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Speaker 1: Let us pray. As the ark of the Lord came

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Speaker 1: into the city of David. Michael, Saul's daughter looked through

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Speaker 1: a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before

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Speaker 1: the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. Second

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Speaker 1: Samuel six, sixteen, Dear God, as the story of David

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Speaker 1: in Second Samuel six and First Chronicles thirteen fifteen seventeen

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Speaker 1: falls on my ears, I will pick up where David

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Speaker 1: left off and praise you God, whenever I get the chance.

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Speaker 1: I refuse to treat your presence as common and ordinary. Instead,

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Speaker 1: I will honor each moment I get to stand in

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Speaker 1: your presence in my prayer time. I will make sure

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Speaker 1: that I am uninterrupted and that you get all of

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Speaker 1: my attention as I pursue you and your heart. Lord.

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Speaker 1: When I worship, I am serving all opposing forces. Notice

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Speaker 1: that the present of God is with me and before me.

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Speaker 1: Like David, I will be unashamed to worship and praise

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Speaker 1: you for who you are and all that you've done.

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Speaker 1: I will not be like Michael, who was worried more

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Speaker 1: about image than authenticity. I declare that I will not

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Speaker 1: focus on appearance more than substance. I will remain a

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Speaker 1: worshiper because the one I praise has done great things

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Speaker 1: and is worthy of it all. In Jesus' name. Amen,

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Speaker 1: thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for

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Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by Bible in

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Speaker 1: a Year dot com bringing the r Home.

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Speaker 2: In our last story, we met the Mighty Men of David.

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Speaker 2: Their character, skill, and devotion separated them from the rest

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Speaker 2: of the soldiers of Israel, and David relied on them

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Speaker 2: as he took back Israel from the Philistines. Now we

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Speaker 2: see David's mission to successfully carry the Ark of the

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Speaker 2: Covenant back into Israel, which proves to be a daunting

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Speaker 2: task since the holiness of God is not to be handled.

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Speaker 2: Lightly inspired by the Book of Second Samuel, Hello.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible

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Speaker 3: in a Year podcast. In yesterday's story, we heard about

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Speaker 3: David's mighty Men, how they mirrored his own devotion, bravery, courage,

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Speaker 3: and commitment. These men strengthened David and helped him to

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Speaker 3: win many victories in the name of the Lord God.

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Speaker 3: Israel was on a winning streak, defeating Philistine's left and right,

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Speaker 3: but David still knew something needed to be set right.

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Speaker 3: The Ark of the Covenant was not in Israel, where

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Speaker 3: it belonged, and in today's story we'll see how David

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Speaker 3: sets this difficult task of moving the arc. It is

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Speaker 3: no simple task or a safe one. The ark was

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Speaker 3: representative of God's glory on earth, and as David and

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Speaker 3: the people will learn, God's holiness is not something to

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Speaker 3: be approached casually. So let's listen to today's reading.

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Speaker 4: Now, the battle against the Philistines had been won, the

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Speaker 4: dust of war and strife had begun to settle, and

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Speaker 4: it was time for the Ark of the Covenant to

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Speaker 4: come home to the people. David knew this took precision

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Speaker 4: and a great deal of tact. Many stories had been

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Speaker 4: told of men and women dying in attempts to handle

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Speaker 4: the Ark, and David had no intention of losing lives

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Speaker 4: in the attempt of something holy. David arose early in

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Speaker 4: the morning with thirty thousand hand picked men. A holy

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Speaker 4: and fierce procession of warriors trailed the Ark of the

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Speaker 4: Covenant as priests began to carry it. Uzar and Ohio,

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Speaker 4: two of the priests, carried the cart on an oxen

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Speaker 4: carriage with great trepidation. David brought out his lyre and

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Speaker 4: many members of the group began to play behind them.

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Speaker 4: As the group grew more comfortable, all the men and

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Speaker 4: women surrounding the ark broke out into song. Flutes, harps, liars,

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Speaker 4: and drums played into the air. David led the congregation

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Speaker 4: and worship, and they sung praises to God for his

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Speaker 4: great faithfulness. David was elated to lead his people in

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Speaker 4: this way. David would often forget that before he was

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Speaker 4: a warrior or king, he was a musician and worship leader.

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Speaker 4: His heart was warmed by the opportunity to lead the

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Speaker 4: people in song. The celebration continued as Uza and Ohio

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Speaker 4: drove the cart into the city.

