Read:
Since the days of Joshua, Israel had never been at rest. There was always another enemy to fight. Joshua led them to conquer the Promised Land, and everything was well while he lived, but when he died, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25, NLT). Even when Saul was anointed as king over Israel, they fought the Philistines.
David and the people of Israel lived through it. People suffered. The land suffered. God’s Ark of the Covenant, where God’s own presence dwelled among his people, was stolen and taken captive. David has now led the people to victory, and he brings the Ark of the Covenant home to Jerusalem, where the Temple will eventually stand..
It’s a time of rejoicing. They have a parade. There is singing, dancing, and feasting.
David had palaces, wives and children, servants, money, and position. No doubt he was glad and thankful to have those things. But here we see how much he valued the presence of God. For Israel, that meant God’s Ark of the Covenant sitting behind a curtain in the most sacred, limited-access area of the Temple—called the “Holy of Holies.”
If you’ve trusted Jesus to save you, God’s presence lives in you. The Holy Spirit lives inside each person who believes. We don’t have to visit a temple to meet with God. We can simply talk to him, and we can rejoice that he is always with us.
Pray: God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for me. I believe you when you say you will never leave me or forsake me. Amen.