He stands to meet the dawn, adorned in his royal attire. Hands grown calloused on a shepherd's staff now wield the scepter of a king. David cannot sleep, for today he will travel once more to Obededom's house. The first trip here was filled with trepidation and bewilderment. The joyful procession had been interrupted by an angry act of God. Although David's motive was pure and his purpose obvious, the favor of the Lord had been repealed. The first visit to Obededom's house was without question a painful delay. In this second time, the ark will come to Zion.
David has spent the last three months reflecting upon the Mercy-seat of the Most High. He remembers years ago that Eli and his sons were priests in Shiloh. "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25). While God was speaking to a boy named Samuel, Hophni and Phinehas were stealing glory and committing adultery in the house of the Lord. They were sons of Aaron called "sons of Belial," who, without regard to godly order, carried the ark into the camp of Israel to attack the Philistines. "And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again." (1 Sam 4:5). While warriors manifested praise in God's presence, the priests paraded the ark towards their own demise. The earth that rang with the shout of men now soaked up their blood. Eli, the perfect type of an old, out of order system, fell and broke his neck, losing his headship and authority. As Ichabod was birthed in Shiloh, the ark of God was taken; the glory had departed.
The ark had been placed in the temple of Dagon, whose image fell prostrate like Eli, with a broken neck and hands. Great sickness and disease caused the Philistines to return the ark to the people of Israel, and David would triumphantly bring it home to Zion. The Philistines, an anti-God nation, would provide transportation for that holy restoration in the form of a new cart drawn by two nursing cows. The "new cart" method well served the Philistines, but David found it brought death to a priest of the Lord. "And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart. And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had." (1 Chr 13:7-14). It seemed hard to believe that in this place only three months ago, David, broken and confused, had simply surrendered the ark to the home of strangers. Obededom made room for the presence of the Lord in his house. God's blessings will always come as a result of allowing God access into your life. Yet, the house of Obededom was inadvertently blessed by "the breach of Uzza." A baby that is "breach" may be perfectly formed, but is out of alignment for proper birth. Divine blessing upon Obededom had come only because the priesthood was in disorder. The priesthood was out of proper position, being instructed by Moses to carry the ark upon their shoulders, not in a cart. Uzza died "before God" because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Obededom was greatly blessed because he was in the right place at the right time. His blessing was not the result of relational alignment, but rather the very lack of it in the people of God. Obededom lived near a bump in the road where oxen always stumble and good men die trying to help God.
We must never mistake the birth of revival with the breach of man-made systems. There have always been occasional blessings as pastors have made room in their local setting for the presence of God. Yet, the blessing of God does not necessarily mean that God is confirming everything we do. God does bless both the house of Obededom and the house of David. One He will bless for a time and a season, the other with a Son for eternity.
When God blesses for a season, it is characterized by a certain location, person or manifestation. We go to a particular place where a revival is occurring, or attend the meetings of certain ministry people, or experience the latest manifestation of the Spirit. We often make the mistake of Eli's sons, thinking that the presence of God alone will give us victory. We trade a shout for spiritual substance; disguising our lack of purpose in the abundance of spiritual performance.
David had learned the best that man can do can never substitute for proper alignment with the sovereign plan of God. Uzza was a good man doing what he thought was a good thing. He died because his effort to help was birthed in the method of man, not the guidance of God. David had sought to honor the Lord, but not in "due order." It would take three lonely months for David to determine that, "... None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.... And said unto them, Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it. For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order." Today would be the day ..." the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD." (1 Chr 15:2,12-15).
There are times that God will move in a special way in a particular place, time and location. Unique manifestations of spiritual activity may accompany the flow of the Spirit during these seasons of blessing. The lives of individuals are enriched and changed, but the system that facilitates the procession of Kingdom possibility often retards the purpose of God. God's blessing may truly be on a house, yet that must only prepare the way for renewal to our methods and ways. Revivals must not become a place of final rest. It may be that God places His blessing on a house only to serve as a catalyst for leadership in ministry to search out the "due order" of God.
Various winds of revival do not always bring renewal. The presence of God causes a shout, but the people of God may still be vanquished by the enemy. We can have powerful praise and anointed leadership, yet continue to be totally out of order with the plan of God. Good men die when we seek to contain the glory of God in what we are doing, instead of seeking out the order that God requires for a deeper and lasting expression of life in the Kingdom.
The reason our present visitation will not die, as most have done in the past, is that our method will be brought into order to match our message. Our visitation will be aligned with the proper spiritual vehicle. God's government and order will be as precious as His presence. We will not only receive new wine, but will also change wineskins. Our new piece of cloth will be sewn on a new garment. "... No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved." (Luke 5:36-38)
Isaiah foresaw our glorious day of restoration: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isa 2:2,3)
David will again go to the house of Obededom to complete what God is doing in the life of Israel. He will not confuse the blessing of God with the purpose of God. David will not allow his own failure in alignment with the "due order" to cease the procession of the Lord toward His people. He will not substitute the seasonal blessing on the house of a man for the continued blessing of the house of the Lord. He has endured the temporary delay in order to gain an everlasting tabernacle, expressing his determination in these words: "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4).
The dawn arrives in majestic fullness, as David rouses his men to begin their trek to the house of Obededom. Their arrival is not to abide in a time of blessing, but to fulfill the destiny of the Kingdom. The blessing of the house of Obededom need not wane as revivals have done in the past. David has discovered the order that will transform the blessing of an hour into the coming of the Day of the Lord.
We thank you so much four your continued love and support.
Dr. Mark Hanby