The LORD asked us to bring Him offerings of Thanksgiving for the New Year 2026. Numbers 10:10 helps us better understand the meaning of thanksgiving:
“Also on your days of rejoicing, at your designated times and on Rosh-Hodesh, you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; these will be your reminder before your God. I am Adonai your God.“
When you are told to bring your offerings every year, it is so that the LORD may remember you. And if GOD remembers you, He will visit you, He will do you good, and He will do great things for you for His Glory!
Last time, we talked about the Ark of GOD. We saw that only the Levites were allowed to carry the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders. This Ark was very heavy.
Let us read Numbers 7:4-9:
“4 Adonai said to Moshe [Moses], 5 ‘Receive these from them; they are to be used for the service in the tent of meeting. Give them to the L’vi’im [Levites], to each as needed for his duties.’ 6 So Moshe took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the L’vi’im. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the descendants of Gershon, in keeping with the needs of their duties. 8 Four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the descendants of M’rari, in keeping with the needs of their duties, directed by Itamar the son of Aharon the cohen [priest]. 9 But to the descendants of K’hat he gave none, because their duties involved the holy articles, which they carried on their own shoulders.”
Consider this: GOD had forbidden Moses from helping the sons of K’hat. According to this passage, Moses had given chariots and oxen to the sons of Gershon and the sons of M’rari, but nothing to the sons of K’hat, who were to carry “the holy things” on “their own shoulders”.
Today, we serve GOD while complaining about the difficulties we face. My Brother, my Sister, GOD does nothing without a reason. He knows why He does what He does with you. You must serve Him without ulterior motives, without murmuring. And as you serve Him as He asks of you, He will bless you and assist you. For He created you to serve Him in this way. So do not compare yourself with others who also serve the LORD but in a different way! Everyone has their place before the LORD according to their Calling. Let us follow the Word that says, “Do everything without kvetching [grumbling] or arguing” (Philippians 2:14).
The Ark of the Covenant played a very important role in the lives of the Israelites. That is why King David cared so much about where the Ark was kept. He wanted the Ark to dwell in his house. For he knew that the Ark was his strength!
Let us read 1 Chronicles 15:1–13:
“1 David erected buildings for himself in the City of David, prepared a place for the ark of God, and set up a tent for it. 2 Then David said, ‘No one but the L’vi’im should carry the ark of God, because Adonai chose them to carry the ark of Adonai and to serve him forever.’ 3 David assembled all Isra’el in Yerushalayim [Jerusalem] to bring the ark of Adonai up to its place, which he had prepared for it. 4 David gathered together the descendants of Aharon and the L’vi’im: 5 from the descendants of K’hat: Uri’el the chief, and 120 of his kinsmen; 6 from the descendants of M’rari: ‘Asayah the chief, and 220 of his kinsmen; 7 from the descendants of Gershom: Yo’el the chief, and 130 of his kinsmen; 8 from the descendants of Elitzafan: Sh’ma‘yah the chief, and 200 of his kinsmen; 9 from the descendants of Hevron: Eli’el the chief, and eighty of his kinsmen; 10 and from the descendants of ‘Uzi’el: ‘Amminadav the chief, and 112 of his kinsmen. 11 David called for Tzadok and Evyatar the cohanim [priests] and for the L’vi’im — Uri’el, ‘Asayah, Yo’el, Sh’ma‘yah, Eli’el and ‘Amminadav — 12 and said to them, ‘You are the clan leaders of the L’vi’im. Consecrate yourselves, both you and your kinsmen, to bring the ark of Adonai the God of Isra’el up to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It’s because you weren’t there the first time that Adonai our God broke out against us. We didn’t seek him out according to the rule.'”
Brothers and Sisters, in some churches, people whom GOD has placed to serve Him in specific roles within His House are removed and replaced by others. For example, GOD says that He wants to place a certain servant in a certain position, but that person is removed from that position and replaced by someone else. Or, the person whom GOD has appointed to a specific role is placed there, but people complain, saying, ‘It’s always the same person in that position!’ And when the person in question discovers that people are complaining because of them, they step away from that position even though it is their Calling!
