for me? Because this is going on in my life? Can you pray for course? Absolutely. Of course. Absolutely. Listen, you need to do this in this in this in this Uh huh. Uh huh.
Okay, not going to do it. And then the same things continue. If you do what is right Will you not be accepted? I mean, that’s the truth, to this day for all of us who are children of God. If we do the things that are right, God is gonna bless it. Period point blank and the story. We’re not under the law, we’re free. But God still isn’t going to honor disobedience. That’s it. Right? God calls us to do what he’s called us to do. So they leave it to the side now David, down the road, he becomes King. He’s in his palace. He looks down and says it’s not right I’m in this beautiful palace. And, and and there’s no place for God to dwell. And there’s no beautiful thing he wants to build this temple that remember God ends up saying you can’t build it anyways, you’re a man of blood, your son’s gonna build it. And so David goes about getting all of the gold and the silver to then give to his son Solomon, who would then build the temple. But first things first, let’s go get the ark. And David comes down. Remember, David’s a worshipper? Right? David’s the worshiper man. He’s the psalmist. He loved God. He was a flailing disaster. Half the time, right? But God loved David because his heart was so true towards God. But to obey is better than sacrifice. And to heat is better than the fat of rams. So David goes down, we’re going to have this big worship service, we’re going to sing, and we’re going to dance. And we’re going to play all these instruments and it’s going to be a big party, it’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be awesome. And we’re going to bring the ark back up to Jerusalem, we’re going to bring the ark back up where it belongs, and they take the ark and they put it on a card. God never said to put the Ark of the Covenant on or the testimony rather on a cart. It was to be carried by the priests. It was not to be put on a car, the CO sites were not given a cart, and they were not given oxen because it was to be born. It was to be covered and it was to be born. So I put this to you. The reason it was a died, didn’t start with him touching the ark. It started with him going to get it in the wrong way, in the first place, and David’s upset about it. But God had Told them exactly how the ark was to be carried exactly what was to be done with it when it came to the articles of the tabernacle, and the prescribed methods of worship and service there in God was extremely strict, because these things represented his future work through Christ. And he did not want that misrepresented in any way. Remember always the story of Moses and the rock. And Moses is told to strike the rock and water will come from the rock, he strikes the rock, water comes out and the people are watered. later on. God tells Moses to speak to the rock Moses has a freakout riffin of rage and strikes the rock with a step must we bring you and God says Moses, you just blew it. You can’t go into the promised land. You may not know this Moses, but that rock later on hundreds of years from now my son is going to wrap himself in flesh and he’s going to come to earth and he’s going to tell the people that he was the rock that follow the people in the wilderness that he is a rapper presentation that rock is a representation of Jesus Christ. He is our rock. He is our cornerstone. He is our fortress, and he was struck once so that living water would flow from him to all who would believe and call upon his name, and he never need be struck again. He must only be asked, and Moses, you struck the rock again. You misrepresented me before the people, you can’t go into the promised land. I’m sorry. God is very serious about that, that he not be Miss represented. All of the articles of the tabernacle that were used in the worship of God and the Atonement of sins, were to be born by a man. You see. Because all of our worship and all of our atonement and all the forgiveness that we have in our lives was born by a man, the man Jesus Christ. The rest of the articles of worship, though they were wonderful and beautiful and all inspiring, could be thrown on a cart and pulled by oxen like any other commodity. Know who Stan it’s a thing of brass. But the articles for worship, the articles for sacrifice, and the Atonement of sin had to be borne by a man. And they must not be misrepresented. The people misrepresented. Amazing. I love that stuff. Okay, that’s it. That’s all I got.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your word, Lord. And we pray Father that we would that we enjoy such great freedom Father, we ask them pray that you would put also within us Florida, a seriousness in a sober mind in this Lord to remember who we serve, that we would never misrepresent you father to the world. We would never misrepresent you in our own hearts father and in our worship, Father, but we would seek to honor you and obey your word. Everything that we do father to the best of our abilities. We’re telling you that your grace and your mercy covers the rest father. But we want to seek to do better every day, Lord, we want to draw closer to you, and be used by you, Father, for your light to shine through us, Lord, to be salt to this earth. So, we love you, we praise you, we thank You, Lord, we ask that you blessed the rest of our church service today. Father be with our pastor as he teaches and teaches us father that you’d speak to his heart and he would just repeat to us what you’re what you tell him, Lord. And we ask that you would bless every aspect of our worship today. Father, we pray that you’d be glorified and lifted up in this place. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai