DAVID - Easton's Bible Dictionary

DAVID, CITY OF - Easton's Bible Dictionary

DAVID - The new Bible Dictionary

JERUSALEM - Easton's Bible Dictionary

JERUSALEM. - The new Bible Dictionary

10 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. (2 Samuel 6:10)

At that moment, David realized that, in spite of his good intentions and enthusiasm, he was acting outside of God's will. So immediately, he stopped and went into a 'holding pattern'.

Interestingly, David left the Ark in the care of Obed-Edom, quite likely a member of his trusted person guard, comprising mainly of Philistine mercenaries from Gath, those who had attached themselves to him during his earlier sojourn in their country. Obed-Edom however, was a Levite who apparently had also earlier lived in Gath, and likely joined David with the mercenaries. So he was the perfect person with whom to leave the Ark - a loyal Levite.

Very often, we are so busy doing our own thing for God that we don't hear Him when He speaks to us, when he tells us we are not in accordance with His desires. And we wonder why we miss out on the blessing!

But the real situation is far more serious than simply missing out on a blessing! For Jesus said that if we do not hear what God is saying to us, we do not truly belong to Him!

We are charged to walk in the Lord's ways, as was Joshua upon assuming leadership of Israel.

We are promised that our enemies will be subdued when we listen to the Lord and do not follow our own ways, no matter how good they may seem to our human logic. David finally understood this, but only after the death of Uzzah. If David had listened first, his friend Uzzah need not have died. Having learned this lesson here, David applied it in his future conquests, seeking the Lord before making decisions. But when he again didn't do so, he got into further trouble e.g. with Bathsheba. But none of us are yet perfect, are we?

The words of Jesus to the Jews during the time of His ministry still apply to the church today. We don't listen! But if we will, we will be healed.

Yes, King David responded to His desire to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem in an enthusiastic, but human way. So much of our 'church' activity develops out of a similar heart. Born out of good intentions, not God instruction. One too many "O's"! After his initial anger with God, David realized what he had done, that he had moved in his own, considerable strength. He learned the lesson. He took a break to seek the Lord's will.

In Jesus time, sheep would respond to the call of the shepherd they knew. They would only respond to their own shepherd, obeying his instructions and follow his leading. When called, the sheep would stop what they were doing, normally foraging for food or resting, and follow their master. For they trusted the shepherd to guide them, knowing that his way would lead them to better pastures. So it is for us. The Great Commission will not be fulfilled unless and until we do it His way.

In our human way of thinking we relate blessings to material prosperity. 

In the Old Testament too, blessing was reflected in worldly goods, the archetype being seen in the wealth of Solomon.

Jesus however, came to bring a new and different way.

Ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit the human race have been fixated with themselves. For, at that time, we moved from 'God interest' to 'self interest'.

The reversal of this process is the Christian walk to maturity, which we but commence at the starting line of salvation. May we run our race well in His sight.

God’s Power over the Sea

The people of Jesus’ day believed that God alone could rescue them from the evil of the sea.

From the beginning, God had power over the formless, watery chaos. He brought order to the chaos, gathering the seas together to form dry land. He saw what he had made and said it was good (Gen. 1:2, 6—10; Ps. 24:1—2).

God used water to punish sinful people. Sinful people were removed from the earth during the great flood. He also used it to kill Pharaoh’s soldiers as they pursued the Israelites (Gen. 7; Ex. 14:23—28).

God also used water to save his people. God helped the Israelites as they fled Egypt by turning part of the Red Sea into a pathway so they could cross to the other side, and by drowning Pharaoh’s soldiers.

In despair, David writes in Psalm 69, “Save me O God, for the waters have come up to my neck…” (Ps. 69:1—3). This is just one example of how many early writers of the Scriptures used water to describe difficulties and despair, or the way in which God brought miraculous deliverance when people called on him for help.

Source: http://www.followtherabbi.com