THE ARK OF GOD

Eltham Baptist 21st October 2012

No. 394

Have you ever thought, "I don't smoke, I don't drink. I read my Bible often, pray and do good yet God seems so far away. There's something missing in my life." "That sparkle, that cutting edge just isn't there. What's wrong? I don't seem to have the presence." It's sad but at one time the Church had some really funny ideas as to why we could be missing the mark. One young man went to a Priest in days of yore and said that he was a bit down in the dumps and was told by the jolly old vicar to drink wine, dance with girls and lose some blood. During the Dark Ages and even today in the Catholic Church you are told to do penance which is a kind of beating yourself up in order to get right with God. I think we have learnt a few things since those days in the Evangelical Church. Here's a thought. "And at that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to bless His name." - Deut. 10:8 It was the ministry of the Old Testament Levites, who were part of the Priesthood, to carry the Ark of God and bless His name. You had to be born into this tribe if you wanted to be a Levite and it wasn't something you could decide to do or earn through good behaviour. To be a Levite back then was a very privileged position, for you could get closer to God than the average Joe Blogs. As a Levite you worked in the tabernacle around the presence of God. You were part of the Priestly line. Today we are even more privileged for we can choose to be a Levite. It doesn't come through our earthly mother or father or our church denomination. It's not a birth line or something that can be bought with money, for it is in Christ. It's a gift received by faith. When you chose to be born again you were born a Levite. You were born into the priestly line. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9 "and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." Revelation 1:6 We are God's Levites and can have the privilege of being around the Ark, the Presence of God every day. Where ever we go the presence of God can go. The Ark of God in Days of Old was to go where ever the Children of Israel went and it was the presence of God. It was the job of the Levites to carry the Ark or presence of God with them when they were in the wilderness. No one else was allowed to touch it with the penalty of death. The Ark was taken from them though during a dark time in Israel's history because of their disobedience and it ended up with the Philistines. "So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Elis two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the LORDs covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, Whats all this shouting in the Hebrew camp? When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. A god has come into the camp, they said. Were in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight! So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Elis two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. 1 Samuel 4:4-11 The 2 evil Levites who were the sons of Eli the Priest died in battle. When Eli heard that the Ark had been taken he died also and then his daughter in law who was in labour died giving birth.

"His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. As she was dying, the women attending her said, Dont despair; you have given birth to a son. But she did not respond or pay any attention. She named the boy Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israelbecause of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured. 1 Samuel 4:19-21 She called the child 'Ichabod' - The Glory of the Lord has departed. The Ark remained with the Philistines for over 7 months but while it was with the enemy it brought a curse upon all who had it in their midst, for God's presence is only meant to be with His people. In the end they realised what was going on and sent it back home. When it arrived everyone was so excited that 70 men looked into the Ark and were struck dead on the spot. Only the Levites were meant to handle the Ark of God. "But God struck down some of the men of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the LORD had dealt them," 1 Samuel 6:19 It's only the job of the Levites to handle the Ark of God and no one is to look into it. Later King David went to get the Ark of God and as it was being taken back to Jerusalem Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead.
"When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled The LORDs anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God." 2 Samuel 6:6-7

The Ark of the Covenant represented three things to the people of God both then and now. First it spoke of victory: when they went to battle the Ark would lead the way and spoke of how God was going with them into battle. Next it spoke of prosperity: when the Ark was put into the house of Obed-Edom it brought the blessing of God to every aspect of his life.
Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 2 Samuel 6:12

Next the Ark represented divine guidance: when God spoke with direction to His people, He always spoke from the area where the Ark rested, in the Tabernacle. If you need more victory, more blessing, and more guidance, then you need to learn how to bring the presence of God into your life, and carry it with you wherever you go. David said, 'The Lord inhabits the praises of His people' (Psalm 22:3). The Japanese people have an interesting way of translating this verse. Since the Emperor was once considered a deity, they would carry him around on a throne. So they translate this verse: 'When we praise God, we create a seat, and God comes down and sits on it.' Whether you are driving to work or working around the house, anytime you begin to praise God you create a seat, and God will come down and sit in it. Never leave church and say, 'The pastor wasn't on today' or 'The musicians didn't ring the bell.' Ask yourself, "Did I, by my praise, create a seat?" For any time you do, He will come and sit in it. Today you can carry His presence as a Levite everywhere you go, by your praise. Some of this sermon has been sourced from a Bob Gass "Word for Today" message.