The Glory Returns: Part 2

The Glory Returns: Part 2 || Day 5

II Samuel‬ ‭6:1-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
"Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 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. 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. 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. And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing 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."

Beloved, the spirit of Saul doesn’t just say I will do it my way. But it is also the spirit that has caused the church to jump in bed with the mistress of convenience. Right now, there are many who truly desire an outpouring from God. There are many in the body of Christ who truly desire a revival. However, their desire for revival is not as strong as their desire for convenience.

Therefore, we want an outpouring from heaven but we demand that it happens in our 1 hour and 15 minute service. We preach about being empowered for revival and to change our generation, but we want that empowerment to happen quickly on a Sunday morning. That way we can do the rest of the things that we want to do on Sunday. That way we can click our ticket and do something else.

That’s what is happening here on David’s first attempt to bring the glory back to Jerusalem. The two grandsons of Saul convince him there is a more convenient way to get the glory. “No need to call the Levites and wait for them to sanctify themselves. No need to take the time to walk the ark back to Jerusalem. We have a new way of doing this. Put the ark on a cart and let the oxen pull it.”

So they start out pulling the ark back to Jerusalem. They have the best worship team you can get. They have all the best instruments that money can buy. They have everything you need to invite the glory. The Bible says that when they get to Nachon’s threshing floor the oxen stumbled. Uzzah puts out his hand to steady the ark and God strikes him. This is what happened in 2020 during COVID and everything else. The church was trying to invite the glory back through the family of Saul.

However, in order to see the glory return, we must sever our ties with the house of Saul.

It’s not a coincidence that the oxen stumbled at the threshing floor. It’s not by coincidence that Uzzah is struck dead at the threshing floor. Why? This is the place where the grain would be separated from the stalk. This is the place where wheat and tares are separated. It’s the place where what is not of God is sifted out. When Uzzah is struck dead many theologians say that his body actually exploded. This is what causes David to become afraid.

When God strikes Uzzah dead he is speaking to David. He’s telling him, “I have put up with this for 20 years now and they have not repented. They treat My presence and glory as common. They have placed it within the confines of religion and manmade structures. While there is a Gentile down the road who will honor me more than them. I will not allow My glory to return through the house of Saul. I will not allow My glory to return through the spirit of convenience.”