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Speaker 2: As they were on their way, a bump in the

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Speaker 2: road lifted the carriage and the ark began to slide off.

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Speaker 2: Huzar reacted quickly and kept the ark from crashing to

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Speaker 2: the g David stopped playing as he watched Uzzah holding

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Speaker 2: the ark. Hussar turned to David with a grave look

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Speaker 2: in his eye. Before David could say a word, Huar

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Speaker 2: fell to the floor and died. David rushed to Uzzah,

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Speaker 2: his lifeless body lay in his arms. David was filled

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Speaker 2: with anger and confusion. How could the Lord kill a

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Speaker 2: man trying to save the ark from falling, David thought

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Speaker 2: to himself. He looked behind him to see the people

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Speaker 2: weeping over Uza's death. David remained silent, although his anger

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Speaker 2: towards God ran deep. He did not understand his ways

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Speaker 2: or why a righteous man would die needlessly. David drew

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Speaker 2: a deep breath to calm himself and had the Ark

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Speaker 2: of God brought to a house nearby. He kept the

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Speaker 2: Ark at the home of Obediedom, a Levite who lived

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Speaker 2: on the outskirts of Israel. There it was kept safe,

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Speaker 2: and Obed's household became blessed because of the Lord's presence.

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Speaker 2: David was told of Obed's household and how the glow

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Speaker 2: glory of God fell upon them in a new and

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Speaker 2: exciting way. David's anger subsided, and he gave in to

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Speaker 2: the confusing nature of God. The Lord had delivered him

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Speaker 2: time and time again, and he was not about to

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Speaker 2: question how to handle the holiness of God's presence. David

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Speaker 2: brought the Ark back to Jerusalem, and the entire city

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Speaker 2: rejoiced in its return. David's joy could not be contained.

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Speaker 2: He danced and leapt with joy in the courtyard of

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Speaker 2: his home. David cast off his royal robes and danced

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Speaker 2: among the people as one of them. David danced without inhibition,

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Speaker 2: embarrassing his wife, Mihao, who watched from the window. How

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Speaker 2: could a king make such a fool of himself, she thought.

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Speaker 2: She despised David's immodesty and made it very clear to

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Speaker 2: him she was displeased. The ark made its way through

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Speaker 2: the city. David had pitched a tenth for the ark,

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Speaker 2: according to the law of Moses. He brought offerings before

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Speaker 2: the Ark and blessed the people in the name.

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Speaker 4: Of the Lord.

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Speaker 2: All of Israel, men, women and children feasted and danced

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Speaker 2: in celebration. God's presence had returned. It marked a new

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Speaker 2: era of peace for the people of Israel. For so

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Speaker 2: long they had lived under the shadow of Saul. The

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Speaker 2: darkness in his heart had seeped into the city, and

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Speaker 2: hopelessness filled the air. But now the Lord's joy was

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Speaker 2: renewed in their hearts. David looked upon his people as

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Speaker 2: a shepherd who had just fed his sheep. He was

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Speaker 2: truly content and blessed to be a part of what

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Speaker 2: God was doing. The sun began its descent, and the

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Speaker 2: people made their way back into their homes. David, still

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Speaker 2: humming to the tune of worship songs, opened the doors

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Speaker 2: of his chambers and began to undress for bed. David's wife,

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Speaker 2: Mihaw was waiting.

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Speaker 3: Up for him.

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Speaker 2: She sat in the corner of the room, arms folded in,

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Speaker 2: eyes piercing. David looked at her, confused as to why

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Speaker 2: she looked so bleak on such a joyous day. Ah,

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Speaker 2: the mighty King of Israel, she said, with sarcasm in

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Speaker 2: her voice. Oh, how he honored himself today, removing his

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Speaker 2: kingly robes and dancing like a commoner. David looked at

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Speaker 2: his wife, knowing she was the daughter of Saul and

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Speaker 2: expected a different type of king. He gave a slight

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Speaker 2: sigh and said, for the Lord, I will become as

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Speaker 2: undignified as necessary. I will celebrate, even if it makes

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Speaker 2: me despised in your eyes. Mihau's words bothered David, yet

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Speaker 2: he would not allow them to rob him of joy.

