Obededom’s Risky Choice

  Posted on March 2, 2018  by RevAdmin  No comments

Obededom’s Risky Choice
By Olufunso Joseph Omidiran www.livingsword.org
In the journey of life nothing happens by accident. Destiny does have its twists and turns at certain times, but there is always an end. In essence, you may not be able to predict or decipher the outcome of every new happening, but we have a mighty God, the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning; He bestows all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). He turns darkness to light.
A man and His Difficult Calling
2 Samuel 6:9-10 9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? 10 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.
Obededom, the Gittite (probably a native of a Levitical city of Gath-Rimmon in Manasseh which was assigned to the Kohathites ─Joshua 21:25) was a Levite who was called upon to serve at a time of serious trouble in Israel. David had earlier wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to a special place in Jerusalem. The ark had hitherto been abandoned in the house of Abinadab for so many years, and now David wanted a change. Unfortunately, they put the ark on a new cart and the oxen bearing the cart stumbled and Uzzah made an attempt to save the ark from downfall and this led to his instant death.
No sooner than this tragedy occurred that David decided to not bring the ark to Jerusalem anymore. A sudden diversion occurred. The king commanded that this ‘dangerous’ ark be taken to Obededom’s house. This was a royal order, not subject to any objection or refusal. Obededom couldn’t resist or protest; he had no choice. It was as if he had accepted his own death sentence!
But one wonders why David chose Obededom for this ‘suicide mission.’ Perhaps the king had got some score to settle with him and here came an opportunity! David was definitely, a man who knew how to bear his grudge for a long while, only to draw out the sword later. Even in his latter days, on his deathbed David did not fail to instruct Solomon his son to eliminate certain individuals who had offended him in life (1 Kings 2:5-6, 8-9). It all seemed as if a royal death sentence had been decreed Obededom the Gittite was the victim. Maybe David had to just choose somebody he did not so much like to carry out a dangerous task. Whatever might have been the case, a man was sought by human decision but God’s hand was inevitably on it.
A Blessing in Disguise
The assignment given to Obededom by the king led to a glorious turning point in his life, for the Lord blessed him as a result. It did not take the king more than 3 months to realise that the ark in Obededom’s house was a source of blessing. Obededom was so much blessed that the entire nation knew it. Those who were waiting to hear of the news of his sudden death began to see that he was being greatly blessed. What a contrast!
2 Samuel 6:11-12 11 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. 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.
This is what our God can do: He is able to make a way in the wilderness and bring forth rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19). As soon as David heard that there was a turnaround in Obededom’s fortune, he brought the ark back to his city! It dawned on David that the ark wasn’t a death-box after all, but a mark of God’s covenant, presence and blessing. David became disabused of his earlier prejudice and fear.
A Man God Blessed
Let’s learn from Obededom’s character: how he succeeded against all odds. They are outlined as follows:
His faith in God ─he believed that God was with him and wouldn’t let him down.
His humility ─he humbly took the challenge thrown at him by the king.
His obedience ─he did not resist the king’s order but served and worked for the king, as unto the Lord. He did not question the king or God.
His spiritual discipline ─he knew that both he and his household must be sanctified, holy and undefiled in order to accommodate the Ark. He knew that if they would be pure and holy, they would be safe.
His steadfastness ─he challenged himself to be the best. Obededom knew his calling as a Levite, a carrier of God’s presence. He chose to not see the mountain before him as a problem but as a higher platform for excellence. He had no time for self-pity but got down to business.
His courage in the midst of prejudice ─he was already written off by the king and possibly ostracized by friends. No one expected him to survive the test, not to talk of being blessed! No one expected anything good to come out of Obededom.
His vindication by God ─God Himself defended and prospered him before the whole nation. All eyes were set on Obededom as the next likely victim of God’s wrath through the Ark. But he actually became a global phenomenon!
Conclusion
In this New Year the Lord will bring new challenges that require fresh grace and fresh ideas in wisdom across your path. They may at first appear to come to mar you, but they will make you. Should the ark be brought once again into your own house in particular, what will you do? Get prepared and stand your ground for God, for you shall not fail in Jesus’ name! Shalom.