Obed Edom in the Hand of Lord

1 Samuel 4:1-11

Background. In c.1024BC, the Philistines launched a major attack on the Israelites from their most northerly outpost at Aphek. The ensuing Battle of Ebenezer was a disaster for the Israelites, with the Philistines capturing the Ark of the Covenant and taking it as booty to their stronghold at Ashdod.

1 Samuel 4:1-11, And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. 3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring

from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook. 6 Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The Ark of God was captured by Philistine. Eli died hearing this.

1 Samuel 4:17-22, So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. 19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she regard it. 21 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” Glory of the Lord departed. Philistines took the Ark of God kept it in the temple of Dagon. Dagon is half fish and half man god worshipped by Philistine.

The Dagon encounters Ark of God in his own temple. 1 Samule 5 Dagon falls first day then head and hands were broken next day. They decided to send the Ark of God to Gath. Gath people suffered so they send it to Ekron. Ekron see the problems there so they decided to send it back to Israel.

1 Samuel 5:6-11, But the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumours, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” 8 Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumours broke out on them. 10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. Ark of God returns to Kerith Jarem.

1 Samuel 6:1-3, Now the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the

priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.” 3 So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

1 Samuel 6:20-21, And the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up with you.”

1 Samuel 7:1, Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

The Foolishness Of Beth Shemesh. When the oxen-pulled cart first arrived in Israel, it encountered the town of Beth Shemesh. The people, understandably, were overjoyed to see the Ark returned to them at last!

Now, bear in mind, these were Jewish people. They have been under law for centuries, having been taught the Torah practically from birth. They made a foolish thing. they were probably curious and wanted to get a glimpse of the tablets of stone, which were made of sapphire. God broke out against them.

God struck 70 men in total. 50 of them were leaders or chiefs. The Ark of God had been in Abinadab’s house for some 20 years. David as a young boy, probably about 17 years old, had heard that the Ark of the Lord was in Kirjath Jearim at the house of Abinadab.

The name of the town means “City of woods/forests,” in Hebrew. The Ark was “lost” in the woods. Wood in the Bible is a typology of humanity. Saul was king during the entire time that the Ark was in Kirjath Jearim, yet not once during his 20-year reign did he have any thought of bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem, where it belonged.

Even though Jerusalem was the centre of worship for the Jewish people, it never occurred to him to restore it to it’s rightful place. Saul’s attitude certainly wasn’t David’s. From the moment He heard about where it was, he purposed in his heart to bring the Ark of the LORD back to Jerusalem.

Psalm 132:3-6, “Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; We found it in the fields of the woods. Kerith Jeram means woods.

It wasn’t until many years later, when David was King of Israel, however, that he was able to accomplish his life-long dream. This is why God called him “A man after His own heart.”

2 Samuel 6:1-15, Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called]by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the

house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals. 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.

9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. 12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted

sheep. 14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

Accompanied by all Israel, with much pomp and circumstance, David arrived at the house of Abinadab to collect the Ark. He put it on his own new ox cart and started off with his impressive entourage. There was praise, worship, and music played skilfully on many instruments along with him.

They were going along OK, until they reached the threshing floor of Nachon. This is where the oxen stumbled and Uzzah made his fatal mistake, reaching out his hand to steady the Ark. as you know, He was struck dead. The opening scripture is one of the most puzzling passages in the entire Bible for more than just a few.

Why did the oxen stumble? Why did God strike down Uzzah, who was only trying to help? David and his men dance before the Ark. David’s Big Mistake.

King David wholeheartedly desired to bring the Ark of God back to where it belonged, a desire that pleased God very much. But he made a big mistake placing the Ark on an ox cart, new or otherwise. He should have known better but, for some reason, he didn’t.

It is supposed to be carried on the shoulders of the priests. Weight Of The Ark. Why would the priests need God’s help to carry the Ark? Because it’s heavy. The Mercy Seat alone was made of one solid slab of pure gold weighing one talent.

45 Kgs is the weight of the Mercy seat. Experts estimate that the total weight of the Ark was about 255 kgs. When you consider the very steep and rocky terrain the oxen had to negotiate, you can see why they had a huge problem.

Contents Of The Ark.

The lower part was made of incorruptible Shittim wood, overlaid inside and out with the purest gold. It contained three

items inside

• The tablets of stone on which were engraved the Ten Commandment. They were carved on stones of pure sapphire, as clear as the heavens above.
• Aaron’s rod that budded,
• A golden pot of manna pictured above.

Not God’s Way. So “Carried on an ox cart” was not God’s way. Now if David had checked with God’s word, he would have known the proper way to carry the Ark. But maybe he missed Bible study that week when he marched off to Kirjath Jearim.

Where did he get the idea to put it on an ox cart in the first place? From the Philistines. But why in the world did he follow their example? What do they know of the proper way to carry the Ark? Absolutely nothing! They were ignorant Gentiles, which is why God allowed them to get away with doing it in the first place.

God will allow us to go along doing things our way. But he expects us to learn and grow, not remain a babe. Obed Edom. David was both angry at God yet terrified at the same time. He was so afraid he decided he wasn’t going to proceed any further. Instead, he decided to leave the Ark at the home of one Obed-Edom.

Who Is Obed Edom? Obed Edom was a Gittite. What’s a “Gittite?” Someone from the city of Gath, in Philistia.

Remember who else hailed from Gath? Goliath, David’s giant. Incredibly, though the Ark was only in his home for 3 months. The Bible records that “The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his household.”

What?

A Gentile?

Blessed by God? Abinadab, a Jewish priest, had it in his house for 20 years, yet there is no mention of God blessing him at all!

In fact, it was his son, Uzzah, who was struck dead by God!

Now that doesn’t seem fair, does it?

How could they tell he was blessed? There had to be outward signs that were reported to King David.

What’s the difference between Abinadab and Obed Edom? Abinadab was both a Jew and a priest. Obed Edom was a Gentile. An ignorant nobody! Obed means “servant;” Edom from Edomite god. Servant of Edom. Well David, upon hearing all this, came back to the house of Obed Edom for the Ark, this time with a whole new attitude!

Maybe he went back to church or read his Bible. David returned with priests properly consecrated and educated on how to carry the Ark of God on their shoulders. Priests carrying the Ark God’s way.

1 Chronicles 15:1-2, David built houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, “No one may carry

the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” David learned from his mistake! Already he started out differently. The Levites are carrying the Ark on their shoulders.

1 Chronicles 15:11-12, And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites: for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it.

1 Chronicles 15:16-18, Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy. 17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of their brethren, the sons of Merari, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; 18 and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, [e]Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Elipheleh, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the gatekeepers;

Obed-Edom was a God-fearing man and showed proper reverence for the ark, unlike Uzzah who may have become overly familiar with it while it remained in his father’s house for twenty years. Despite knowing about Uzzah’s fate, Obed- Edom welcomed the ark and seemed to have no misgivings.

It could be that he viewed having the ark in his home as a high honour rather than a nuisance, and God rewarded his attitude. One of the ways God blessed Obed-Edom was in giving him many sons—eight to be exact.

1 Chronicles 26:4–6 lists them and their own sons, along with their father, as gatekeepers in God’s temple. Obed-Edom named each of his sons in honour of God’s blessing on his household. For example, he named one son Jehozabad (“The Lord Has Given”) and another Issachar (“Reward”). Obed-Edom had sixty-two strong male heirs, and it appears that all were faithful to the Lord. Although his was a minor role in Scripture, Obed-Edom is an example to us that God is fully aware of those whose hearts are wholly His (2 Chronicles 16:9), and He delights to bless those who honour Him (1 Samuel 2:30).