TUESDAY 10TH JULY 2018 MORNING PRAYER DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE READING:- JOHN 16:1-15
TOPIC:- YOU ARE THE ARK OF GOD [2]
TEXT:– 1 SAMUEL 6:7
The Movement Of The Ark:
6. The lord of the Philistines directed the Ark to another place because of pestilence and destruction they experienced as a result of housing the Ark of God. The Ark was then dropped in a neighboring village to Israel called Beth-shemesh. And unfortunately, some seventy people gazed to see what was inside the Ark and they all died. See I Samuel 6:11-19.
7. The seventh destination was when the people of Beth-Shemesh witnessed the killing and death of some of their people, they concluded that the Ark must be let fo of out of their territory, they therefore moved the Ark to another neighboring village to Israel, which is called Kirjah-Jearim i.e. Baale Judah. And when the Ark got there, they were relieved a little bit. See I Samuel 6:20-21.
8. The eight place was when the people of Kirjah-Jearim concluded and summoned the house of Abinadab to take care of the Ark and it was placed in the custody of Eleazar who was one of the children of Abinadab for complete twenty years. See I Samuel 7:1-2.
9. The ninth destination of the Ark was after it had reside in the house of Abinadab for about twenty years and during the time of King David, he decided that the Ark should be transferred to the city of Jerusalem which was the capital of Israel during his reign. They carried the Ark wrongly in a way that it should not be carried, Exodus 25:12-15; Numbers 4:15; I Samuel 6:7. Surprisingly, another evil happened as the Ark killed one of Abinadab’s son (Uzzah) who touched the Ark when trying to protect it from falling. See 2 Samuel 6:1-7.
10. The tenth destination of the Ark after the horrible incidence of Uzzah’s death who had lived with the Ark in his father’s house for about twenty years was the house of Obed-Edom. After David had witnessed the death of Uzzah, he suddenly changed his mind on taking the Ark to Jerusalem of Zion where he had originally prepared, and he ordered it to the house of Obed-Edom being an unimportant person in Israel. The Ark only stayed for three months in the house of Obed-Edom. And amazingly, Obed-Edom and his entire household were blessed beyond measure, in which king David had to quickly change his mind again and decided that it is high time the Ark be brought back to Zion, See 2 Samuel 6:6-11.
11. The eleventh destination of the Ark was after King David had learnt his lesson from his own mistakes, and ordered the Ark to be moved right away to the tabernacle prepared for it in the city of David (Jerusalem), which is also called Zion. But this time, he sacrificed and danced to show his joy and appreciation to God. See 2 Samuel 6:12-20.
12. The twelfth was not really the transportation indeed but of the way it was done in eleventh above where David danced before the Lord and the Ark and the people even more than the extraordinary that made Micah, the daughter of king Saul make a terrible statement against the king. David’s response was so challenging that God had to step in and judged Micah immediately with the punishment of life barrenness. See 2 Samuel 6:16, 20-23.
13. And lastly, the Ark is now dwelling with us permanently, John 16:7. Jesus told His disciples that they should not leave Jerusalem until they are endured with the Holy Spirit and power from above, Luke 24:49. And the permanently rested upon us right back on the day of Pentecost. See Acts 2:1-4.
Let’s conclude that the Ark is like a fire, and our God also is a consuming fire, Hebrew 12:29. So, rise up, you have the fire, you are untouchable for the enemies and the devil their master.
Prayer Points:-
1. Oh Lord God, help me to be in the Spirit always, so that I might be led by Your Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ.
2. Oh Lord God, as You blessed Obed-Edom of old, bless me too and I being a blessing, in the name of Jesus Christ.
3. I pray for the power of the Ark of the Lord, and make me an Ark indeed, in the name of Jesus Christ.
