1 Chronicles 13:14: “The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that he had.”

September 1st, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

King David desired to bring the ark of the covenant, which represented the presence of God, into Jerusalem; but he failed to do it in God’s prescribed way: having Levites carry the ark on poles (Ex. 25:12–15) and not allowing anyone to touch the ark (Num. 4:5). Instead David had it brought back on a cart. On the way, one of the men helping, Uzza, touched the ark and died. So instead of taking it into Jerusalem, David left the ark at the house of Obed-Edom. As a priest, Obed-Edom met the requirements of the law for service as caretaker of the ark, and both he and his family were greatly blessed by God. We should not be surprised that the presence and power of God in this man’s home changed his family’s home life. When we invite God into our lives, He blesses us as He changes us.

The presence of God changed Obed-Edom’s home. We read in 1 Chronicles 26:8 that he had 62 descendants who followed in his footsteps. This man not only allowed the power of God to work in his life, but he was an example to his family of how the presence of God changes a person. We can expect God’s blessing on other family members in our own homes. As we allow God to flow through, He will bring change in them. If we want to influence others for Jesus Christ, we must first allow God to take control and empower our own lives.

As a boy, author Robert Louis Stevenson was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where the streets were still lit by gaslights in the 1860’s. Each evening at dusk a lamplighter would go from lamp to lamp and carefully light it. Stevenson watched out his window as this happened one evening and said to his mother, “Look, Mom, the man is coming down the street making holes in the night.” That is what God has called us to do, make holes in the darkness.

“LORD, fill us with Your power and presence so that we might take You into our world today.”

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1 Chronicles 13 KJV

¹ And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. ² And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: ³ And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.  ⁴ And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. ⁵ So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jearim. ⁶ And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjath-jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it. ⁷ And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.  ⁸ 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. ⁹ And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perez-uzza to this day. ¹² And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me? ¹³ So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. ¹⁴ And the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had.