"Doing the Right Thing Wrong”

2 Samuel 6:1-13

         David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men. He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah to bring God's ark to Jerusalem. (The ark is called by the name of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels. ) David and his men put God's ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the new cart. They brought it from Abinadab's home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark. David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the LORD's presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

But when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it. The LORD became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God.

David was angry because the LORD had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah The Striking of Uzzah today.) David was afraid of the LORD that day. "How can the ark of the LORD come to my city?" he asked. So David wouldn't bring the ark of the LORD with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. The ark of the LORD stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.

King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed Edom's home and everything he owns because of the ark of God." Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom's house and bring it to the City of David. When those who carried the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

Sermon:   “ Doing the Right Thing Wrong”

There is a song titled “Right Place Wrong Time”. Some of the lyrics are,

“I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time

I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line

I'd have took the right road but I must have took a wrong turn

Would've made the right move but I made it at the wrong time

I been on the right road but I must have used the wrong car”  

Now this is not an endorsement of the song. As a matter of fact some of the other lyrics describe a life definitely that has taken a wrong turn. However it demonstrates the human ability to be right and wrong at the same time. Why do some people do good things for the wrong reason?

Here is an example of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. The Huffington Post** reported, “Some of the reasons why people give to charity may be considered selfish.

[Let that soak in a minute]

People give to increase their social standing, gain publicity, attend a fun party, receive a tax advantage, feel smug to their friends—or just because it makes them feel good about themselves.”up

I've seen these people in churches. They make a big show of their giving. They often talk about how much they've given. And they certainly want the tax credit.

Trust me, I have nothing against large donations. I believe that God is a great multiplier. Two loaves and fishes fishes can feed thousands and still have excess.

Donations given for the right reason and to further the work of the Lord and wonderful things. And, yes, those donations given for the wrong reason, still spend just the same.

But God's  blessing is different. Those who give for God's glory reserve a greater blessing. Because those who give seeking man's praise have already received their poor reward, the praise of man

Jesus saw this in his time also. In the gospel of Mark chapter 12 and verses 38-44 it is recorded, “As he taught, he said, "Watch out for the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,  and to have the front seats in synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment."   

As Jesus sat facing the temple offering box, he watched how much money people put into it. Many rich people put in large amounts.  A poor widow dropped in two small coins, worth less than a cent. He called his disciples and said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others.  All of them have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on."  

There is something very special about sacrificial giving, seeking nothing in return, that the Lord favors. But that is also a sermon for another day.

To understand the importance of the ark to the people you need a little of its history.

Good tells Moses in Exodus 25:10-22
"Make an ark of acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.  Cover it with pure gold inside and out, and put a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it, and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on each side.  Make poles of acacia wood, and cover them with gold. Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it. The poles must stay in the rings of the ark. Never remove them.  Then you will put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you. "Make a throne of mercy to cover the ark out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two angels out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy,  one on each end. Form the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece of gold. The angels should have their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They should face each other, looking at the throne of mercy. After you put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you, place the throne of mercy on top.  I will be above the throne of mercy between the angels whenever I meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

There's the importance, God would be in the midst of his people and will speak to them from above it. It contained the ten commandments, the Law by which His people would be judged. But more importantly, it was the Mercy seat, the place from which God dispensed His Mercy, His loving forgiveness.

It foreshadowed the coming of Christ who would be God among us, fulfilling the law and freeing us from it.

David had the right idea. He was going to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. That is where it belonged in the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

But were David's motives pure? Was he doing it for the glory of God? Or was he doing it for the glory of his kingdom and it's king? Only God and he knew what was in his heart.

Here is the Reader’s Digest version of what had gone before: Twenty years earlier the ark had been captured when the Israelites had tried to use it as a good luck charm in an unsanctioned war against the Philistines.  The Philistines had it, however, it brought the Philistines nothing but trouble. For seven straight months they died, or developed tumors and were also overrun by mice. So they sent the ark away. That however is a sermon for another day.

During the reign of King Saul the ark had been hidden away for twenty years and God no longer spoke to the people directly, but only through the words of prophet.

David now came to get it back. To be clear, they didn't need to fight a battle to win it back. The Philistines were more than happy to be rid of it.

It was a good idea to take it back to Jerusalem and the Tabernacle. To once more place it behind the veil of the holy of holies. To once more offer right and pure sacrifices to God.

However, David went about it the wrong way. His plan was to have a nation wide party to celebrate the and return. He tried to plan it so that it would involve the entire nation in a celebration of praise and Thanksgiving.

There were all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. It was too be a glorious spectacle.

Here is the error that they were guilty of, they carried the ark on a cart. True it was a new cart that David had ordered constructed specifically for this purpose. It had never carried any other load.

And now it held the ark, a very special box the contained three amazing artifacts, the actual stone tables of the ten commandments that Moses received from God, a sealed jar with manna from the time of the Exodus, and Aaron’s staff that grew buds, flowers, and almonds. You can read more about that in numbers 17:1-12.

But this was much more than a fancy gold covered box. The top was the gold lid with two cherubim beaten out of the ends of it to cover and create the space into which God presence would appear.

The ark was the most holy item to the people of Israel. And it most definitely was not to be transported on an ox cart.

The ark was made with loops on the sides into which long poles were placed. And then special priests, the Koh-a-thites had the responsibility to bear the ark upon their shoulders,  

Though covered in gold, the ark was not such a heavy burden that they couldn't have, among them, carried it back to Jerusalem in the manner God had appointed. That is by the use of the poles on the shoulders of the special priests.

I wonder how so wise and good a man as David was, that understood so much of the law of God, came to be guilty of such an oversight and had the ark placed upon a cart.

The Lord had given Specific Instructions as to how the ark was to be moved and by whom it was to be moved. David didn't do that until after a disaster resulted in the death of one of his men.

And then David became afraid of the ark. He felt that it was too powerful to enter his city. Rather than continue to move it back to Israel, David left it in the home of Obed Edom.

It stayed there for three months and might have stayed longer if David hadn't received word that Obed Edom had been blessed because of the ark's presence.

This time, David went joyful and properly prepared to bring the ark back to where it belonged.  

This time the priest came, hoisted it to their shoulders and took six steps.

Just six steps!

At that point, David halted the process and offered a proper sacrifice to God before they continued their journey home. At last the right thing in the right way.

What can we take away from this story that is relevant to us?

Hear this parable. There once was a man who had a grand idea to reorganize his department at work. It was going to be streamlined and much more efficient. He ordered the changes to be made. A major piece of the change was to remove a wall and make a larger, open work space. Rather than hire a contractor and construction crew, his existing employees were to do the work themselves. It was reasoned that not only would it be cost effective but it also would give the workers a sense of ownership of the remodeled buildings. It was a grand idea.

Unfortunately, the wall they removed was a load bearing wall. In simple terms, it was the wall that held up the roof. No wall. No roof.

Look into your own life for examples of good ideas that turned out all wrong.

That incredible deal from that infomercial … only three easy payments of $39.99.

That time you thought you'd save money by doing the repairs yourself.

The incredible new diet plan.

The short cut down that dark highway.

Well you've got the picture, right?

Perhaps it was lack of planning. Or perhaps … just perhaps, it hadn't been prayed about. It hadn't been brought before the Lord, not sought His blessing, His input, His guidance.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; (the right thing, in the right time, and in the right way) and all these things shall be added unto you. Amen.