It is as if people today were complaining about the President of the Republic, saying, ‘It’s always him who is the President!’ So, the President in question decides to step down from his position—the very position that GOD entrusted to him. By doing so, he would be showing immaturity…
1 Chronicles 15:24 states: “So David, the leaders of Isra’el and the commanders over thousands went to bring up the ark for the covenant of Adonai out from the house of ‘Oved-Edom with joy”.
Everything the children of Israel did, they had to do before the Ark of the LORD, for the Ark symbolized the Presence of GOD. And if anyone gave Glory to GOD before the Ark, before the Presence of GOD, but looked upon the Ark with a bad eye, GOD struck him… We see this in verse 29, which tells us: “As the ark for the covenant of Adonai entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, watching from the window, saw King David dancing and celebrating; and she was filled with contempt for him”. King David took his time dancing before the Ark, but his wife, Mikhal, despised him because of it. GOD then struck Mikhal (2 Samuel 6:20-23).
When we dance for GOD, He sees our hearts, not our physical appearance! Unfortunately, many, when they dance for the LORD, like to strut around so that people will notice their clothes and their physical elegance, while deep down, their thoughts do not honor GOD…
This is to tell you that everything we do, we must do in the Presence of GOD. And it is the LORD who will reward us!
When Uzzah was struck dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant, David feared GOD and did not want the Ark to enter his house. Instead, he ordered ‘Oved-Edom to take the Ark into his house, and of course, ‘Oved-Edom could not refuse the king’s instructions! 2 Samuel 6:12 tells us:
“King David was told, ‘Adonai has blessed the house of ‘Oved-Edom and everyone who belongs to him, thanks to the ark of God.’ So David went and joyously brought the ark of God up from the house of ‘Oved-Edom into the City of David.”
Today, GOD is willing to bless you, but for what reason will He bless you? Because of His Ark… His Presence. Because of GOD’s Presence with ‘Oved-Edom, the latter and everything that belonged to him were blessed!
And what prompted David to go and retrieve the Ark? He had heard all that was being said about the Blessings bestowed upon ‘Oved-Edom. David was already king, with every possible possession, including gold! But because of GOD’s Blessings in ‘Oved-Edom’s life, the king went all the way to this man’s house to take the Ark. It is very likely that, in ‘Oved-Edom’s heart at that moment, he felt sadness…
My Brother, my Sister, love GOD’s Blessing, for it is those who are blessed by GOD who will enter the Kingdom of Heaven… JESUS CHRIST taught us that when He returns for Judgment, He will say to those on His right: “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world”!
David went to ‘Oved-Edom because of the Ark of the Covenant; he had heard about the Blessings of GOD in ‘Oved-Edom’s life because the Ark was in his house.
Why don’t people seek our GOD today? Because of us! Because we do not fear GOD, we do not demonstrate His Power through us, we attribute all our blessings to Satan, we do not glorify GOD for His Blessings in our lives, we do not acknowledge GOD’s Blessings in our lives, or we do not seek Blessings from GOD!
‘Oved-Edom’s household was blessed because of the presence of the Ark. But as soon as the Ark was removed, GOD’s Blessing on that household ceased… You like to say that there are ups and downs, but that’s not what this is about. This is about GOD’s Presence in our lives.
Today, some come before GOD to serve Him, but once GOD blesses them, they stop serving Him…
David took his time dancing before the Ark! My Brother, my Sister, even if you’re a billionaire, you still need GOD’s Blessings. And if GOD blesses you, won’t others come to you seeking your GOD? We must therefore cherish GOD’s Blessings.
The Ark brought Death to Uzzah but Life and Blessing to ‘Oved-Edom! You can be a source of Death or a source of Grace and Blessing to someone, depending on how you serve GOD. That is why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:15-17:
“15 For to God we are the aroma of the Messiah, both among those being saved and among those being lost; 16 to the latter, we are the smell of death leading only to more death; but to the former, we are the sweet smell of life leading to more life. Who is equal to such a task? 17 For we are not like a lot of folks who go about huckstering God’s message for a fee; on the contrary, we speak out of a sincere heart, as people sent by God, standing in God’s presence, living in union with the Messiah.”
When you serve GOD faithfully, GOD will bless you. But if you play games with GOD and serve Him half-heartedly, you will be cursed.
