DAILY READING
REFLECTION
I Want What He Has
By Jennifer Jerrome
Today’s scripture starts with verse 12 when David is told “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.”
If we jump back to the beginning of Chapter 6, we see that David had the ark of God but became afraid when Uzzah touched it and died. David decided it was best not to take it back to Jerusalem and instead had it taken to the home of Obed-Edom.
Obed-Edom was a Gittite, from the city of Gath. He is mentioned several times in the Bible, but he’s a lesser-known, secondary character. When I first read the passage, I immediately focused on King David and his desire to seek God’s blessing by possessing the ark. But the more I thought about it, I started to wonder about Obed-Edom. What if I looked at this story from his perspective?
Imagine everyone talking about the ark that embodied God’s covenant. It was the most sacred of all objects to the Israelites, yet also terrifying. People died just looking at it and Uzzah was killed because he touched it. And now David wants him (Obed-Edom) to take it?!
I expect he was filled with multiple emotions – fear, surprise, anxiety, awe, excitement, pride, etc. God would be living under his roof. He would be in the presence of God every day. Wow!
The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household. (v. 11)
So, what must it have been like when David decided to take it back? Do you think Obed-Edom became sad, jealous, and angry? Was he worried the blessings would disappear? Or during his time with God, did he encounter peace beyond understanding? Did he realize he didn’t need the ark under his roof to experience God’s blessings? That God would be with him no matter where the ark was housed?
What does this mean for us? If you ask scholars where the ark is now, no one really knows. There are speculations and I must admit I often thought about Indiana Jones while writing this. But maybe the real star of the show here is Obed-Edom.
He took the ark in faith. His whole family could have died, but he took it anyway. I’m guessing he treated it with the upmost reverence and likely prayed for guidance each day. May we have that same kind of devotion and trust in the Lord.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
We may not have the ark under our roof, but we do have You. May we acknowledge your presence with us each day and treat it with the upmost respect. You call on everyone. Both major players and seemingly “minor” characters have a part to play in your story. Thank you for Obed-Edom and the quiet example he sets for us. Amen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JENNIFER JERROME
I have known I was a child of God from the beginning. I was baptized and raised in the Catholic church and began attending UALC about 18 years ago when my husband I were searching for a place to worship and serve as a family. UALC has helped shape our faith over the years. We have been through several seasons of life and the constant has been our faith and family.
Comments