1 Chronicles Chapter 15
1 David made himself houses in David's city; and he prepared a place for God's ark, and pitched a tent for it.
2 Then David said, "No one ought to carry God's ark but the Levites. For the LORD has chosen them to carry God's ark, and to minister to him forever."
3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem, to bring up the LORD's ark to its place, which he had prepared for it.
4 David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites:
5 of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brothers one hundred and twenty;
6 of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred and twenty;
7 of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brothers one hundred and thirty;
8 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brothers two hundred;
9 of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brothers eighty;
10 of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brothers one hundred and twelve.
11 David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab,
12 and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, up to the place that I have prepared for it.
13 For because you didn't carry it at first, the LORD our God broke out in anger against us, because we didn't seek him according to the ordinance."
14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel.
15 The children of the Levites bore God's ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to the LORD's word.
16 David spoke to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up their voices with joy.
17 So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;
18 and with them their brothers of the second rank, Zechariah, Ben, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.
19 So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were given cymbals of bronze to sound aloud;
20 and Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with stringed instruments set to Alamoth;
21 and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps tuned to the eight-stringed lyre, to lead.
22 Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the singing. He taught the singers, because he was skilful.
23 Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.
24 Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew the trumpets before God's ark; and Obed-Edom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands, went to bring the ark of the LORD's covenant up out of the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
26 When God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the LORD's covenant, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
27 David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who bore the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah the choir master with the singers; and David had an ephod of linen on him.
28 Thus all Israel brought the ark of the LORD's covenant up with shouting, with sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and with cymbals, sounding aloud with stringed instruments and harps.
29 As the ark of the LORD's covenant came to David's city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.
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1 Chronicles Chapter 15 Guide
From this account of bringing the Ark from the house of Obed-edom into the city, it is evident that David had learned the lesson which the death of Uzzah was intended to teach. He declared that the work of carrying the Ark must be the Levites' only. After careful preparation of the Tent for its reception, which would almost certainly be according to the ancient pattern given to Moses, the ceremony of bearing it into its resting place was carried out.
The king's love of music is evident in this story. Companies of instrumentalists and singers were appointed; leaders accompanied the Ark, and with high jubilation it was borne by the priests into the prepared Tent. One shadow fell across the brightness of the day. It was the mockery of Michal, Saul's daughter, for her husband, David. The incident illustrates the perpetual inability of the earthly minded to appreciate the gladness of the spiritual. The external manifestations of the joy of those who hold communion with God cannot convey to the unenlightened mind the real meaning of that spiritual delight. A meeting for prayer and praise is still held in contempt by those who have no personal knowledge of the peace and joy of the Secret Place of the Most High.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
1 Chronicles Chapter 15 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Preparations for the removal of the ark. -- (1-24)
- The removal of the ark. -- (25-29)
Verses 1-24
Wise and good men may be guilty of oversights, which they will correct, as soon as they are aware of them. David does not try to justify what had been done amiss, nor to lay the blame on others; but he owns himself guilty, with others, of not seeking God in due order
Verses 25-29
It is good to notice the assistance of Divine Providence, even in things which fall within the compass of our natural powers; if God did not help us, we could not stir a step. If we do our religious duties in any degree aright, we must own it was God that helped us; had we been left to ourselves, we should have been guilty of some fatal errors. And every thing in which we engage, must be done in dependence on the mercy of God through the sacrifice of the Redeemer.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.