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Remembrance Day in Canada is November 11
“What Remembrance Day Means to Me”. Have any of you written a high school essay that begins this way? My husband's efforts to do so won him a prize. We no longer have the essay, but Terry told me what he had written. His Uncle Allen fought with the Canadian army in the Korean War which took place from 1950-1953. Uncle Allen was driving down a road in Korea. Without preamble his commander barked out the order: “Turn off the road!” Immediately, Allen made a sharp turn and drove the jeep off the road. Suddenly, a shell exploded in the spot the jeep had just occupied moments before. Uncle Allen was well trained to obey orders instantly. His trip did not end in disaster, because he respected the authority of his superior.
Not obeying instructions led to a death in the following incident in the Old Testament.
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant, that special symbol of the presence of God, in a battle against the Israelites. The Philistines experienced several plagues because of it as they moved the Ark from town to town. Finally, they returned the Ark to Israel. It remained in the town of Kiriath-jearim, neglected, for twenty years.
King David wanted to remind the nation of Israel of its true foundation, so he made arrangements for the Ark to be moved back to Jerusalem, the centre of worship. However, David did not follow the specific instructions God had laid out for the moving of the Ark. Only Levites, temple assistants who had to purify themslves, could carry the Ark. It was to be carried on their shoulders by two poles, so they didn't actually touch the Ark itself.
“Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.” (I Chronicles 13:6-10 NLT)
David learned that the moving of the cart ended in disaster because he had not respected the instructions God had laid out in the Law. He moved the Ark to the house of Obed-edom of Gath, where its presence brought that household three months of blessing.
Finally, the Ark was brought in the proper manner to the City of David. There the people worshipped and rejoiced, and the Levites served regularly before it. (See I Chronicles 16:37 NLT)
On this Remembrance Day, let's remember the theme of obedience. We must obey God quickly, precisely and completely, even if we do not fully understand the reasons behind His instructions. Let's respect God's wisdom as we seek to obey Him.
Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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