2 Samuel 6:1-15  (New King James Version)

1 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.

 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. 

3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. 

4 And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 

5 Then David and all the house of Israel played music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 

7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 

8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perez Uzzah to this day.

9 David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 

10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 

11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 

13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 

14 Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing 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.

The Ark was to be carried by priests, the ministry, people of His presence. 

Anyone associated with the presence was blessed.

 Let’s talk a little about Obed-Edom. He had an unexpected, unlikely encounter with the Lord, and it radically changed his life forever. 

One encounter can change everything.

When it came time to move the Ark to Jerusalem, (this time correctly) Obed-Edom had a choice. 

He could have stayed where he was and lived off of his past relationship with God, or he could move with the Ark of God, staying in God’s presence and in relationship with God.

Obed-Edom had a desire for the Lord and moved with God. 

His desire for the Lord caused him to do whatever it took to be close to the Lord. 

He became a gatekeeper, a musician, and a doorkeeper for the Ark. 

Due to Obed-Edom’s desire and love for the Lord and his faithfulness, God begins again to bless him and promote him.

Obed-Edom becomes a worship leader and is mentioned along with Asaph the Chief Musician. 

Obed-Edom and his 68 associates minister regularly before the Lord in worship. 

Yet, he still continues to keep the gates.

Obed-Edom is not only blessed in ministry and relationship with the Lord, his family is also blessed. 

God gives him eight sons. 

His sons and grandsons also worshiped the Lord and were blessed by the Lord. 

They were all leaders, capable men, with strength to do the work. 

There were 62 men in all. Obed-Edom, along with his other duties, was put in charge of the Southgate and his sons were keepers of the storehouse.

Obed-Edom, through his faith, attitude, and actions created a legacy of faith and relationship with the Lord. 

The Lord was faithful back to Obed-Edom, establishing a legacy of generational blessings.

This whole story about Obed-Edom is a result of King David’s mistake. 

This was not the way this was supposed to happen. 

When God moves, it is not always in the way we expect it to be. 

Not only that, but the city would never be considered as a resting place for the Ark. 

Obed-Edom, being a Gittite, tells us that he lived in or near the city of Gath, which is where Goliath,the giant, was from. 

Now, at this time, the city had been conquered and was under David’s control, but it was not Jerusalem. 

No way would David intentionally set up the Ark in that area.

When God moves, it is not always where we expect it to be. 

God often uses unlikely places and unlikely people to accomplish his purposes.

I ask you if you want God’s Blessing on your life?

Will you dedicate to Jesus? 

Will you move from your current level to a new one? 

Will you reach beyond yourself?

I believe when David saw what God was doing, he knew the Ark had to be moved.

 It was God’s plan to make Israel the city set on a hill, a People of one God, One God manifested in three persons.

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit 

The Presence of God brought great blessing.

It will do the same in your life. 

I thank God for the desire you have had, but don’t become satisfied!

God wants to bless your sons and daughters, every grandchild, your great grands. 

Move in the presence of God.  

Obed-Edom 

He had an unexpected, unlikely encounter with the Lord and it radically changed his life forever. 

One encounter can change everything.

In 2020 I had an unexpected visitation with Jesus.

I almost died, but Jesus gave me life again.

It’s possible I could outlive all of you. 

I don’t take for granted His presence. It’s my everything.