Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Psalms 119:105 … Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

John 5:39-40 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Galatians 3:24 … the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

I have been asked as a Pastor why I often preach out of the Old Testament. Many preachers skip over the Old Testament. This is why few people today know the great old stories of the Bible. When people hear “Old Testament” their eyes roll back in their head. “Let’s stay in the Gospels. Let’s stay with Jesus. Let’s ignore that “Old” stuff.”

But this is foolish, and limiting. The Bible that the early Church had was only the Old Testament. The New Testament that we have was not written until long after Christ ascended into Heaven. The whole New Testament did not come together for the Church until around 350 years after Christ rose from the grave. The King James text I’m reading tonight wasn’t published until the 1700’s. It is a fact that the Bible Jesus used was the Old Testament Scripture.

The Old Testament Scripture teaches of the coming of Jesus Christ. That which was written by the Prophets of that wonderful Old Testament were written to “lead us, like a school teacher, to Christ”. The Psalmist David declared it. The Apostle Paul said it. The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed it. The Old Testament declared Who Jesus Christ is, and taught us many wonderful truths about God.

There are two Testaments, two Covenants, but only One Bible and One God. The Scripture tells us:

1 Timothy 2:5-6 … For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all ..

1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

In the Old Testament we see animals without spot or blemish sacrificed – a foretelling of “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Blood of Jesus Christ is all that cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7). The Temple of Israel where all worshiped foretold the day when every believer would be a Temple inhabited by God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20). The specialized priesthoods of Levi are replaced with the priesthood of the believer. Now every believer is a priest before God, and Jesus Christ our High Priest (1 Peter 2:3-9; Hebrews 10:12).

The Old Testament Scripture – God’s Law – leads us to Christ. Pastor John Piper writes:

“when we are born again, God gives us a new heart and a new spirit, and the result is that the law of God written in Scripture is no longer offensive to us. We are no longer hostile to it like Paul says in Romans 8:7. We are not hostile to the word of God, but rather, we are submissive. We delight to do God’s commandments. It doesn’t mean that we know them all by heart, because they are written on our hearts. It doesn’t mean that. It means that, when we read them in the word, the inclination to do them is in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This is a great work of the Holy Spirit, purchased by the blood of Christ called the new covenant.”

The Ark Of The Covenant Represents Jesus

 2 Samuel 6:1-9 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. 3 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?

As you read this morning the Ark of the Covenant was being brought to Israel by King David and the priests. The Ark of the Covenant was a box that God told Moses to construct. The Ark was to be composed of wood from the Shittah tree (see Exodus 25:10), a beautiful box crowned with a golden plate upon which two statues of angels made of gold we placed. The “mercy seat” was the place between the angels on this special box. The box was large enough to hold the two tablets of stone on which the Commandments were written. God told Israel that He would meet with His priests:

Exodus 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony..

God would speak to Israel from the Ark.
I believe the Ark represented Jesus Christ.
God the Son said “There I will meet with thee”.
Jesus would speak with His people.

Hebrews 9:4 tells us that the Ark contained “the golden pot that had manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant“ (Tablets of Stone that the Law was written on). The Ark of the Covenant represented the Messiah – the Lord Jesus Christ – to the Old Testament Saint. The Ark was carried by the Priests, high and lifted up, between two poles. It was carried reverently. Israel was to follow the Ark. When they entered the Promised Land God told the people:

Joshua 3:3 … When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

God’s people were to lift up the Ark. God’s people were to follow the Ark.
God’s people are to lift up Jesus.
God’s people are to follow Jesus!

Why do I think the Ark represented Jesus? Because …

1 The Ark contained the Law. Jesus Christ is the Fulfiller of the Law:

Romans 10:4 … Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Matthew 5:17 … {Jesus said} Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

2 The Ark contained the manna from Heaven. Jesus Christ is the Manna or Bread of Heaven.

John 6:57-58 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

3 The Ark contained Aaron’s rod that budded (became alive again). Jesus Christ is the Ruler of those who are born again & eternal.

1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that {Jesus} hath promised us, even eternal life.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

How Did Israel Lose The Ark?

