REJOICE WITH TREMBLING

Psalm 2:9-11: “Thou shalt break them with a rod if iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

In this passage of Scripture, we have the tension between two truths. On the surface they appear to oppose one another. However, to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, they complement each other.

We are to greatly rejoice in the Lord and yet at the same time, we must be careful not to disrespect His awesome power and holiness. We must tremble at His awesome, glorious presence and holiness and yet at the same time not allow ourselves to be so extreme with fear and trembling that we lose our joy, gladness, worship, and praise at the remembrance of His goodness and grace toward us.

A great example of these two truths complementing each other was when David sought to bring the ark of God to himself and to Jerusalem the second time. This time, he had learned the ark, representing God’s presence, had to be brought back by God’s methods as outlined in the Holy Scriptures, not by his own ideas or methods.

When David, the king of Israel brought the ark of God’s presence from the house of Abinadab we see how offensive our conduct can be before the Lord when we do something which displeases God (2 Samuel l6:1-11). In one sense David did right in that He wanted the presence of God with him at Jerusalem. On the other hand, the way he went about bringing the ark back was wrong. He did not seek God’s “due order” (1 Chronicles 15:12-15) for carrying the ark which resulted in death and destruction. This caused David to be afraid of God. 2 Samuel 6:9 states: “And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?”

Even though David and all the house of Israel played on all manner of instruments before the Lord it did not stop the anger of God from being kindled. Even when we decide to do a good thing, we need to seek God on how He wants it accomplished.

In 1 Chronicles 15 we read how David brought the ark back from the house of Obed-Edom to Jerusalem according to the “due order.” In this second attempt, Kind David realized that the presence of God could not be manipulated by man’s methods.

1. He prepared a place to receive the ark (v. 3).
2. He realized that no one had the right to carry the ark but the God-appointed Levites (v. 15).
3. He realized only the Levites could play the instruments, not all of Israel (v. 16).
4. They offered seven bullocks and seven rams after they had taken six steps (v. 26 and 2 Samuel 6:13).
5. They did not do anything until they had sanctified themselves (v. 12).
6. They brought back the ark with joy, singing, shouting, and the noise of musical instruments (v. 25-28).
7. David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14).
If they could do all these things under the Old Covenant, how much more should we rejoice with trembling under the New Covenant? Read Hebrews 10:28-31 and 128, 29).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell