Story 92: Je-ru'sa-lem Made The Center Of Worship IV

   The final triumphant removal of the Ark to Je-ru'sa-lem was not, however, without an unhappy incident. Da'vid's wife Mi'chal, who should have led the women in their part in the celebration, looked out from a window of the palace with unfriendly eyes. To her, the joy of Da'vid was like the excitement of a madman, and his demonstrations of deep feeling were foolish and degrading. She reproved him sharply for taking off his royal robes and wearing the white garments of those who were celebrating, and his dancing in the streets of the capital. Da'vid answered these reproaches by the statement that he was dancing to the LORD, and that he would continue to return thanks for the distinction and blessings given through GOD'S favor.
   The inaugural service held in the tent prepared for the Ark was one of the grandest of its kind in the history of Is'ra-el. Burnt offerings were made for the sins of the people, peace offerings were given in thanks for GOD'S favors, and the Le-vit'i-cal service of song was introduced. Da'vid pronounced a special benediction upon the people, and generous amounts of bread, meat, and wine were given to them. A song of thanksgiving composed by Da'vid especially for this occasion was sung by all the people.
   This Psalm represented a form of service to be rendered in the restoration of tabernacle worship, celebrated the redemption which had been unfolded in the history of Is'ra-el, called for wholehearted praises to the LORD, and presented the love of GOD as the foundation for all true worship. This code of worship was embodied, with slight variations, in several of the Psalms which were later composed for use in the worship of GOD. The LORD'S majesty and power over all the nations of the earth was gloriously set forth, and the ultimate conquest of the world by the SAV'IOR was beautifully foretold.
               "The truth that Da'vid learned to sing,
                  Its deep fulfillment here attains,
               'Tell all the earth the LORD is king!
                  Lo, from the cross a King HE reigns!"
              

Story 92: Je-ru'sa-lem Made The Center Of Worship III

   A procession made up of a military force of thirty thousand men and representatives of all the tribes, led by Da'vid himself, marched off to attend the removal of the Ark to Je-ru'sa-lem. Da'vid had a new cart made to carry the Ark; this was against the LORD'S command, but was probably done in a thoughtless, impulsive moment. The entire procedure was moved by love to the LORD, a sincere desire to restore the appointed worship of GOD, and reverence for the symbol of GOD'S presence among HIS people, but we shall find that the performance of a worthy deed in a manner contrary to the expressed will of GOD resulted in a great calamity.
   Upon reaching the home of A-bin'a-dab, Da'vid had the Ark placed on the new cart, and the procession started on the journey back to Je-ru'sa-lem with the priests in charge of the Ark leading the way. As the procession moved along the highway there was great rejoicing, with music from various instruments, joyful singing, and religious dancing. The entire company was filled with unrestrained happiness. Suddenly the joy of the festival was turnt into great sorrow and superstitious fear.
   The LORD was not pleased with the substitution of cattle for the priestly hands which should have carried the Ark; there were no sacrificial offerings, and the worship which did take place was more selfish than spiritual. The breaking of one law led to another violation which was more serious; as the cart passed over the rough road the Ark was so tossed about that it seemed likely to fall, and one of the company tried to steady it. This man, whose name was Uz'zah, suddenly dropped dead, and panic spread through the entire procession.
   Da'vid was greatly alarmed by the death of Uz'zah, and dreaded the further displeasure of GOD if the march was continued. He may have remembered that the ARK was to be carried only by appointed Le'vites, that no unconsecrated hands were to touch it, and that all acts in service of the LORD must be performed according to HIS own directions.
   As a result of this tragic judgment upon the sin of Da'vid and his servant, the Ark was placed in the home of a priestly family by the name of O-bed-e'dom, where it was left for three months. Then Da'vid assembled another company, but this time he had the Ark carried by the priests who were specially appointed for this duty. The procession played upon musical instruments, sang hymns of joy, and danced as they had done at the beginning of the previous march. Da'vid himself laid aside his royal robes and took an active part in the celebration. The Ark was joyfully carried into the city of Je-ru'sa-lem and placed in a tent which Da'vid had made ready as a place of worship. Sacrifices were offered to the LORD at certain intervals on the march to Je-ru'sa-lem, and prolonged ceremonies were observed after the Ark had been placed in its new stronghold.

Story 92: Je-ru'sa-lem Made The Center Of Worship II

   In planning to make Je-ru'sa-lem the religious center of the nation, Da'vid did not stubbornly insist on having his own way. He called together representatives of all the tribes of Is'ra-el, consulted with them, and acted only after their enthusiastic agreement. Before establishing a central place of worship he asked "if it seemed good to them," and did not carry out this plan until assured that "it was of the LORD."
   The people did more than merely agree to Da'vid's suggestions; they joined wholeheartedly in the movement, determined to restore the religious life which had been neglected during the reign of Saul, and resolved to establish one great center of worship as formerly commanded by the LORD. Da'vid arranged the priests and Le'vites in regular order for the services of the LORD'S house, reorganized the worship of the nation, and gave an important place to music in Divine services.
   It was then decided that the Ark of the Cov'e-nant, which had been Divinely appointed as the symbol of GOD'S presence among HIS people, should be set up in the house of the LORD in the royal city. The sacred chest had been completely ignored by Saul, and was probably almost forgotten by thousands of the Is'ra-el-ites. It had rested in the house of A-bin'a-dab in the town of Kir-jath-Je'a-rim, on the border between Ju'dah and Ben'ja-min eight miles west of Je-ru'sa-lem, for about seventy years.
   As we learnt in previous chapters, the Ark had been captured by the Phi-lis'tines in the days of Sam'u-el, then returnt to the Is'ra-el-ites because of the terrible calamities which it brought to its heathen captors. Since the Tabernacle at Shi'loh had fallen into disuse, the Ark was placed for safe keeping in the home of A-bin'a-dab. There it had remaint during the twenty years which elapsed before Saul became king, for the forty years of his reign, and from the time of Saul's death until Da'vid made this change.

Story 92: Je-ru'sa-lem Made The Center Of Worship I

   In setting up the new kingdom of Is'ra-el under Da'vid, strong efforts were made by both king and people to model the government after the pattern which GOD had revealed to Mo'ses, and the position of the king as head of the religious life of the nation was fully recognized. The relationship of the king to the people was given a new development by the thought that his chief duties were those of a shepherd to his flock. Henceforth the king was not to make use of his office and his people for the accomplishment of selfish purposes, but his life was to be consecrated to the civil, moral, and spiritual welfare of his subjects.
   It was GOD'S will to make Is'ra-el a great nation without letting the people forget that HE was still their chief ruler. For this reason the head of the civil government was also to be the representative of GOD in the religious life of the people. The chief reason for Saul's miserable failure had been his rejection of GOD'S will and the ideal which should prevail in all true worship.
   Da'vid had been faithful to this ideal in his limited authority by setting up a center of worship at He'bron, and in maintaining the High Priest A-bi'a-thar as an officer in his government. When the twelve tribes were united in a central government with headquarters at Je-ru'sa-lem, he planned at once to make this city the center of He'brew worship. One of the first steps taken in carrying out this purpose was the removal of the Ark of the Cov'e-nant to Je-ru'sa-lem. This was a strong testimony of Da'vid's faith in GOD, and a call to Is'ra-el to restore the GOD of their fathers to HIS rightful place in their national life, thus providing a secure foundation upon which to build their future national unity.

Story 91: Da'vid Captures Je-ru'sa-lem And Makes It His Capital ll

   The coronation of Da'vid as king over all the tribes of Is'ra-el and the capture of the fort of Je'bus served as the occasion for new invasions by the Phi-lis'tines. During Ish-bo'sheth's seven years of rule over the eleven tribes the Phi-lis'tines had set up garrisons in various cities of the land, and, when it appeared that Da'vid would lead a united nation against them, they immediately took the offensive. Not knowing whether it would be the wiser course for him to allow the Phi-lis'tines to attack the newly won fortress at Je-ru'sa-lem, or to go out and meet them in battle in some other part of the land, Da'vid turnt to the LORD for guidance. He obeyed the LORD'S command to meet them in open battle, and won two great victories. The Phi-lis'tines were driven from the land all the way from Gib'e-ah in Ben'ja-min to Ge'zer, which was at the extreme north of the Phi-lis'tine country.
   It was probably during the first engagement with the Phi-lis'tines that three of Da'vid's valiant men crept through the enemy lines in order to bring their king water from the famous well of his home town. Grown weary with the strain of this new campaign, and filled with longing for the happy days when he was a shepherd lad among the hills of Beth'le-hem, Da'vid thought of the old well by the gate where he had often rested, listening to the stories of warriors and shepherds. In the stress and strain of the moment he sighed:
         "Oh that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth'le-hem!"
   Three of his men cautiously made their way through the territory filled with the strong and cunning Phi-lis'tines and brought Da'vid the water for which he had longed. Touched more by the courage of his men than by having the water he had requested, Da'vid performed a symbolic act of worship by pouring the water on the ground and dedicating it to the LORD.
   Looking upon the bottle of water for which he had so deeply yearned, Da'vid said, "Is not this the blood of men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Stimulated by the loyalty and courage of his men, and regretting any selfishness he might have shown during his moments of homesickness, Da'vid took new courage for the battles against his enemies. The Phi-lis'tines were so completely routed that they left on the battlefield the image of their gods which they carried as a superstitious means of protection.
   There followed a season of peace, with Da'vid growing in favor with the people as he established his rule in Je-ru'sa-lem. Other children were born in his family, and a royal palace was built for his home. Friendly relations were established with Hi'ram, King of Tyre, who sent valuable materials and skilled workmen to help in erecting government buildings in the capital.

