Do It the Right Way - 2 Chronicles 1-5

2 Chronicles 5:2-5 (ESV Strong's)

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast that is in the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up.

Do It the Right Way

In the above passage, Solomon has completed building the Temple for the Lord.  He is now furnishing it with all the items that the priest will need to make the daily sacrifices.  The main item, of course, is the Ark of the Covenant.   It is not a light thing to notice in the above passage that the “Levitical” priest are the ones who bring the Ark into the Temple.   What is this significant?  Solomon has remembered a lesson his father David learned years ago.  Note what happen to David and his men when he carelessly allowed men to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem on a cart, instead of being carried by the priest on polls:

2 Samuel 6:5-7 (ESV Strong's)

And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

God is a God of detail and of perfection.  When God says to do something, we would be best to follow His exact instructions.   Remember Moses? 

Numbers 20:11-12 (ESV Strong's)

And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”

Moses was told by God to “speak” to the rock.  But, previously he struck the rock.   His disobedience cost him entry into the promise land.   

God expects us to follow His Word in spirit and in letter.   He expects us to do what He says.   Disobedience can take on many forms.  Solomon followed God’s will and ways and there was a great celebration as a result.