Follow The Design So You Can Be Aligned

Review & Overview

1. Previous Study’s Review

COMMENTARY: We are in the first part of the outline for this book. Which is the triumphs of David.

COMMENTARY: This book is divided into 3 easy sections: The Triumphs of David, The Temptations & Transgressions of David, and then The Troubles of David.

COMMENTARY: At this point in time of History for Israel there is a change that has happened, their way of governing the people has changed. They have gone from a Theocracy to a Monarchy, from God ruling over the people to man a king.

COMMENTARY: So there is a change in the entire economy and landscape politically for the nation of Israel.

COMMENTARY: You see the way God started the nation wasn’t democrats and republicans, or kings. There was no voting process, you didn’t vote on laws or library funds or the water conservancy act or gas taxes. But God was in charge he made it easy.

COMMENTARY: At this point, the 1st King, Saul has been replaced and David is now King and his fame & prominence is rising. And these first few chapters show us the reason for his acceptance as King.

COMMENTARY: Ishbosheth the son of Saul had been killed & David is made King of all of Israel. So the 7 1/2 years of division between the northern & southern part of Israel is over. David makes that political move by reconciling Israel as a whole.

COMMENTARY: Then David defeats the Jebusites & captures Jerusalem and He also battled the Philistines & had key victories. So David makes that military move.

COMMENTARY: So David has established his leadership as king in two ways: 1. Politically & 2. Militarily

2. Current Study’s Overview

COMMENTARY: And as we come to chp. 6 David establishes his leadership as King in a 3rd way, Spiritually. So David turns his attention to the Spiritual aspect of being a leader of a nation.

COMMENTARY: And here CH. 6, we're gonna be talking about the Ark of the Covenant.

COMMENTARY: We're going to be dealing with doing the right thing with the right heart, the wrong way. How important is detail? Is sincerity enough? Is it enough for me to say, you know, I sort of feel like it and it's on my heart to do this and that. So I don't have to care about any details or anything else, i’m just going to do it. That is David's approach in Ch. 6 he's doing the right thing with the right heart, the wrong way.

Ephesians 5:15 NKJV

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

COMMENTARY: The title of today’s message is: Follow The Design, So That You Can Be Aligned

COMMENTARY: You know David was a unique individual, he had a unique mix of personality. He was a musician, creative, a singer, song writer, a poet, so he had an artistic side, you know a very right brain kind of activity. And at the same time he was a warrior, soldier, a marine, one of the best Israel had at the time. He was a strategist, an administrator, and a ruler and a king, he was such a unique mix and blend of personality.

COMMENTARY: And the first thing we want to look at as David is attempting to establish his leadership spiritually...

1. Involves David's Willingness Vs. 1-10

1.2 David’s First Mistake Vs. 1-4

COMMENTARY: For 100 long years the ark of the covenant had been separated from the tabernacle and other places of worship. Back in 1 Samuel 4 the Philistines had captured the Ark of God thinking they captured God Himself.

COMMENTARY: But they got a little more then they bargained for because for 7 months the Lord afflicted them with rats & tumors so they shipped the Ark to Beth Shemesh.

COMMENTARY: Then the Israelites at Beth Shemesh were so thrilled to get the Ark back they opened the mercy seat and looked inside the Ark & 50,070 men died that day. According to...

Hebrews 9:4 The Ark of God contained a Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron’s Rod & the 10 Commandments.

Hebrews 9:4 NKJV

4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;

COMMENTARY: So they looked to the Law and we know very well when we look to the Law it brings death...

2 Corinthians 3:6 NKJV

6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

COMMENTARY: So those in Beth Shemesh sent the Ark to Baale Judah which is 10 miles west of Jerusalem and at this point at has been there for 100 years.

COMMENTARY: But now that David conquered the Jebusites & the Philistines he can now transport the Arch of the Covenant back into the temple of God.

COMMENTARY: Now here's the problem. They made two mistakes. Mistake number one. They put the arch on a cart. Why'd they do that?

Because they want to be like the world, I suppose. That's how the Philistines transported the ark back in 1 Samuel.

