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ralph:
I feel like we aren’t coming together enough to study the word of God.  That being said, perhaps we can start doing so on a regular basis here in the forums.  I was reading 1 Chronicles 13 and  came up with some questions to encourage further study.

What is the spiritual significance of the ark?
The oxen stumbled at “Chidon’s threshing floor”.  Does that have any significance?
Why did God strike down Uzza for putting his hand to the ark?
Why did God bless the house of Obed-Edom when keeping the ark in there house?

1 Chronicles 13

13 Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of the Lord our God, let us send out to our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and their common-lands, that they may gather together to us; 3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.” 4 Then all the assembly 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 in Egypt to as far as the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim. 6 And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, to Kirjath Jearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who dwells between the cherubim, where His name is proclaimed. 7 So they carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8 Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 And when they came to Chidon’s threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. 10 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 11 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzza; therefore that place is called Perez Uzza to this day. 12 David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”
13 So David would not move the ark with him into the City of David, but took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 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.

indianabob:
Hello Ralph,

I will attempt to address your question as follows.
The ark symbolizes God's covenant with Israel.
God struck down Uzza because he did not trust God to protect the ark and intervened out of a lack of faith.
Once again God blessed the house where the ark was kept to demonstrate His power and love to the whole people.
1 Ch 13:4 illustrates why God was angry. "the people did what seemed right in their own eyes rather than obey God.
This is the same error committed by Adam and Eve.
Rather than obey God they did what seemed right in their own eyes.

I'm sure that there are better explanations. Bob

AwesomeSavior:
Ralph:

The spiritual significance of the ark is within us, and represents (in a nutshell) the whole Bible being fulfilled, first in the Elect and eventually with everyone else.

In conjunction with that, why was the blood of sacrificial bulls and goats to be sprinkled only on the mercy seat "eastward"?  (Leviticus 16:14)

There was a very specific reason. The answer is in the first sentence.

Dean

HoneyLamb56:
Thanks Bob for the answer to Ralph's query re the Ark and Uzza; you have given me more clarity on how to understand what signifigance these little ancedonts play in scripture; I had read that passage not too long ago and wondered the same thing.  Shouldn't just regard these incidental things as just fillers to a story, they're there for a reason....my light bulb just turned on afer all these years :o

Diane

ralph:
Thank you for your responses!   We have a body of believers, each with their own gifts and measure of knowledge and wisdom and it's so important that we continue to come together and feed each other.  I am so grateful for this forum. God Bless.

Proverbs 27:17
17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

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