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Speaker 2: He was going to be a different type of king,

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Speaker 2: a king that worshiped, a king that would kneel down

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Speaker 2: into the muck and mud to fight alongside his soldiers,

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Speaker 2: a king that would strip naked before God, a king

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Speaker 2: that would sing loudly, raise his hands, and humble himself

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Speaker 2: before the One True God.

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Speaker 3: We opened today's story with a defeated enemy. The Philistines

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Speaker 3: had been driven out soundly defeated because God gave David

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Speaker 3: and his army's many victories. This was no accident. David

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Speaker 3: consistently sought God and his favor, and God gave him

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Speaker 3: victory after victory. But David was well aware that the

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Speaker 3: symbol of God's presence with them, the Ark of the Covenant,

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Speaker 3: was not where it belonged. It belonged to Israel, but

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Speaker 3: David knew that moving it would be no simple task.

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Speaker 3: Mishandling the Ark was spelled death, as it had been

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Speaker 3: for men and women in the past who handled the

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Speaker 3: ark incorrectly. David knew he needed to be careful, but

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Speaker 3: he also was in a hurry to get the ark

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Speaker 3: back to Israel. So rather than call on the levies

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Speaker 3: to carry the ark on their shoulders using wooden pulls

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Speaker 3: as God commanded, David summoned two priests to carry the

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Speaker 3: ark on an ox pulled cart. He also gathered thirty

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Speaker 3: thousand warriors to form a procession to protect the Ark

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Speaker 3: on its journey from the house of ab Na Dap,

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Speaker 3: whose sons were going to guide the cart to Israel.

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Speaker 3: David the former musician and went with the people, playing

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Speaker 3: the harp and leading the people in worship. His intentions

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Speaker 3: were pure and his heart filled with the joy of

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Speaker 3: the Lord. But then along the way the oxen stumbled. Uzah,

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Speaker 3: who was next to the cart, pulled out his hand

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Speaker 3: and touched the ark, afraid it would fall over. But

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Speaker 3: touching God's holy presence was a clear violation of God's law,

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Speaker 3: and God struck this man dead immediately. Though his intentions

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Speaker 3: were good, he had grown too casual around the Ark

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Speaker 3: and failed to show God the reverence that is required.

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Speaker 3: It was a reminder that God's holiness is serious. But

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Speaker 3: David was angry and didn't understand why God would do that,

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Speaker 3: So he left the Ark at the home of a Levite.

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Speaker 3: God blessed that home, and after some time David resolved

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Speaker 3: again to take the Ark to Israel. This time, the

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Speaker 3: Levites bore the Ark all the way to the city

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Speaker 3: of David. David, along with all the people, was ecstatic,

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Speaker 3: rejoicing before the Lord. He threw off his kingly robes

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Speaker 3: and danced without inhibitions. He wasn't dancing for appearances or

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Speaker 3: for pleasure, but for his God. His wife Michael saw him,

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Speaker 3: and she was embarrassed. She chastised him when he got home,

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Speaker 3: but David didn't care. In Second Samuel six point twenty one,

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Speaker 3: we hear his response, and David said to Michael, it

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Speaker 3: was before the Lord who chose me above your father

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Speaker 3: and above all his house, to appoint me as a

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Speaker 3: prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, and I

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Speaker 3: will celebrate before the Lord. God deserves our praise and

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Speaker 3: our worship, even when it is exuberant and enthusiastic. That's

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Speaker 3: what David understood as he danced without inhibition or fear

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Speaker 3: of embarrassment. He was dancing before and for Almighty God,

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Speaker 3: because the ark was finally home where it belonged. David

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Speaker 3: was a king who waited on God and worshiped him

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Speaker 3: without reservation, and who led the people to do the same.

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Speaker 3: This was the king that God had chosen, the man

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Speaker 3: after God's own heart. And next time we'll meet a

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Speaker 3: new prophet who will help guide this godly king in

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Speaker 3: God's Way. Lord, we truly do worship you with all

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Speaker 3: of our hearts. We are unashamed to offer you our

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Speaker 3: praise and adoration. Help us, like David always to give

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Speaker 3: our very best to you with joy and excitement and

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Speaker 3: great love in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for listening

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Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack

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Speaker 3: Graham from Dallas, Texas. Please download thepray dot com app

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Speaker 3: and make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 3: And if you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone

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Speaker 3: you love. And if you want more resources as to

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Speaker 3: how to live abundantly in Jesus Christ, be sure to

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Speaker 3: visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you