“But he did not give any [oxen or carts] to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.” (Numbers 7:9)
This is likely one of the verses that David had searched to find out how to properly carry the ark “according to the rule” (see 1 Chr. 15:13) after the death of Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6.
When Uzzah died after touching the ark, David had to rethink his plans to move the ark from Baalah to Jerusalem. All David wanted to do was reunite the ark with the tabernacle. Why was such a honorable plan thwarted by God? Could God not see David’s good intentions?
The answer is: good motives do not necessarily lead to faithful outcomes. We cannot simply be sincere – we must follow God’s will, not our own. Numbers 7 gave clear instructions of how to carry the ark. The Kohathites were to do it “upon the shoulder”. What we believe is acceptable isn’t of any consequence – what Scripture says is acceptable is all that matters. When the Lord speaks, all must listen.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
This Week’s Reading: Numbers 4-10; Psalm 15; Proverbs 15 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament. Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision