“From the day that the ark arrived in Kiryat-Ye‘arim a long time elapsed, twenty years; and all the people of Israel yearned for Adonai.”-1 Samuel 7:2
“Who can stand before Adonai, this holy God?
To whom can we send it, to get it away from us?”
That was the question of desperation on the lips of the Levites at Beit-Shemesh as they stood trembling over the dead bodies of seventy of their brethren.
The answer to their question came in the form of one word: KIRYAT-YE’ARIM.
Kiryat-Ye’arim was an isolated village located on a mountaintop that intersected at the territorial boundaries of Judah, Dan and Benjamin.
It was also known as a cult site where some Levite Priests lived.
It was to these priests that the Levites at Beit-Shemesh sent a message of desperation.
And they got their answer in the form of a troop of priests who came to rescue the Ark from the trembling Levites…
Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say they came down to rescue the Levites from the Ark.
Now among these priests from Kiryat-Ye-arim was a fellow name Avinadav.
This Avinadav appointed his son Eleazar to guard the Ark where it would be housed inside some kind of tent or room for a 20-year period.
This would bring us smack dab into King David’s time.
Now one question comes to mind…
Whatever ever happened to Shiloh?
Recall Shiloh was the designated worship center for Israel shortly after Joshua led Israel across the Jordan.
Had that place become irrelevant?
Was the Tabernacle even in operation at this point?
My guess is that it had probably been dismantled and abandoned.
But if that’s the case, what in the world was now being used as the Lord’s dwelling place on earth?
Where exactly was the Ark of the Covenant being housed?
And what about all the holy items inside the Holy Place?
You know, the Menorah, the Altar of Incense and the Table of Shewbread?
Later on during the reign of Saul, we’ll read about how there was a sanctuary at Nob.
But we’re not given any details about it.
One thing I can say for sure is I highly, highly doubt the whole Tabernacle was transported from Shiloh to Nob.
By this time, the Tabernacle had been rebuilt and repaired so many times over a period of 400 years…
So it wouldn’t have contained much if any of the original fabrics and wood…
Which means if the Tabernacle had been rebuilt at Nob, it would have been built from scratch out of all new materials.
Either way, one thing’s for sure.
Things had done changed for God’s people…
Israel had strayed far from God’s original vision for them as laid out in the Torah.
And it was now up to God to restore all of the scattered pieces starting with Samuel.
Watching how God did this is a masterclass on how the Lord redeems those who have fallen.
So I’d pay close attention…
Because how God restores a fallen Israel is how He will restore your life…
No matter how broken it may be.
See ya all next time.
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