CARRIED TOWARD JERUSALEM.

Rebuke the company of spearmen,

133

The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the

people,

Till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: Scatter Thou the people that delight in war. Princes shall come out of Egypt;

Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth;

O sing praises unto the Lord;

To Him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old;

Lo, He doth send out His voice, and that a mighty voice.

Ascribe ye strength unto God:

His excellency is over Israel,

And His strength is in the clouds.

O God, Thou art terrible out of Thy holy places:

The God of Israel is He that giveth strength and

power unto His people.

Blessed be God."

David had previously submitted this subject to his principal captains and chief officers, and it became known to the population at large, and was approved by all; "for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people." (1 Chron. xiii. 4.) So the king collected thirty thousand of his bravest warriors, besides priests and Levites. This procession was grand beyond description. The object of the movement is stated to have been, "to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims." It was the dwelling-place of Deity they were about to remove, and they seem to have been prepared to do this with rever

N

ence and solemn joy. The ark was brought out of the house of Abinadab, and placed on a new cart; Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were charged with driving the cart. The procession then moved, headed by the king, the priests, Levites, and others, who chanted the Psalm prepared for the occasion: "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered. Let them also that hate Him flee before Him." "Then the king and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals: and they played before God with all their might, and with singing." Thus they proceeded until they arrived at Nachon's threshing-floor, when the oxen drawing the cart stumbled, and Uzzah put forth his hand and took hold of the ark, for the oxen shook it. The Lord was angry with Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error; and there he died, by the ark of God. This sad event broke up the whole plan of taking the ark to Jerusalem on that occasion. On inquiry, it was found that a Levite named Obed-edom resided near the scene of the catastrophe; so the ark was taken there, and lodged in his house.

It is not quite clear in what the error of Uzzah consisted. It is certain that the ark ought not to have been placed on a cart at all, but should have been borne on its staves by the Levites, the sons of Kohath. There had been propounded in connexion with this law a solemn caution, which Uzzah ought to have known and obeyed. "The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." (Num. iv. 15.) Nor is it unlikely that as at this time the Lord was about to place the ark more fully in the vision of the people than had been before the case,

THE DEATH OF UZZAH.

135

it was necessary, by an act of severity, to protect it in future from irreverent approaches.

The ark remained in the house of Obed-edom three months, during which time God abundantly blessed the house; and this fact coming to the knowledge of David, revived his former purpose. With greater numbers and more munificence than before, he determined to make another attempt to place the ark in the tabernacle which he had prepared for it in the city of David. For this solemn occasion several sacred Psalms were composed. The first appears to have been chanted before the procession moved. It supplicated the Divine mercy, set forth the pious purpose of the king, and expressed strong confidence in God.

PSALM CXXXII.

"Lord, remember David,

And all his afflictions:

How he sware unto the Lord,

And vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house,

Nor go up into my bed;

I will not give sleep to mine eyes,

Or slumber to mine eyelids,

Until I find out a place for the Lord,

A habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

Lo! we heard of it at Ephratah;

We found it in the fields of the wood.

We will go into His tabernacles :

We will worship at His footstool.

Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest;

Thou, and the ark of Thy strength.

Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness;

And let Thy saints shout for joy.

For Thy servant David's sake

Turn not away the face of Thine anointed.

The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David;

He will not turn from it;

Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

If thy children will keep My covenant

And My testimony that I shall teach them,

Their children shall also sit upon thy throne for ever

more.

For the Lord hath chosen Zion;

He hath desired it for His habitation.
This is My rest for ever:

Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
I will abundantly bless her provision:
I will satisfy her poor with bread.

I will also clothe her priests with salvation :
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
There will I make the horn of David to bud:
I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame :

But

upon himself shall his crown flourish."

The multitude having been arranged into a procession, and brought under feelings of deep reverence by the chanting of this Psalm, the ark was taken пр from the house of Obed-Edom precisely in the manner prescribed in the law. (Num. iv. 2-15; Deut. x. 8; xxxi. 9.) Having moved six paces, a halt was made, and seven bullocks and seven rams were offered in sacrifice to the Lord. The procession then again set forward, chanting other Psalms, and among them—

PSALM XCVI.

"O sing unto the Lord a new song: Sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

THE ARK TAKEN TO MOUNT ZION.

Sing unto the Lord, bless His name:

Show forth His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the heathen,
His wonders among all people.

For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised:

He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols:

But the Lord made the heavens.

Honour and majesty are before Him:

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name :
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness:
Fear before Him, all the earth.

137

Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth :
The world also shall be established that it shall not

be moved:

He shall judge the people righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ;
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein :

Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the
Lord:

For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth :
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the people with His truth."

Thus this grand and solemn procession, including the king and his princes, the flower of his army and his most distinguished officers, the high priests, with the other priests and the Levites, arranged in the order of their families and courses, with the ark of the covenant