Enthroned Between the Cherubim

We are going to begin today's post with a brief look at the Ark of the Covenant.
As a reminder, the Ark (as I'll refer to it in this context) was established when the Israelites were at Mt. Sinai, shortly after God delivered them from Egypt.  On its lid, there were likenesses of two cherubim (Exodus 25:17-22), forming what came to be called the Kapporeth, or "Mercy Seat". 1

The Israelites carried the Ark around with them as they wandered for 40 years, brought it with them across the Jordan and kept it with them until the Philistines captured it in battle, during the judgeship of Samuel and the priestly ministry of Eli (1 Samuel 4).  It is implied in 1 Samuel 4:10-18 that the capture caused Eli to have a heart attack, fall backward out of his chair, break his neck and die.

The Ark brought death and destruction on the Philistines; as a result, they only kept it around 7 months.  They took it to a town called Kiriath-Jearim (or Baale-judah), where it remained for 20 years.   This town, in the area known as Gibeah, was about 9 miles north of Jerusalem.

Once King David moved his governmental seat from Hebron, where he reigned for 7 years, to Jerusalem, he wanted the Ark of the Covenant brought there too.  David says in 1 Chronicles 13:3 that, all during the reign of Saul, no one "inquired of the LORD"; that is, the Ark was not consulted, revered, etc.

This brings us to the central text of today's post: 1 Chronicles 13:5-14 (although the story is also recorded in 2 Samuel 6:1-11.)  Please read one or the other, as I am not going to reproduce the text here.

Saul is an object lesson for Psalm 106:15, which says:

And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

(KJV2000)

The people of Israel had coveted their neighbors' kings, and had begged God (during the leadership of Samuel, the last judge) to give them one. Previous to this, they had been led by a succession of judges.  The catalyst to the people's request, a "hitch in the giddyup" you might say, occurred when neither of Samuel's sons was fit to succeed him, as they lacked the moral capacity to do so.
In 1 Samuel 8, God tells Samuel to warn the people that having a king was a very bad idea.  In obedience, Samuel delivered God's message quite strongly.  God told Samuel the people were not rejecting him and his family, or even the concept of leadership-by-judge, but rather that they were rejecting Him, as they had done for years.  Yet, God allowed them their king.

Saul, the first king of Israel, was a spoiled brat.  Tall and handsome, he had probably been excused and indulged, regardless of his bad behavior, his entire life to that point.  It only stands to reason he would continue to operate in a similar way as king.  In 1 Chronicles 10:13, we read that Saul was rejected by the Lord because of his unfaithfulness to him and his disobedience ("because he did not keep the LORD's word".) Instead of inquiring of the Lord, he even consulted a spiritualist, a medium, for guidance.  "Leanness" indeed.

Apostasy has consequences, many times unforeseen. 

At the time King David wanted to retrieve the Ark, it was under the care of Abinadab.  Now, there are at several schools of thought about this character.  (The name "Abinadab" occurs 12 times in the Old Testament.)
1.  Some allege he was a Levite. But, nowhere in the Hebrew Bible is he designated as such.2  Furthermore, David's comments after the Uzzah incident do not make sense if this is true.
2.  Others believe he was King David's older brother. 3  David did have an older brother by the same name, but it is unlikely he was the same person as the man whose house was entrusted with the Ark.
3.  Still others contend this was the same Abinadab as the son of King Saul. 4   However, there is nothing in the scriptures to verify this, as nowhere are sons of this particular Abinadab listed.  He was killed, along with his father Saul, in battle.  He may not have had sons at all.
4.  Finally, some believe this Abinadab was none of the above, but an obscure Gibeonite. 5 The Ark had been kept undisputedly in the area called Gibeah.  Gibeonites were not by-blood Israelites, but had made a crafty deal with Joshua many years earlier, deceiving him into not destroying that people (Joshua 9).  Accordingly, they became the bond-servants of the Israelites, and it was to them the Ark was entrusted when the Philistines rejected it. I believe this to be the most likely explanation.

The Abinadab at the center of this story had a son named Eleazer, the first son consecrated to care for the Ark, when it came to the house of Abinadab, from the Philistines.  However, the Ark was with this family, or "house", for 20 years.  At the time David sought to retrieve it, Eleazar was not mentioned.  He could have died.  Regardless, the two young men mentioned as guiding the cart with the Ark, as it progressed down the hill, were "of the house of Abinadab" and kinsmen of Eleazar.

