The Right Way!

The Right Way

1 Chronicles 16:34 AMPC

[34] O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

Context is important here. It is convenient to consider the wording of the verse above, and not consider the path that brought David and his people to this point. Not to go too far, but here was a nation that appeared to forget who it was, and whose it was. This nation had been chosen by God as His treasured possession, and He had given them a good land flowing with milk and honey. Of course, like all things human, you forget. You become a bit complacent and entitled, and then things go wrong. At a time, the ark of covenant, which was a representation of the presence of God, had rightly left the nation. It stayed in a foreign land for a long while, and then it had to be brought home. I must be careful about a sense of satisfaction that makes me careless about the things that matter to God. Time does not in any way dull or reduce the laid out standards of God for His people, as they would later find out. 

The people could argue that it was just a box, but God had laid down clear instructions on how it was to be handled. No other tribe in Israel was allowed to touch or handle the holy things, and there was a mode and manner of carriage and handling. Maybe it was sheer excitement, or maybe it was just a forgetful memory; the ark was placed on a cart, and then a man, trying to prevent the ark from falling off the stumbling cart, put out his hand to steady it, and he was struck dead. So many questions, one of them would be: 'what did he do wrong'? This is the thing about God too: He does not tie His standards to the failings or weaknesses of man. He will give grace, but He will not condone disobedience. He will supply that which I need to align with His instructions, but He will not suspend His laws to accommodate my rebellion. Not even David was allowed to get away with sin, even though he was called a man after God's own heart. 

David then did the right thing, as laid out in God's law. Levites were sanctified and then appointed to handle the ark, and they were also appointed to lead the praise of God, as the ark was placed where David had prepared for it. The words of the verse above now make sense: God deserves praise for consistency.  Imagine if He had allowed this error to go unnoticed. Imagine if men made reference to this incident to lose sight of the standards of God when it came to worship. Giving thanks to God is my duty, but it must come from a heart that is prepared the right way to see God for who He is. The verse says it: His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. He does not change like shifting shadows; He does not lower His standards for anyone, and you can count on His faithfulness in the face of all that is going on in the world today. God is good, no matter what the world tells me. I give thanks. May the Lord accept me and all that I offer. God's time of favour is here.