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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Thursday, 6 November 2025:
1 Chronicles 13:1-2 — David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us.”
David’s desire to restore the Ark of the Covenant to its rightful place in Israel was motivated by a sincere longing for God’s presence to be central again in the life of the nation. His consultation with leaders reflects wise and inclusive leadership, valuing unity among God’s people. However, even sincere spiritual intentions must be guided by God’s Word, not merely human consensus or emotion. David sought affirmation “if it seems good to you and from the Lord,” but as this account shows, spiritual zeal without obedience to divine instruction can lead to devastating results.
David focused his time on his leaders, counting on them to transmit his message, to execute his intent, and to give him feedback and counsel from their perspectives. Only a very few interacted with David daily. David had to not only develop leaders he could trust, but he had to develop leaders who knew how to develop trustworthy subordinate leaders. David needed disciple-making leaders who would develop godly disciple-making leaders. A person has limited capacity to truly disciple others, which takes daily effort to teach, coach and mentor in a way that develops godly character. A person can only truly disciple a limited number. Who are you discipling daily?
Trust is the fabric of any organization. David’s trust throughout his ranks of leaders rested on their fidelity to God above all else and their receptivity to God’s leading. David relied on the confidence that his leaders, in the absence of specific and direct orders, would hear and obey God. Note what David said to the assembly – “If it seems good to you and from the LORD our God….” David was counting on leaders who would not simply rely on their own judgment but who would prayerfully seek guidance from God and be guided by the leading of the Holy Spirit. David didn’t just say, “if it seems good and also lawful;” he said if it is “from” the LORD. Critical to good leadership is being lead by the Holy Spirit, above our incredibly limited, easily deceived, human perception and intellect. The Holy Spirit’s availability and power is limitless to us, but we can quench, grieve, and get out of step with the Spirit through our own infidelity and disobedience. If we don’t experience clear guidance and intent from the Spirit daily as Jesus did, the issue is with our own lack of receptivity based upon the condition of our hearts. A good decision is not just based upon what we think; it must be “from the LORD.”
1 Chronicles 13:3-4 — “Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.
David’s statement reveals both a confession and a corrective: during Saul’s reign, Israel neglected the very symbol of God’s covenant presence. The Ark represented God’s throne among His people, but under Saul, national focus shifted from worship to warfare and worldly ambition. David’s call to “bring again the ark of our God” was not just a logistical move, it was a spiritual reformation. Yet, the phrase “right in the eyes of all the people” subtly echoes the refrain from Judges, where “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” This reminds us that what seems right to people, even in religious zeal, must be tested against what God has actually said.
1 Chronicles 13:3 — … for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.
David knew that the kingdom’s future depended on revelation from God and the power of God. So, does your future. Saul did not seek God’s counsel as he should have, and it cost him everything and also caused the needless suffering of countless others. Learn from the lessons of the Old Testament which are provided for you by God.
1 Chronicles 13:5-6 — So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim.
The nationwide assembly for the Ark’s return was a historic spiritual rally, a revival of sorts. The Ark symbolized God’s holiness, His covenant, and His enthronement among His people. David rightly desired that God, not man, would be enthroned as Israel’s true King. However, reverence for God’s presence must always be accompanied by obedience to God’s precepts. The holiness of the Ark, representing God’s throne, required the people to approach in the way He commanded (Exodus 25:14-15; Numbers 4:15). Reverence without obedience is sentimentality, not worship.
1 Chronicles 13:7-8 — And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. 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.
This was a moment of great joy and passion, but also of misplaced zeal. The people’s enthusiasm was sincere but misdirected. God had commanded that the Ark be carried on poles by the Levites, not transported on a cart like pagan idols (Numbers 4:15; 7:9). The Philistines once sent the Ark back to Israel on a cart (1 Samuel 6:7-8), but Israel was not to imitate the methods of the world in approaching a holy God. The people’s worship was energetic but uninformed, a caution that emotion and sincerity cannot substitute for truth. Jesus later warned that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).
1 Chronicles 13:9-10 — And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.
Uzzah’s reflex may have seemed reasonable, but God’s holiness is not to be handled by human instinct. The Ark did not need to be steadied, it needed to be sanctified. By touching the Ark, Uzzah violated God’s clear command that no one except the consecrated Levites were to touch the holy things (Numbers 4:15). His death was not a sign of God’s cruelty but of His holiness. Sinful man cannot approach God apart from the mediation He provides. This moment teaches the Church that casual familiarity with sacred things — His Word, His worship, His name — is dangerous. We must never treat the holy as common.
1 Chronicles 13:11–12 — And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
David’s initial anger was born of confusion, his good intentions met with divine judgment. Yet his anger quickly turned to holy fear, a crucial shift from presumption to reverence. True spiritual maturity often begins when we realize that God is not domesticated by our good intentions or human wisdom. David learned that God’s presence must be sought according to God’s ways. Later, in 1 Chronicles 15:13, he confessed, “The Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek Him according to the rule.” God’s holiness humbles human pride and reorients worship toward obedience.
What does it take for a person to stop fighting God’s will, to stop blaming God for the consequence of sin, and to start revering God and obeying him? The Ark of the Covenant represented God’s holiness and sat in the Most Holy Place. After the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the Lord inappropriately, God gave Moses these instructions: “Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, for God has proclaimed ‘Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’”
God had given very specific instructions as to how the ark was to be handled: It was to be carried only by the Levites on foot using long poles that ran through rings on the sides – there were never to be removed. The people were to be shielded from the ark by the “atonement cover” made of pure gold and a curtain. The ark had been forgotten during the reign of Saul, and the people had lost perspective on the holiness of God. As the ark was carelessly moved in an unauthorized fashion, Uzzah dares to touch this holy object and dies – he had subconsciously presumed that his sinful hands were somehow cleaner that the ground where the ark would have fallen.