They put it on a cart. And they went from one city to the next city. The oxen pulled the cart up the hill. They remembered it. They say, put it on a cart.

COMMENTARY: Now it’s important to note that the bottom of that ark are four rings, gold rings, to accommodate two poles.

The two poles are not to be put on a cart. The two poles are to have four guys-- two in the front, two in the back-- to bear it on their shoulders.

That's how God said the ark should be transported on the shoulders of men.

COMMENTARY: But it is also important to note that according to Numbers 4:15-20 it’ not just any men, the men of one tribe, the tribe of Levi.

But not just any levites one family of the tribe, the family of Kohath.

The Kohathites of the Levites were to transport the ark on their shoulders.

COMMENTARY: Now from where the arch is at, at this point is nine miles away from Jerusalem, nine miles uphill.

APPLICATION: But they said that was such a long time ago that God gave that commandment. It probably doesn't apply today. Have you guys ever heard that before?

It doesn't really apply today anymore. It's uphill, these are modern times. Throw it on the cart, It's a new cart.

Are you kidding me? The Word of God doesn’t apply to us today?

ILLUSTRATION: The bible has 66 books, written by 40 authors on 3 different continents by 3 different languages, over a 1,600 year time period and it all comes together to tell one story of redemption. But it doesn’t apply today?

ILLUSTRATION: You know Jesus fulfilled 333 prophecies and a mathematician crunched the numbers and came up with the probability of a person only fulfilling 8 of those prophecies.

ILLUSTRATION: And the chances of 1 person fulfilling only 8 out of the 333 massionic prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 28th power. That is 1 in 10 Octillion.

2 Peter 1:19 NKJV

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

We ought to be like the Thessalonians when Paul wrote to them in…

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV

13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

APPLICATION: It is so important for us to heed the Word of God now more than ever! With everything that is going on in the world we need the direction of the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:25 NKJV

25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God applies today so we ourselves need to apply it.

1.2 David’s Second Mistake Vs. 5-10

COMMENTARY: Second mistake. Is the Arch started bouncing around, remember there's no shocks back then, No four wheel drive. It's just wood on stone.

And that thing starts moving back and forth. And Uzzah, with good intentions, steadies the ark.

Now God said, don't, don't touch that box, This isn't just a box. This is the center of worship.

This is where I will meet with you and have atonement with you and fellowship with you from between the cherubim.

So this guy touches the arch with good intentions. And he falls dead. Boom.

COMMENTARY: And you might say man, that’s harsh, he just wanted to help out.

APPLICATION: This might come as a shock but God does NOT need our help. We like to think He does & we jump with both feet in thinking ok Lord I’ll straighten this out, but often times things just get worse.

COMMENTARY: God is going to say, the Arch is not only what you will worship me with but how you will do it.

ILLUSTRATION: And they forgot about that as did Abraham and Sarah. God said, you're going to have a son.

Sarah said, I'm an old woman, Abe. And we've been waiting a long time, and hadn't happened yet.

So take Hagar, my handmaid. She's a young woman. And go have a baby with her, and we'll call it my baby.

And they had Ishmael. Good intentions. Wrong way to do it. And this is what happens.

1.3 Is Sincerity Enough?

APPLICATION: Now back to the question we asked. Is sincerity enough?

Is it good enough just to be sincere? Don't you hear that all the time?

Well, they're so sincere. Don't judge them, because they really are sincere.

They had the right heart, they have a good heart.

ILLUSTRATION: Why don't you ask the patient, whose doctor was sincere and prescribed the wrong medication and killed the patient?

Ask the family. Ask the survivors. And tell them, but the doctor was so sincere you guys.

It's good enough, isn't it? He's a good man.

ILLUSTRATION: It was a bad mistake. Ask the survivors of the parents of the child who was killed by an oncoming car by someone who veered in the wrong lane, maybe not knowing it was the wrong lane, a one way.

Sincerity isn't enough. You can be sincerely wrong.

COMMENTARY: So let’s come to the 2nd and final thing we want to look at as David is attempting to establish his leadership spiritually...

2. The Lesson David Learns Vs. 11-12

2.1 Explanation of 1 Chronicles

COMMENTARY: David waits three months & He's mad. David waits three months without fellowship, three months out of blessings.

