Twenty years ago, the Lord gave me this message while I was preparing for the upcoming service on a Sunday afternoon while preaching for Bro Steve Cannon when he pastored in Batesville, Ms. I often am reminded of this message.
One of the first things David did when he became King of all of Isreal was to fetch the Ark of God from the House of Abinadab. On the first attempt, seeing they were ignorant or unconcerned of what God required for transporting the Ark, Uzzah, the son of Abinadab, died on the journey.
And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.
And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 2 Samuel 6:9-15
The Spirit of Obededom
Turning someone’s misfortune into an opportunity.
Imagine with me the conflict of feelings that Obededom felt. On the way to Jerusalem, a tragedy brought the very glory of God into his home and life.
For three months. The Glory of the Lord was available to him every morning, noon, evening, and night. The Bible reads specifically that the results were so outstanding that everyone in Israel knew that the
“And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.” 1 Chronicles 13:14
The reports of his blessing was headline news.
From the neighborhood to the market and finally to the King.
”The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God.”
Read the full context.
2 Samuel 6
12 And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.
If I was putting in the verse numbers here, I would have divided those two sentences into separate verses. The blessings of Obededom motivated David to try again.
13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. 14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with 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.
After nine months of the Ark being in the house of Obededom, David was motivated again to bring the Ark of God, the Ark of the Covenant, to Jerusalem.
It seems Obededom made a decision. If the Ark of God is moving, I am moving. I want to be where the presence of God is. He was addicted to the ministry of the presence of God.
Obededom is found in the procession of the Ark of the Covenant on its travel to Jerusalem.
Then we see him here. I would love to see what this looked like. Reminds me of the scripture when it speaks of the restoration of the tabernacle of David.
1 Chronicles 16:4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals; 6 Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
Obededom is listed here as one who ministered before the Ark of the Covenant.
Obededom is also listed as a doorkeeper to the Ark of God.
Obededom realized that the best place in the world was near the Glory of God. He began to pursue the Glory of God.
It seems King David and the priesthood recognized, “Obededom knows what to do with the Glory of God. He appears to be the busiest man in the Kingdom when it came to the Ark of the Covenant.
How awesome is that?
I believe that it is possible to feel the presence of the Lord and not
experience the Glory of the Lord. Because Glory will change you. His Glory penetrates the surface and shallowness of who we think we are, and we see ourselves in the reflection of His presence and glory. Look in the Bible: when men come in contact with the Glory, they confess their unworthy state. Nothing will humble you like a fresh encounter with the Glory of God.
Look @ Isaiah 6 to see this in explicit detail.
I have heard it said many are seeking the hand of God but not his face. Another way of saying it is, that many are seeking his power, but not his glory. In his glory, his holiness reveals the lack of it in our own lives. It will cause us to repent and yet at the same time hunger for more of Him.
I have heard songs about the spirit of David, the spirit of Gideon’s three hundred men, but we need a spirit of Obededom to get a hold on us.
What would happen to us if we became obsessed with pushing ourselves into a more profound experience with Jesus? What would happen if we got a revelation of his holiness, a revelation of His glory, even a revelation of his power?
”the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them..to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
I believe that if we will get hungry, we will be filled,
If we get thirsty, we will taste of the river of God. I believe if we will seek, we will find,
If we will knock, the door will open and if we will ask, we shall receive.
The progression of revelation, with each step becomes easier, however, we must not stop when we have found,
we must not stop when we have the door opened,
but we must grasp what we find, walk through the door that is opened
and boldly ask when we are communing with our savior.
Not for clothing, cars, or cash.
If this is what we ask for, we reveal our carnality. When we find it, we will cry out and offer ourselves in the service of his kingdom.
TO get a hold on what got a hold on us.
The scripture states that we can experience in our senses the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come.
It is available.
Moses saw the Glory of God, Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted, the prophets, with all of their great experience, did not even come close to what is available to us in the Kingdom of God in this New Testament day.
Jesus said That John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets, but the least in the Kingdom is greater than even him. (Paraphrased)
We can see the glory in a greater measure than even Moses if we are willing to walk up that shaking and burning mountain. We can traverse where angels fear to trod if we will pursue it.
So often we are satisfied being in his presence when we could experience His glory.
May God give us a glimpse of his glory and that we would follow the example of Obededom and do whatever we must do to stay as close as we can.
One curious thing I don’t know how to explain. Hundreds of years later, when Babylon came and took the precious things of the Temple away to Babylon there is this curious listing of Obededom.
“And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.” 2 Chronicles 25:24
What does this mean? Was Obededom still alive? I tend to think that it was more like Obededom was honored to be buried in the same place where the precious things of the Temple were stored.
We can’t know, but just think of that. He was so identified with the Glory of God, that it was decided, he lived his life for the Glory of God, we will let him rest in death where he loved to work while he lived.
Selah
Hungry and Thirsting for the Holiness, Power, and Glory,
That the Lord would baptize us with the Spirit of Obededom!
In Him, By Him, Through Him,
Scott A. Phillips
October 2003