Lesson 8

background notes

doctrinal points
1.  The Lord always expects His people to know and follow His Word.

2.  The Lord does not always lead His people in the same way.

practical application
Remember, there is a blessing for reverence.

questions

1.   Where had the Ark of the Covenant been before David attempted to bring it up to Jerusalem?
2.   What good things did David do in his plans to bring the Ark to Jerusalem?
3.   Where did David go wrong in his plans?
4.   If the Ark of the Covenant were to be found today, would you die if you touched it?
5.   What is the good and bad news about David in 1 Chronicles 14?
6.   Describe David’s battles with the Philistines at the Valley of Rephaim (verses 9-16).  How did the Lord lead him in different ways?
   

answers

1.   The Ark had been in Kiriath Jearim, about 10 miles west of Jerusalem, for about 100 years.  It had been there since the men of Beth Shemesh had been struck down by the Lord for their irreverence of looking into the Ark when it came back from the land of the Philistines (1 Samuel 6).
2.   David’s desire to bring the Ark of God up to Jerusalem was a good desire.  Consulting the leaders of Israel and the priests and Levites was a good thing to do.  To see all Israel united in their desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem is a good thing.
3.   God’s Word clearly said that the Ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites.  Transporting the Ark by a cart was the Philistine method, and this was not God’s way.
4.   Most likely you would not die because we read in Ezekiel 10 that the glory of the Lord departed from the Ark of the Covenant before the Babylonians destroyed the Temple.
5.  The good news is that David realized that it was the Lord who was exalting him and blessing his kingdom.  The bad news is David did not obey the Lord in the area of marriage, and his polygamy would lead to long-lasting family problems.
6.   Both times David rightly inquired of the Lord what to do.  For the first battle, the Lord directed David to meet the Philistines head on.  But later with the same enemy in the same valley, the Lord directed David to circle around and attack in a different way.  Both times David obeyed and God gave him the victory.

discuss\ consider
1.  Can you think of a time when you had good intentions to do the Lord’s work, but you did not go about it God’s way?  What was the outcome?  God’s work must be done in God’s way.

2.  Discuss the different ways that God may use to guide us in our decision making process.

challenge
The Lord blessed the family of Obed-Edom when the Ark was in his house.  We too will be blessed when we show reverence for the things of the Lord.

memorize

“So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab.” 1 Chronicles 13:7

“Then the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.” 1 Chronicles 14:17