Story 91: Da'vid Captures Je-ru'sa-lem And Makes It His Capital l

   The first task of Da'vid after becoming the ruler of all Is'ra-el was to decide which city should be his capital. For seven years the seat of his government had been He'bron, sacred to all the people of the nation for many reasons, but he did not wish it to appear that the eleven tribes were being annexed to the little government of Ju'dah. He felt that to keep his capital at He'bron would cause undue pride among the people of Ju'dah, and make the other tribes jealous. He also wished to avoid the mistake of Saul, who made his home town of Gib'e-ah capital in spite of the fact that it was a place of little national importance, and was scorned by the people as the scene of one of the worst outrages in his history of the nation.
   For personal reasons, Da'vid preferred his native city of Beth'le-hem for the capital, but its situation would not permit the building of proper defenses. His problem was to choose a capital which was not then held by any of the twelve tribes; otherwise, there would be jealousy among the tribes; and to find a city which might be taken by the combined efforts of all the tribes, thereby giving them a sense of unity as a nation.
   For all these reasons, therefore, Da'vid set his heart on taking Je-ru'sa-lem, a strongly fortified city, situated between the land of Ju'dah and Ben'ja-min, and thus belonging to neither. It was then held by the Jeb'u-sites, a strong Ca'naan-it-ish tribe which had occupied the mountainous section of Ju'dah when the Is'ra-el-ites first entered the land. Neither Josh'u-a, who conquered them after a great struggle, nor the children of Ju'dah, who seized the lower part of the city, nor the Ben'ja-mites, to whom the city had been assigned, were able to take the strong citadel of Je'bus on Mt. Zi'on.
   The Jeb'u-sites were so strongly fortified on the eastern hill of the city that they looked with scorn upon any who dared to attack them, and cried from the walls of their citadel that even the blind and the lame could defend it. It was shut in by deep valleys on three sides, and was not easily approached from the other. Through the centuries it had defied all attempts to scale its heights and break down its fortifications; to capture the fort of Je'bus was regarded as an impossible feat.
   Da'vid, however, had relied upon the strength of the LORD to do what had seemed impossible in days gone by, so he believed that he could take this powerful fortress. He led his armies in the attack, and was successful; not by strength of arms or skill in warfare, but by the unseen forces of the GOD of Is'ra-el. The city was given to Da'vid as a servant of the LORD GOD of Hosts, and as a blessing to all the world, for the stronghold of Je'bus was thereby made the fortress of Zi'on, and Je-ru'sa-lem became a city unequaled in importance by any other in the history of the world.
   Greater wisdom was never displayed in the selection of the capital of any nation. Je-ru'sa-lem was, indeed, a "mountain throne" for the kings of Is'ra-el, and a "mountain sanctuary" for the people of GOD. High above Jer'i-cho in the Jor'dan valley, the Phi-lis'tine strongholds on the plains of the Med'i-ter-ra'ne-an, the Phoe-ni'ci-an cities of Tyre and Si'don, and Da-mas'cus of Syr'i-a, it stood in defiance of all enemies for hundreds of years. Situated in a mountain fastness on the edge of one of the highest table-lands of Ca'naan, in the most prominent part of the mountain range which extended from the desert country on the south to the plains of Es-dra-e'lon on the north, the Holy City of Je-ru'sa-lem was the pride and glory of GOD'S chosen people throughout their history. Not until the Mes-si'ah set up His worldwide dominion did it lose its importance, and long after the Advent it held a position of Honor.

Story 90: Da'vid Is Crowned King Of All Is'ra-el

   After the shrewd generalship and crafty efforts of Ab'ner had failed to make Ish-bo'sheth  king over all Is'ra-el, but had brought death to both general and king, there was left only one member of the house of Saul to contest Da'vid's claims to the throne. The one heir was the lame Me-phib'o-sheth, who was only twelve years old. The leaders of the eleven revolting tribes therefore went to He'bron and asked that Da'vid be made king of the entire nation.
   Among the reasons given for this request were the following: the suspicions aroused by Da'vid's enforced alliance with the king of Gath had been fully removed by his active interest in the welfare of all Is'ra-el; his splendid record as a soldier fitted him to lead Is'ra-el against their enemies; and the LORD had clearly indicated His choice of Da'vid for the office of king.
   In the coronation ceremonies at He'bron the qualifications and duties of the king were placed on a much higher plane than before. For the first time he was placed over Is'ra-el as a pastor; the duty of love and humility and proper respect for the liberty, property, and life of the people was stressed, and the king was charged with the responsibility of watching over his people as a shepherd watches his flocks.
   The whole procedure was carried out in a deeply religious spirit. The religious unity of the nation, which had been established by Sam'u-el and then weakened by Saul, was fully restored. Da'vid "made a league with Is'ra-el before the LORD," and the representatives of all the tribes of Is'ra-el pledged their loyalty and obedience to him as "the anointed of the LORD." It was the beginning of a new era for Is'ra-el and for her Divinely chosen king.
   Da'vid was now thirty years old, and the hopes which he had humbly cherished in his heart for fifteen years were now at last fully accomplished. The sufferings and discipline and training of these long years had often tested his faith in GOD and man, but he had come out of the fires of trial and temptation fully prepared to be a great ruler.
   His confidence in GOD had been strengthened by the Divine grace which had been granted him in manifold trials, and he was well qualified for the great honor to which he had been consecrated by the prophet Sam'u-el fifteen years before.