God blesses the house of Obed-edom the Gittite because the ark's in his backyard, David waits three months, and then this arch gets brough up again and David rejoices and brings it finally back to its home in Jerusalem in the temple.

COMMENTARY: But turn with me to...

Because in the account of 1 Chronicles we are given more details in what happened during these 3 months and the process of David bringing back the Arch.

1 Chronicles 15:1–2 NKJV

1 David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.”

1 Chronicles 15:3–4 NKJV

3 And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 Then David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites:

1 Chronicles 15:5–6 NKJV

5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren; 6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren;

1 Chronicles 15:7–8 NKJV

7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren; 8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren;

1 Chronicles 15:8–9 NKJV

8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren; 9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren;

1 Chronicles 15:10–11 NKJV

10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren. 11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab.

1 Chronicles 15:12–13 NKJV

12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”

COMMENTARY: David built houses for himself in the City of David and prepared a place for the Ark of God and pitched a tent for it.

And then David said, no one may carry the Ark of God but the Levites-- this is the second time now-- for the Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of God and minister before Him forever.

COMMENTARY: You guys David's been reading his Bible during those three months. He went back mad. Somebody said, David, go home and read your Bible. It'd probably be a good thing for you to do.

Kings are supposed to do that anyway. So he did. And he looked back, and he found, oh, the priests are supposed to do that.

Numbers 4:15-20= God outlined that the Kohathites were to carry it with poles...

APPLICATION: And here is the point. A good spiritual leader searches the Word of God for instruction, direction, & guidance. It doesn’t matter what we think or feel, the question is what does the bible say?

APPLICATION: Some of you guys want God to move into your situations and you guys think you are handling it the correct way and with the right heart, but you are doing it all wrong. and you need to read the Word of God.

APPLICATION: Some of you guys are probably going through situations in your family and you don’t know how to go about it, read the Word of God.

APPLICATION: Don’t believe a word anybody tells to you especially me but...

Acts 17:11 NKJV

11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV

21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.

APPLICATION: And we see that David not only searched the Word but he was a doer of the Word. We can know the Bible inside & out and have all the doctrines under our belt, but are we doing it?

James 1:22 NKJV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

John 13:17 NKJV

17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

2. Closing Remarks

COMMENTARY: Number One: Pay attention to the details. If God puts details in there, pay attention to them. Don't just say, oh, I'm just going to go for it. Good intentions, who cares?

I see a lot of people today go, who cares about doctrine? Who cares about truth? Who cares about all that little fancy detailed stuff?

Isn't just God Jesus and a few scriptures enough? Eh-eh. Care about those details that God writes about.

APPLICATION: Number two: The ark teaches us the holiness of God, teaches us a combination of two truths:

God wants to meet with people over the blood atonement. That's where he met-- over the place blood was sprinkled on the top of this seat. Atonement was made.

Inside was the law broken. Inside was a pot of manna from the desert. And inside was a little twig, a rod of Aaron that budded.

And it was a reminder of the wilderness, and a reminder of God's law, and a reminder that they had broken God's law. And the angels are looking down on the broken law.

APPLICATION: And all heaven is looking down on man's failure. But blood covered man's failure. And so, all of heaven and the angels-- symbolic by the cherubim-- looked down not on the failure but on the blood that covered it.

So the ark teaches us that God wants to meet and have fellowship with us.

But it also teaches us that we must worship not only in spirit but in truth.

Some say, oh, who cares? We'll just worship in spirit. Forget the truth.

Some say, we got to worship in truth. Forget the spirit. How about both?

Worship in spirit and truth, holiness and fellowship, over atonement.

APPLICATION: So we realized that we have a model. Just as Uzzah was the fall guy, literally for David, he took the fall because of David's sin.

APPLICATION: In the new covenant, Jesus Christ is our fall guy. He took our sin. He took the fall for our sin.

He took the pain and the punishment. And in the New Testament, Jesus is the ark. He is the mercy seat. For the apostle said Jesus is our propitiation for our sins, or literally, our mercy seat.

ENDING.....