[After Saul died in battle against the Philistines, David became king and established the capital in Jerusalem] Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all. He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart 4that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark. David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals…
2 Samuel 6:1–5 (NLT)
This letter from the newly crowned King David was one of his first acts
Dear Valiant Joab,
Congratulations on your well-deserved office of Commander [1]! I am compelled to pen down a matter of gravest import. The hour has come to usher the Ark of God into the heart of Jerusalem, our beloved Capital City.
But before I lay down the intent, allow me to trace of our past missteps with the Ark that now beckon for a course correction:
Superstition: In the days of Eli, the Ark was paraded into battle as though it were a charm to ensure triumph. The aftermath was a theatre of despair; the Ark was seized, and countless breaths were stilled [2].
Rejection: The Philistines, upon seizing the Ark, beheld it as a cursed token amidst their realm. They nestled it in Dagon’s temple, only to find their deity shattered and bowed. Calamity shadowed them until they returned the Ark onto our soil [3].
Ambivalence: A silence, yet a profound stray from reverence. Under King Saul’s reign, the Ark was but a whisper in Kiriath-Jearim, mirroring Saul’s own veiled heart towards God.
Now, the hour has come to steer our hearts and helm towards a divine harbor. Let me unveil my longing to guide the Ark to Jerusalem, and here is the whisper of my why:
A Communal Heartbeat: The Ark, far beyond a relic, is the sovereign throne of God. By cradling it within Jerusalem, we voice the eternal truth – God is the true King of Israel. A reminder, bold and gentle, to our souls that our might and hope are woven with threads of divine communion.
A Personal Embrace: The mantle of kingship, though an honor, drapes heavily upon my shoulders, drawing me to seek the light of God’s tender strength. The Ark is a gateway to that divine fellowship, a sanctuary of joy amidst the storm of duties [4]. It is a whisper of God’s presence, a soft echo of friendship I yearn to draw near.
I beckon you, dear Joab, to rally 30,000 valiant men and prepare the path for the Ark’s journey. Let us usher the Ark to Jerusalem with hearts ablaze with reverence and skies echoing with joyous anthems. May each step mend the fragments of past reverence and paint the dawn of worship born of truth and joy. With the Ark, we sow seeds of true worship.
Under God’s gentle gaze,
King David
Share with your friends “David listed a few reasons (both right and wrong) for worship. Which ones can you identify with?”
[1] 1 Chronicles 11:6 said that Joab became Commander of the Army after he captured Jerusalem
[2] 1 Samuel 4:2–18 recorded this incident
[3] 1 Samuel 5:1–6:21 recorded this incident
[4] The song David sang for the occassion, especially 1 Chronicles 16:27 expressed his desire
I identify with superstition. Growing up as a Catholic, there are a lot of superstitions around miracles or adversities. I grew up learning that if you prayed to a certain statue of a Saint or the Virgin Mary at a specific location then your prayers will come true. And when those prayers didn’t come true, i was taught that I didn’t pray hard enough or correctly. When adversities happened, i was taught that I didn’t go to church enough and didn’t pray enough that’s why bad things happened or yhat I did something to displease God. Now, i worship with a communal heartbeat in hopes for divine communion.
I identify with a communal heartbeat type of worship. Worship has been a very personal experience for me and it is time for me to come to God fully surrendered and as I am no matter where I am at in life and as of late, I have been by the different servants of God that worship needs to be as authentic as possible and it doesn’t anything glamorous, I just need to be me. Worship alone is nice and all but it is even more specially when shared with a group believer that comes together with one voice and one faith towards Christ. God made us to be relational and to be with others and so I would like to do this with as many folks as possible.
I would have to say that for me, I could probably identify with each of the negative attitudes for worship that are listed here at some point in my life. Before I became a believer, rejection was my attitude. I wanted nothing to do with the God of the Bible, and reacted to any mention of Him with hostility and ridicule. Early on as a believer, I would say that I was superstitious in my worship, in that I treated God as if He were some sort of genie in a bottle, existing to grant me whatever I wished for. Over the years, I have also fallen into ambivalent worship, not really appreciating depth and gravity of my own sinfulness along with God’s holiness and righteousness. I have come to realize that, for me, it is essential to be in His Word on a daily basis, that I can begin to have a right understanding about what true worship is. Whenever I think of worship, I think of Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth,” (John 4:23-24). Worship is not a particular activity, done in a particular place within a particular time frame. Worship is an attitude of the heart- a deep longing and affection for God that comes from a right understanding of who we are, who He is, and what He has done for us. Our very lives are meant to be an act of worship. We can worship Him in all that we do, anytime, anywhere, “in spirit and in truth.”
For me, a personal embrace of faith was a journey. Growing up in a Christian family with a rich heritage of Christian tradition, I didn’t truly know Jesus as my personal Savior until later in life. It was then that He became like a close friend, someone I could talk to anytime. Jesus served as a bridge between me and God, helping me understand the incredible cost He paid for my sake because of His boundless love for me. He also became my anchor during times of trial and tribulation, the One I would call upon when I needed help.
I identify with the communal heartbeat for worship. I think that the idea that david wrote about how might and hope are intertwined within divine communion reminds me of the importance of gathering and connecting to God through others.
From Teri
For me worship is having a personal relationship with God, praying to God with praises for his blessings while also coming to Him with my struggles. Worship to me is also through prayers, I learn to quiet my heart before God and try to listen and understand His will. I am not always successful with this but I do try.
I think the worship part that I know I am lacking which God teaches is forgiveness. I really struggle with this when it comes to certain people and situations. I pray that God does soften my heart as time passes, and I will learn to forgive much more easily.
I can identify with a communal heartbeat for worship. It is impossible for me, as a new believer, to strengthen my faith in the Lord without my community. Every month, during communion, I realize I’m sinful, but Jesus is here to help and save us. Additionally, I can learn what God’s love is and how I can reinforce my faith in God through worship and communication with God’s children.
The negative attitudes that I feel I identify with is “superstition” and believing in these other things that are of God. Allowing it to sway my decision-making and seek for it to benefit my way. Another could be ambivalence, if I’m understanding it right, in not having full commitment and devotion to God. Being one foot in and one foot out. Releasing myself to the Lord and giving my life to Him fully. The positive aspects I identify with is “a personal embrace” and understanding my relationship with Him. How I am able to find comfort in Him during any times of trials. Not only is He a righteous God but a loving God. I pray to keep seeking and building that friendship Lord. To spend more quiet time with You instead of letting the business keep me from You. Thank you for today’s reading.
-John