In our focal text we read:

2 Samuel 6:1-2 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God

King David is trying to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. Why was David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem? Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant because they acted faithlessly. In 1 Samuel 4 the Bible tells us that Israel went out to battle the Philistines – the worldly Philistines. Israel was soundly defeated. Why?

They were not following the Ark of the Covenant.
They were not following Jesus.
Church, are WE following Jesus?

I am told “I can do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). And Jesus said:

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Israel went to battle without Jesus Christ. The Church today tries to make a difference in the world without Christ. What happened to Israel?

1 Samuel 4:2 … Israel was smitten before the Philistines …

Israel miserably lost. Beloved, God has not called us to get the maximum amount of butts in the seats of this Church. He has called us to be the Church, to be a following Church, following the Lord Jesus Christ, following our Ark of the Covenant!

After going forward without the General and Lord Who saved them now God’s Old Covenant Church has a bright idea.

1 Samuel 4:3 … the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

Let’s bring Jesus in as an afterthought. Let’s make a mess then seek His face. How foolish, yet I myself have done this, and you probably have done so as well. This was when the Ark was lost. The Philistines not only defeated God’s people, but they took the Ark captive.

But they couldn’t hold the Ark, for God is stronger than the strongest enemy. In time the Philistines delivered the Ark back to Israel on a new cart (1 Samuel 6:7). The Ark was placed in the house of Abinadab and cared for by Eleazor his son for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:1-2). This explains why David was bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem. His intentions were good. He wanted to put the Ark back in the Tabernacle where it belonged.

Good Intentions Kill. Obedience To God Blesses.

David’s intentions were good. First, King David arranged a parade with all the best people:

2 Samuel 6:1 Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

Just as the Philistines did many years before David …

2 Samuel 6:3 … And they set the ark of God upon a new cart

The Ark is not leading the way, but is part of a great big parade, filled with pomp and circumstance.

2 Samuel 6:3-5 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. 5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.

Everything was going well, then it didn’t. We read:

2 Samuel 6:6-8 And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. 8 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.

Then God rained on the parade. The wagon hit a hole in the road, the wagon upon which the Ark sat. The Ark was in danger of being cast out onto the ground so one of the priest – Uzzah – put out his hand to steady the Ark, to hold up the Ark. And Uzzah died.

Uzzah had good intentions. The King had good intentions. The parade was filled with those who had good intentions.

2 Samuel 6:9 David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?

How do we get Jesus back into the Church? How does the Ark get to Jerusalem? First of all, we the Church must look the the Word of God. God told Israel how the Ark of the Covenant was to be moved. It was not to be moved on a new cart. God told Israel that the Ark was to be covered,

Numbers 4:15 … after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

The Ark was to be carried – high and lifted up – on poles by the sons of Kohath. Jesus Christ is to be high and lifted up by His people. We come into this place to worship and adore Him, not to put Him on a cart. We honor God when we do what He says. Jesus said:

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Three months later David has the priests move the Ark of the Covenant in the way that God said do it (1 Chronicles 15:12-15). God’s people sanctified or set themselves apart by focusing on God’s Word. What God has said, He commands. His commands are NOT OPTIONAL. Ever. Period.

We must follow Jesus. We must do what He says in His way and in His time. It does not matter what our opinion of the situation is. There are many Church denominations that are following the opinion of man. This denomination does this, that denomination does that. “Let’s get a vote, and let the majority rule. Beloved majority rule only counts if JESUS CHRIST is the MAJORITY. What has the Lord said for us to do? What has God written in His Word? What does our Heavenly Father think? This is found in the Scripture.

King David conferred with all the best people before moving the Ark (see 1 Chronicles 13:1-4). The Church voted, and what was decided on was approved by the majority. But at no time did anyone consult God, nor turn to His Word. And Uzzah died for it!

We must obey the Lord. We must get back to the Bible. We must consult God’s Word, and heed God’s Spirit. If we do, we will be blessed. If not, we can bring death on ourselves. Let us follow the Lord! In Christ’s name I pray. Amen!