Coffee With The Lord

It’s nice to “get a jump” on things – or a “head start” – or whatever adage you choose to use… I mean look around; multitudes are getting a “jump” or “head start” on Christmas (in fact, it started even before Halloween!). HOW ABOUT GETTING A “HEAD START” ON THANKSGIVING? That idea came to mind as I read 1 Chronicles 16:7-43 as a part of my Bible reading this morning during my time of “Coffee with the Lord.”

It’s entitled “David’s Song of Thanks” in the Bible I’m reading and really it is David’s reflection on all that God had done for him (and God’s people Israel) over the years. It is a collection drawn from other thanksgiving psalms that reflect on God’s goodness: Psalm 105:1-15; 96:1-13; and Psalm 106:1, 47-48). It was sung upon the return of Israel’s sacred ark (the symbol of God’s presence among His people to Jerusalem). Let me highly recommend it as A GREAT “PRE-THANKSGIVING” READ!!

Here’s just a sample drawn from it… (Read slowly, reflectively and with expression – let its truth sink in and impact your life!) 1 Chronicles 16:8–34 (ESV)

“OH GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered…

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and He is to be feared above all gods! Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place…

“Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord!

“OH GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD; FOR HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! (Taken from 1 Chronicles 16:8-34 ESV)

Hey, I’m just “getting a jump” on Thanksgiving! On toward a blessed, grateful, exuberant, praise-filled Thanksgiving!!!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother [or sister] is born for adversity…Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy… Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from their earnest counsel… There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother!” (Taken from Proverbs 17:17; 18:24; 27:6, 9)

I can hear the comments now… “We are NOT going to do that the “old way!” I know that’s what Moses stipulated, but he had no idea how impractical, physically taxing, and inefficient it was. I mean, why not use a cart? It just makes sense – it’s the better way to move the ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem, the city of David… Ask anyone!!!

And those voices won the day! And the Bible says, “All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people… And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart!”

What a day in Israel – the sacred symbol of God’s presence among His people was coming “home!” “And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets!”

But then the unforeseen and tragic occurred! The oxen stumbled, the cart tottered dangerously nearly tipping over, and “Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark” to keep it from spilling out awkwardly on the road with its holy contents!

The Bible records, “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark [a sacred object] and he died there before God!” (from 1 Chronicles 13)

Hey, it may have seemed like the practical – the sensensible – the efficient and modern way to transport the holy ark, but it was NOT God’s way (cp. Exodus 25:12-15! It violated the clear directions the Lord had given earlier through Moses about the holy character of the ark and how it was to be transported and by whom!

David was angry! He was angry at God! In fact, the ark went no further! The celebrating was over!!! The ark was taken to a nearby house and kept there for several months.

Then David settled down, rethought the situation, and apparently consulted God’s word. The Bible records, “Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to Him forever… and he said because you did not carry it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us because we did not seek him according to the rule… And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.” (from 1 Chronicles 15:1-15)

What an important lesson for leaders in attempting to do the Lord’s work! Our intentions may be noble and good (David’s were!) Seeking counsel from “consultants” can be helpful. BUT WE HAD BETTER BE SURE TO DO GOD’S WORK GOD’S WAY!!! We must not fall prey to violating God’s will and word in the name of practicality and efficiency. Time spent in prayer for wisdom and examining God’s word for direction and then determining to follow it is NOT wasted time!