It was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household 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 rejoicing. 2 Samuel 6:12
David has joy because the same God who is terrible in judgment is also rich in blessing. He is powerful to judge those who defy him and powerful to bless those who seek him. Fearing and rejoicing in God belong together because the same power that would make you tremble if God were against you brings joy when you know he is for you.
David’s joy comes from knowing that God did not come among his people to destroy them. He came to bless them! But you can only know the blessing of God if you come to him in the way he has prescribed. 1 Chronicles 15 tells us in detail how David gathered the Kohathites and said in effect, “We are going to bring the ark to Jerusalem, and this time we are going to do it God’s way.”
This points us to Jesus. Just as the ark was the place where God’s judgment and blessing were made known to David then, Jesus Christ is the place where God’s judgment and blessing are made known to us today. The cross shows that God judges sin, and that God blesses sinners.
The cross is where God meets with us, so that with judgment removed, we may enter into his blessing. When God comes to meet us in Jesus Christ, he comes not to judge but to bless.
Are you finding joy in the presence of God?
