2 Samuel 6:11-13
Verse 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.
Obed-Edom wasn’t expecting to host the Ark of the Covenant. It was likely the last thing he expected to happen to him and yet they came rolling up into his yard with one of the most sacred artifacts of Israel’s history. After it was left with him things began to change. No one could deny it, things all of a sudden were going very well for him and his whole household.
This sudden uptick in the blessings that Obed-Edom was receiving became obvious to all who knew him. It wouldn’t have taken long for the neighbors to notice that Obed-Edom was living a better life than he had been weeks before. And it wasn’t just him, his family and even his servants seemed to be gaining blessings left and right. Furthermore it says everything he had was blessed, which means even his livestock, and produce or even finances were being blessed during this time. Something was definitely going on and it happened when the Ark showed up.
After about 3 months word makes it to David the man hosting the Ark is being blessed in every way and the king can’t wait to make sure he brings the sacred item to Jerusalem. This isn’t so much about wanting all those blessings himself. This was not David thinking of all the ways God could start blessing him and his household. David could see God’s wrath had subsided and things were looking up for being able to move the Ark safely.
Of course David wasn’t making the same mistake again. He did his homework and knew the Ark could only be transported by priests carrying it with poles. With this knowledge David heads back to Obed-Edom’s house to retrieve the Ark of the Lord. David feels a lightness to his step, rejoicing he can now bring God’s people the item which represents God among His people.
This time around it wasn’t only about making sure it was being handled in the proper manner but also had one more special element, a sacrifice to the God of heaven. Just as the cart and oxen had been used to make a sacrifice when the Philistines had sent back the Ark in the first place, these 30 some years later, David also shows reverence for the Lord of the Ark by sacrificing a bull and a fattened calf. This showed the Lord they understood the Ark didn’t hold the power, but the God it represented did.
Making It Personal
Have you ever felt extra blessed by the Lord? Why do you think He would bless you? How do you celebrate what He does for you?
Making It Personal Kids
What are some special things you think Jesus has done for you? Why has Jesus done nice things for you? Do you thank Him for the things He does for you?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for blessing us because of Your own pleasure to do so. Help us remember to be humble recipients and to praise You for all You do for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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