It is interesting to me how David’s response begins with anger and then turns to fear. The clearer our perspective of God, the greater we appreciate his holiness in contrast to our sinfulness and the more grateful we become for the grace bestowed upon us. Think of Peter’s response to Jesus when he first understood who Jesus was — “… he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Ephesians 3:12 points out that in Christ Jesus, “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him [to approach Him].” However, this statement does not suggest that we should approach God without reverence. Ephesians 3:14 goes on to say, “For this reason I kneel before the Father….”
Today, worship has become very casual. Perhaps we have a problem with our perspective of God’s holiness, our sinfulness, and the grace which we have received. How differently would we approach our God and live our lives with a clearer perspective.
1 Chronicles 13:13-14 — So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.
The same Ark that brought judgment to Uzzah brought blessing to Obed-edom, illustrating that God’s holiness is not only fearful, it is fruitful to those who receive it rightly. Obed-edom welcomed God’s presence with reverence, and his house overflowed with blessing. God’s presence is never neutral; it either purifies or destroys, depending on the posture of our hearts. When we approach God with obedience and awe, His presence becomes the source of abundant life and joy. Later, when David learned to bring the Ark back “according to the rule,” worship became both holy and joyful (1 Chronicles 15:25-28).
David temporarily left the ark in a home nearby, likely the nearest available safe place where the Ark could be honored and cared for reverently. The choice of Obed-edom’s house was not random, it reflected both proximity and providence. Obed-edom lived in that region (likely near Kiriath-jearim, where the Ark had previously been kept), and his name and heritage suggest he was a Levite, a member of the priestly tribe specifically charged with caring for the Ark.
The title “Gittite” has caused debate. At first glance, “Gittite” (Hebrew Gitti) could mean a man from Gath, the Philistine city, implying he was not an Israelite. But that would make no sense of God blessing his house for reverently housing the Ark, nor would it fit with later genealogical records. A better explanation is that “Gittite” here refers to a Levite from Gath-rimmon, a Levitical city in the territory of Dan (Joshua 21:24; 1 Chronicles 6:69). This aligns with what we later learn in 1 Chronicles 15:18, 21, 24, and 26:4-8, where Obed-edom is explicitly listed as a Levite, a gatekeeper, and musician serving in the temple.
So, in practical terms and human logic: Obed-edom’s home made sense because it was near, and David feared to bring the Ark closer to himself. However, in divine terms, God sovereignly appointed a Levite’s household, someone consecrated to serve before Him, to receive His presence and blessing. It is a subtle but profound moment of divine arrangement: even in David’s fear, God ensured His Ark rested in the home of a man fit to revere and host His presence properly. Obed-edom did not die like Uzzah because he treated God’s holiness with appropriate reverence. He feared the Lord rightly, and so received life, not wrath.
Obed-edom’s name means “servant of Edom” or “worshiper of God,” and his reverence stands in contrast to Uzzah’s presumption and David’s anger and fear. His faithfulness bridges the gap between judgment and restoration, and his example underscores how holiness and joy can coexist when we honor God rightly. In other words, Obed-edom becomes a living parable: he represents the right way to dwell in the presence of God — reverently, obediently, and joyfully, and his life leaves a legacy. Later in Chronicles we will see that Obed-edom is listed among the Levites appointed to minister and play the lyre when the Ark was finally brought to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15:18, 21, 24); He is again named as a gatekeeper and musician, serving continually before the Ark in 1 Chronicles 16:5, 38; and his family is described as mighty men of valor, and his eight sons are blessed by God for their service in temple duties (1 Chronicles 26:4-8). Obed-edom’s faithfulness in that “temporary assignment” of hosting the Ark became the foundation for a generational legacy of blessing and service. His entire family line became associated with guarding, worshiping, and ministering before the Lord.
When we host the presence of God in our lives, through humble obedience and reverent worship, He blesses everything around us. But His blessing is not for comfort’s sake; it’s to empower our witness. Obed-edom’s faithfulness rippled through generations, just as our faithfulness today can open doors for others to encounter Christ.
The ark’s stay in Obed-edom’s home foreshadowed the incarnation — God dwelling among His people in grace through Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Just as the ark represented God’s presence, so believers now are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and the blessing that came to Obed-edom’s house is mirrored in every heart that welcomes Christ by faith (Revelation 3:20) and builds upon a legacy of faith through generations of God’s people.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 6 November 2025: Serve the Lord with zeal that is anchored in truth. Like David, your passion for God’s presence must be guided by His Word, not by emotion, tradition, or popular opinion. Do not imitate worldly methods in spiritual things. Welcome the presence of God into every part of your life as Obed-edom did. Live in reverent obedience, allowing God’s holiness to shape your habits, your home, and your heart. Remember that one soul rightly aligned with God’s presence is worth more than all the world’s treasures. Share this truth — proclaim the gospel with boldness and compassion, knowing that each person you meet has irreplaceable eternal worth.
Pray: “Holy Lord, teach me to worship You rightly, with joy that is informed by truth and reverence that is rooted in love. Forgive me when my zeal outpaces my obedience or when I treat Your holiness lightly. Make me a person who honors You with both heart and understanding, that Your presence may dwell with me in blessing, not judgment. Let my home, like Obed-edom’s, be a sanctuary of Your presence where obedience, joy, and awe abound. May my life proclaim the holiness of Your name to a world that has forgotten reverence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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