So, the first problem in this story is that we see men who were not Levitical priests caring for the Ark.  This had gone on for many years.  God had long ago ordained the "sons of Kohath" (Numbers 4:14) to be the custodians and caretakers of this holy article.  But, because apostasy had crept in, it was no longer so.  Saul had scant regard for the Ark, and David had some ignorance about its care, at this point.

Coming down the hill, the cart tipped and, to keep the Ark from falling, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady it.  God immediately struck him dead.  God's action seems rash, until you consider He had been extremely forbearing, because the Ark had not been properly "handled" for many years.  It had been allowed to reside in the house of non-Israelites, first the Philistines and later the Gibeonites. Scripture records Uzzah's death made David angry, but that it also caused him to "fear" (have appropriate awe and reverence for) the Lord. 

In fact, he was so freaked out, he directed the Ark be carried to the house of Obed-edom.  (There is a similar controversy about exactly who this man was also, but I figure you've had enough of that sort of thing.  So, I'm not going to go into it, lol.)  During the brief 3 months the Ark remained with Obed-edom, the Lord blessed him and his house.  After 3 months, David had the Ark brought to Jerusalem - - this time doing it God's way, along with great pomp, circumstance and celebration. 

Lesson learned.

Note 1 Chronicles 15:2 - -

Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever.”

(BSB)

And again the words of David, in  1 Chronicles 15:13 - - 

It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

(BSB)

What are the lessons we can learn from this story?  Why do you think God allowed its inclusion in two different books of the Bible?  Here are some that occur to me.  Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments of this post.

1.  God is holy and expects His worshippers to respect His ways. Obedience, with reverence and awe.
2.  Satan has been tempting humans to question God's ways since he asked Eve in the Garden of Eden this question: "Did God really say that?"
3.  Our ways, are not God's ways, but our ways can seem oooohhhhh so appealing.
4.  There are always consequences when we ignore or conveniently make excuses to work around God's precepts.  They may not be immediately apparent, but consequences will eventually come.  And, sometimes consequences fall on those who were not the cause of the original apostasy.  David was the prime decision-maker in this story, although Uzzah ended up being the one whose life was taken.

Yes, God is Love (1 John 4:7) and Mercy.  But, he is also Light, and Holiness and Truth.  While His methods of dealing with people have varied over the centuries, His essential character has not changed.  He is changeless, immutable.  Our loving God is "the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim"  (2 Samuel 6:2)

Sources:

1 http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/documents/The%20Ark%20of%20the%20Covenant.htm
2 https://globalchristiancenter.com/christian-living/lesser-known-bible-people/31309-the-house-of-abinadab-and-the-ark-of-god
3  https://www.bibleabookoftruth.com/KingDavidsFamily.pdf
4  https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Abinadab
5  https://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/abinadab.html

Shabbat Shalom

It's no secret to those who know me that I love Israel - - the country and its people, its history and cultures.  I marvel at the promises God made to the Hebrew people and long to see them all ultimately fulfilled.  When I arrived in Israel last January, it was at the beginning of the Sabbath.  Greetings of "Shabbat Shalom" were heard, from one person to another.  This phrase means "sabbath peace be upon you".

Ironically, though, the Sabbath concept can be very contentious among Christian groups and between Christians and observant Jews (Jews who practice Judaism).  There are several reasons for this.
We are looking at this topic because we are studying here in the blog the book of Genesis.  Throughout this post, I will give scripture verses for you to explore, as you study this topic with me; and, I strongly encourage you to look all of those scriptures up, to read them all.
It is not my aim to be offensive to anyone, but, rather, to study this topic.  I invite you to comment as you feel led, in the comments section.

