Today, we come to the concluding part of the series titled “When a moralistic mission goes awry”…
Miserable…
While King David’s friend may have lost his life, it was the King who felt the most miserable (1 Chro 13:11-12) at the sorry turn of events for which he himself was solely responsible. Be it as it may, let’s capture what David himself has to say about the reasons behind the Lord’s act of inflicting painful chastisement, albeit in a different situation: “The punishment you gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. They are more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold!” (Ps. 119:71-72 TLB).
Modify…
Misery led to the temporary modification in David’s plan to take the Ark to Jerusalem. He would now instead take it to the home of a Levite, Obededom (1 Chron. 15:24) the Gittite, so called because he was the resident of Gath-Rimmon, one of the Levitical Cities (Joshua 21:24-25).
Manifold…
Put yourself in Obededom’s shoes, as the Ark of the Covenant came home! Considering the circumstances, one can well imagine with what reverential fear he and his family members would have gone about their lives. No wonder, the Scripture says, obviously out of joy in seeing Obededom conduct affairs of his home with deep reverential fear for three months, that the Lord blessed him with manifold blessings (1 Chron. 13:14).
Mend…
Trust godly David to repent whenever he was confronted with his faults and fallacies (Psalm 51/2 Sam 24); and this incident, which is the first of the other two grave mistakes of his life, kind of establishes a pattern: Stand…fall…rise! Deep remorse of this contrite King over a moralistic mission gone awry due to Scriptural negligence can well be gauged by these sombre words, even as he mends fences with His Creator. Let the Scripture take over at this stage…
“Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar, the High Priests, and for the Levite leaders: Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. ‘You are the leaders of the clans of the Levites,’ he told them. ‘Now sanctify yourselves with all your brothers so that you may bring the Ark of Jehovah, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. The Lord destroyed us before because we handled the matter improperly–you were not carrying it.'” (1 Chron. 15:11-13 TLB).
About a Christian’s life also…the wise Rick Warren observed, “A Christian begins with repentance and is sustained by repentance”.
Mission 2…
If seeds for failure of “Mission 1” were laid by way of an improper spiritual preparation, seeds for success of Mission 2 were by the same token planted this time out by proper, reverential, meticulous preparation. No wonder tht when the curtains come down on this particular account of finally bringing the Ark to Jerusalem, the Scripture makes mention of peaceful and joyous settings at the end of it all: “And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house” (2 Sam 6:18-19).
May we too, at all times, undertake tasks for God’s Glory in the way He desires, so that we can also experience this truth of which that great Missionary Hudson Taylor speaks of thus: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” Oh of all the finest things He supplies, let’s crave for His approval first and foremost in everything we undertake in His Name!
Prayer: Father, let all our steps be ordered by Thee at all times. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
An unworthy servant
J and SM Ministries
(To access the entire “Moralistic Mission Gone Astray” Mini-Series, please clickhere.)