“So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of ram’s horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.”
~ 1 Chronicles 15:28
Hi James and Ellen,
What really makes you happy? Does playing games on a computer really make you happy? Does being able to watch whatever you like on TV really make you happy? Does having your dad and/or ma buy you a toy that you begged them to buy for you really make you happy? Does staying up past your bedtime really make you happy? Does doing what you decide what you want to do instead of doing what your dad and/or ma wants you to do really make you happy? Does going to school really make you happy? Does going over to a friend’s house to play really make you happy? Does doing something for another kid really make you happy? Does making something with your hands really make you happy? Does going to church really make you happy? Does hearing music being sung or played really make you happy? Does doing something for another kid to make another kid happy really make you happy? Do you know what makes your dad and ma happy with you? Are your dad and ma happy with you when you do what they ask you to do? Are your dad and ma happy with you when you do not do what they ask you to do? Do you want your dad and ma to be happy with you? Does doing something that will make God happy really make you happy? Do you know what makes God happy with you? Do you think that God is happy with you when you do what He tells you in the Bible what He wants you to do?
Your grandpaa has a lot of questions for you today. Do you like to answer questions? Your grandpaa likes to ask questions. Your grandpaa likes to know what a guy, gal or kid is thinking. Do you like being happy? Ask your dad and/or ma if they are happy? Ask your dad and/or ma when they are the happiest? Are your dad and/or ma the happiest when you are happy? Do you know when David was the happiest? Do you know a David? The David who is found in I Chronicles 15 was the youngest kid in his family. David had six big bros. When David was a young kid, David was expected to watch his dad’s sheep. What do you think that it was like for David to be the kid who had had to watch a flock of dumb sheep all day long? Do you think that David was happy having to every day care for his dad’s sheep? Do you know where David grew up as a kid? David grew up near Bethlehem. David lived on planet Earth about 3000 years ago. David was an Israelite. The Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids were God’s specially chosen guys, gals and kids. David became the second anointed king to reign over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals. Before David became the second anointed king to reign over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, Saul – the first Israelite people group’s king to reign over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, tried to kill David. After David was anointed to be the second king to reign over the guys and gals in the Israelite people group, David fought a lot against the enemies of God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Do you think that David was really happy when he was fighting against an enemy of the Israelite people group’s guys and gals or do you think that David was happier to be the second king to reign over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals?
What has been the happiest moment in your life? Your grandpaa has had a lot of very happy moments in his life. The happiest moment that your grandpaa can remember in his life – when your grandpaa wanted to tell every guy and gal who he knew how happy that he was, was when your grandmaa said yes – yes that she would marry your grandpaa. Another really happy moment for your grandpaa was when your dad was born. Your grandpaa is happy when he is fishing. Your grandpaa is happy when he is with his grandkids. The chronicler recorded a time when David was really happy. After doing a number on Philistine guys in a battle, David had finally brought peace to the Israelite people group’s guys, gals and kids. David had made his home in Jerusalem. Jerusalem became known as the City of David. After David built a place for himself in Jerusalem, David had a tent made for the ark of God. While Saul was king over the Israelite people group’s guys and gals, the ark of God was left in Kiriath Jearim. After David did a number on Philistine guys, David decided to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem. As the ark of God was being taken to Jerusalem from Kiriath Jearim, an incident occurred where a guy was killed by God when the guy thought that he needed to help keep the ark of God from falling off the new cart that was carrying it to Jerusalem. The ark of God for the next three months was left in the home of a Gittite – Obed-Edom. After David had the tent made in Jerusalem for the ark of God, David gave some very strict instructions for Levite tribal clan guys to follow. David selected leaders from six different Levite tribal clan families. As the ark of God was being brought into Jerusalem, David wanted music. David liked music. David wrote songs. David played the harp. Thousands of guys went with David to the house of Obed-Edom to get the ark of God and to take the ark of God to Jerusalem. It was so important to David what was happening that David dressed himself in a white linen robe – just like what the Levite tribal clan guys were wearing. David saw himself as a priest-king before God. This a really happy moment for David and a really happy time for God’s specially chosen guys and gals who were living in Jerusalem and in all of Israel. Verse 28 says, “So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of ram’s horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.” As he came into Jerusalem with the ark of God, David celebrated by dancing in Jerusalem’s streets. Happiness can only come from God. Real happiness is knowing that God is pleased with you. Real happiness will have your lives reflecting God’s glory back to Him.
1 Chronicles 15 (269)