1.   As far back as Genesis 2, God established the Sabbath - - a day of both rest and observance.  The word "sabbath" comes from the Hebrew root, Shin-Beit-Tav, which means "to cease, to end, to rest".1
(For a quick overview of how observant Jews and many Messianic Jews "keep the Sabbath" see item #1 under Sources.)  Messianic Jews are people (with or without actual Jewish heritage/parentage) who worship Jesus Christ but who also, according to their consciences - - Romans 14:5 - - observe the Sabbath as well as the other holy convocations (Jewish religious holidays).
Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8, 23:12, 31:12-18; Leviticus 16:30-31, 26:2; Deuteronomy 5:12-15.
The Sabbath was SO important in the Law God gave to Moses for His chosen people that the death penalty was imposed on those who did not observe it properly.
In Exodus 31:17, mentioned above, we find that God "refreshed" Himself on the Sabbath.  The Hebrew word there is "naphash" ( וַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ׃ ), a word that only appears three times in Scripture, here, and also in Exodus 23:12 and in 2 Samuel 16:14.  Psalm 104:31 says that God rejoices in His works.  Sabbath has an element of not only rest, but also of a joyful contentment in reflecting on the work of our hands in service to our God, and worshipping Him for all His wondrous works.2
Interestingly, in Genesis 2 the Sabbath was not designated as an "evening and morning" format (as were the previous six days), which some believers take to signify that the Sabbath has no end, making it a foretaste of the believer's eternal rest, eternity.

2.   What has happened, then?  Why do so many Christians worship on Sunday, making that "the Christian Sabbath"?  In fact, when I was growing up in the Baptist church, I frequently heard Sunday referred to as "the Sabbath".  Back then, general society also practiced a Sunday sabbath, because most places of business were closed on Sunday.
Let's look explicitly at what the New Testament says, as opposed to what we think it says on the matter.
A.  Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, not on a Sabbath.  This is incontrovertible.  If Christ was not raised, His entire work would have been rendered useless and we would still be spiritually dead, enslaved in our sins (John 20:1; 1 Corinthians 15:17).2
This first day of the week is henceforth referred to in the New Testament as "the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10)
B.  The Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost, which was on the first day of the week (Acts 2:1-36).
C.  Acts 20:7 records that early believers practiced coming together on the first day of the week to "break bread", although Acts 2:46 states that early believers met every day, in homes and sometimes in the Temple courts.
D.  1 Corinthians 16:2 establishes the first day of the week as the day each Christ follower should consecrate his or her tithe.  This is why "collecting the offering" is a key part of Christian worship services.3
E.  The writer of Hebrews 8 (specifically 8:3-7 and 8:13) explains that the old covenant of the Law was made obsolete by the new covenant that Jesus established.
F.  Romans 14 likewise makes it clear that choosing to honor God by esteeming certain days as holy is a matter of personal conscience and conviction.

1Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister^a ?

Romans 14:1-10 NIV

The scriptural principle of a day of rest, observance, rejoicing and worship is clear.  As followers of Jesus Christ we are to have a sabbath rest one day each week, in addition to honoring God every moment of every day, in all we do.  Beyond that, we are not to judge our brothers or sisters in Christ for which day they choose to worship Him, or other Old Testament practices they choose to reverence (such as the Jewish feast days).

You will notice in the New Testament that Paul as well as other Christians ministered in Jewish synagogues on the Saturday Sabbath.  They did this to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with their fellow Jews, as this was the day the Jewish people gathered in worship.  This past Saturday evening I worshipped with a group of Messianic believers and Native American believers.  What a joyous time!  The preachers told of how they have been able to reach some very religiously orthodox Jews in Israel.  In order to do so, they honored the kosher rules and some of the other requirements of orthodox Judaism.  Even the apostle Paul said this on the matter:

19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

Let's be clear on this point:  this type of reconciliatory and unifying talk does not extend to the approval of clear sin.  Paul was not suggesting that Christians approve sin in order to reach people with the gospel or to help believers grow deeper into Christ.  At present there is a move afoot in the Southern Baptist Convention, a movement which advocates approval of homosexual behavior in order to be more "loving" toward the LGBTQ community, for example. This type of compromise and capitulation to the culture is not what is meant by making ourselves "slaves to everyone".  Even the apostle Paul spent much of his writing to the young churches correcting their leaps off into theological error, usually into relational, sexual sin.  The most loving way we can reach out to those who do not know Christ is by standing strong on the truth which is the revealed, written Word of God.

So....."Brethren, let us love one another." (1 John 4:7) and avoid controversies that threaten to tear Jesus Christ's church apart (Titus 3:9).  As you worship the Lord Jesus Christ, seek His face in all matters of practice and follow His Holy Spirit in "keeping the sabbath".

Shabbat Shalom!


Sources:

1    https://www.gotquestions.org/shabbat.html

2    https://www.ligonier.org/blog/why-christians-worship-sunday/

3    https://www.gotquestions.org/worship-on-Sunday.html