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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadGreater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 293. David's Religious Policy
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David's Religious Policy
i. The Ark
2. An undertaking of such solemn national importance as the transference of the ark to Jerusalem must be that of the whole people, and not of David alone. Accordingly, representatives from the whole land assembled to the number of thirty thousand and proceeded to Kiriath-jearim. The most approved method of conveying the ark from place to place seems at that time to have been to place it on a new cart, never used for any common or profane service, and drawn by oxen. This was the plan that David adopted. The two sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio, drove the cart, and the whole company sang and played before the ark with the greatest heartiness. But when the procession came to a threshing-floor outside the town the cart shook from the roughness of the road, and Uzzah put forth his hand to steady the ark, not thinking of the sanctity of the symbol of God's presence, and in an instant he fell dead on the spot.
David was so shocked and terrified by this mark of the Divine displeasure that he was afraid to carry out his purpose. He caused the ark to be conveyed to the house of Obed-edom, a Philistine of Gath, who loyally accepted the charge. Three months later, on learning that Obed-edom's household was blessed by the presence of the sacred shrine, David recovered from his fear, and resolved to carry out his first intention. This time the ark was borne on the shoulders of the priests, and sacrifices were offered as the procession started. The hill of Zion was ascended with triumphal dance and song, David himself taking the lead, and by the exuberance of his zeal earning the contempt and reproach of his wife Michal. The ark was deposited in the tent prepared for it near the royal residence on Zion; and the ceremony was concluded with sacrifices and burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and the distribution of largess to the people. Zadok and Abiathar were appointed as chief priests in charge of the ark and of the sacrificial service in Jerusalem.
There are three sorts of people to whom David dancing before the ark is an offence. First, there are those whose lips are ever quick to curl, whose countenance is ever prompt to sneer, whose tongues are ever ready with a jest profane when the service of God crosses their path. I only say to you beware lest that come upon you-“As he loved cursing, so let it come upon him; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.” Secondly, there are those who up to a certain point favour the worship of God and the services of the church. But there comes a season of extraordinary service, a revival that demands uncommon energy; and almost before they are themselves aware of it, the repugnance of their hearts finds some strong and unkindly expression. Now let me point you to Saul's daughter, and remind you how in one hour she proved her pedigree, identified herself with a family which the Lord had rejected, and sealed her own irrevocable doom. Then, thirdly, there is the professor of religion, who with David's trial is wanting in David's constancy. Have I sown the seed of gospel truth broadcast among you so often and hath none fallen in stony places? You may have heard the word, and anon with joy received it; and you may have “dured awhile, though you have no root in yourselves.” But let me ask you, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, are you offended? does it prove a stumbling-block to you? If so, your case is deplorable. Do you parry off the first breath of ridicule with flippant tongue? Did I hear that you said the other day, “Oh, I don't profess anything; I only just go in to that chapel now and then to hear the preacher; he rather takes my fancy.” Ah! young man, let your conscience witness that you are shrinking back unworthily. You may only dissemble a little at first, but if you are coward enough to dissemble, you may ere long prove infidel enough to apostatize. Brethren and sisters in the Lord, “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, in nothing terrified by your adversaries.” “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe in his name, but also to suffer for his sake.”1 [Note: C. H. Spurgeon.]
The remarkable point, on which we cannot dwell too much, is the combination in David of the temper and action of Prophet, Priest, and King. His supremacy in war, his administrative ability, his personal influence over the whole people, find their reason and ground in his response to the call of God, his trust in God, and his profoundly religious character. To the whole nation the establishment of the throne at Jerusalem in such a way and under such a man gave a new feeling of strength and power and of their position as the people of God; and so he became the great symbol of the future Messiah, as they became the great symbol of the Kingdom of Christ.1 [Note: W. J. Knox Little.]
2. The king's disappointment was very keen, but it was softened by Nathan's announcement that though he could not build a house for God, God would build a house for him, that is, by a play on the word, would establish the throne to his descendants. Moreover, if he sinned, he would not be rejected as Saul had been, but would be chastened in love and tenderness. This message is followed in our account by a beautiful prayer, in which David thanks God for all His goodness to himself and his people.
According to the account of Chronicles (1Ch_22:8; 1Ch_28:3), David was not permitted to build the temple because he was a man of war, and had shed much blood. But the most natural and entirely sufficient reason is that given by Solomon later (1Ki_5:3), that David his father was not able to build a house to the Lord, because of the many wars he had to wage on every side. In other words, David had not sufficient leisure, and possibly he had not sufficient material in money and skill and command of labour to build a temple worthy of Jehovah, or adequate to his own ideal. What he could do he did: he consecrated to the treasury of Jehovah a great part of the silver and gold acquired in war, and so made it possible for his successor to carry through the work successfully.2 [Note: J. D. Fleming, Israel's Golden Age, 95.]
It must appear in the highest degree surprising that David built no temple for the ark; when he had brought it into his capital and to his palace, the idea must have occurred to him of erecting there a worthy abode for Jehovah. As he did not do so, he must have been influenced by special reasons and considerations. If, moreover, it is true, as the history of Samuel suggests, that the ark had already had a proper temple at Shiloh, we need have no hesitation in affirming that nothing short of a Divine oracle could have withheld David from building a real temple. Without such a definite declaration of Jehovah's will, it would have been culpable indifference, and sacrilegious contempt for the majesty of Jehovah, had David built no temple. There is therefore, in point of fact, no ground for calling in question as a later invention the intention of David, obviously attributed to him by the tradition, to build on Zion a temple to Jehovah, and its abandonment in obedience to a prophetic oracle. The somewhat late origin of the passage in question cannot invalidate such overpowering internal evidence as there is in favour of the fact.1 [Note: R. Kittel, A History of the Hebrews, ii. 159.]
None of us are privileged to perform completed tasks. “One soweth and another reapeth.” We have to be content to do partial work, and to leave its completion to our successors. There is but one Builder of whom it can be said that His hands “have laid the foundation of this house; His hands shall also finish it.” He who is the “Alpha and Omega,” and He alone, begins and completes the work in which He has neither sharers nor predecessors nor successors. The rest of us do our little bit of the great work which lasts on through the ages, and, having inherited unfinished tasks, transmit them to those who come after us. It is privilege enough for any Christian to lay foundations on which coming days may build. We are like the workers on some great cathedral, which was begun long before the present generations of masons were born, and will not be finished until long after they have dropped trowel and mallet from their dead hands. Enough for us if we can lay one course of stones in that great structure. The greater our aims, the less share has each man in their attainment. But the division of labour is the multiplication of joy, and all who have shared in the toil will be united in the final triumph. It would be poor work that was capable of being begun and perfected in a lifetime. The labourer that dug and levelled the track and the engineer that drives the locomotive over it are partners. Solomon could not have built the Temple unless, through long, apparently idle, years, David had been patiently gathering together the wealth which he bequeathed. So, if our work is but preparatory for that of those who come after, let us not think it of slight importance, and let us be sure that all who have had any portion in the toil shall share in the victory, that “he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”1 [Note: A. Maclaren.]