2 Samuel 6:13 declares: “When those bearing the ark of Adonai had gone only six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened sheep”. Imagine how many steps it took to get to David’s house, and those two sacrifices he had to make every six steps! And all the while, King David was dancing! A king who dances! He was dancing for GOD! With all his might! But when we dance for GOD, it’s as if we’re just getting out of the hospital…
You may tell me that you dance for the LORD, but what percentage of your strength do you actually use when you dance for the LORD? David, on the other hand, danced with all his might and sweated for the LORD.
One day, I was preaching at a church that had invited me. After the sermon, I noticed that the people in attendance were still sitting there. I stood up to dance, and they stood up too, one by one, and we danced! Then the Glory of GOD descended upon us, and GOD was glorified… We were subsequently invited back to that church three times. When I preached, everyone followed along; and when we prayed, everyone prayed along as well.
Tell me, can a prisoner dance? Can a slave dance? No! But the day they are set free, those people will dance!
If you find out you failed your high school graduation exam, are you going to jump for joy? No!
Those who dance are the Victorious, the Conquerors!!!
One day, I was invited to a Brother’s house. I arrived at his gate and waited for a long time until his guard came to open it. I entered the courtyard, but the door to the house was closed. I asked the guard if the Brother was home, and he confirmed that he was indeed there. The gatekeeper told me that the Brother was dancing. The Brother had turned on his stereo and was listening to songs of praise to the Glory of GOD. He, his wife, and his children were dancing. The guard told me that they did this often and didn’t want to be disturbed at that moment, and that they would come out of the house as soon as they finished.
But you, my Brother, my Sister, could you do that with your spouse? If it were you, for example, you would say to your husband or wife, “Leave me alone! Who do you think you’re fooling around with?” On the other hand, this Brother and his wife, along with their children, know the value of the Covenant with GOD and know how to honor the LORD…
2 Samuel 6:15–22 states:
“15 So David and all the house of Isra’el brought up the ark of Adonai with shouting and the sound of the shofar. 16 As the ark of Adonai entered the City of David, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul, watching from the window, saw King David leaping and spinning before Adonai; and she was filled with contempt for him. 17 They brought the ark of Adonai in and put it in its place inside the tent that David had set up for it. David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Adonai. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Adonai–Tzva’ot. 19 Then he distributed to all the people of Isra’el, to everyone there, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a raisin cake, after which the people all left for their homes. 20 When David returned to bless his household, Mikhal the daughter of Sha’ul came out to meet him and said, ‘Such honor the king of Isra’el earned for himself today — exposing himself before his servants’ slave-girls like some vulgar exhibitionist!’ 21 David answered Mikhal, ‘In the presence of Adonai — who chose me over your father and over everyone in his family to make me chief over Adonai’s people, over Isra’el — I will celebrate in the presence of Adonai! 22 I will make myself still more contemptible than that, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, but those slave-girls you mentioned will honor me!'”
Look how a king puts himself in the place of his servants to serve his people! First, he danced with them to the Glory of the LORD, and then he served them to honor his GOD… But we prefer to be the leaders. Sometimes, instead of praising GOD, we sing praises to ourselves for our own glory… Humble yourselves, and GOD will lift you up.
Mikhal thought her husband, King David, was dancing before the people, but he was actually dancing before the LORD. And while David was dancing, his wife wasn’t dancing with him. On the contrary, she was just watching him… And many people do the same thing in churches today: They pretend to dance but spend their time watching others and criticizing the way those people dance. Sometimes they even think they dance better than everyone else!
In Israel, GOD’s people dance in a special way, and I wish some of them would come here to teach us that. It is truly crucial to understand the value of the Ark of the LORD.
The people of Israel walked with the Ark of the LORD before them! That is why you must put GOD before everything in your life; you must give Him priority over all things and glorify Him. But you want people to give you glory… When you pray, you ask GOD to give you a powerful husband, etc. Where, then, will GOD’s place be in your life?
Let us read Exodus 13:21-22:
“21 Adonai went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night. 22 Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.”
The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders, and above them was a kind of cloud (a pillar of cloud or fire) that guided them. GOD cannot guide you without the Ark of the Covenant!
Now let us look at Numbers 10:33–36:
“33 So they set out from Adonai’s mountain and traveled for three days. Ahead of them on this three-day journey went the ark of Adonai’s covenant, searching for a new place to stop. 34 The cloud of Adonai was over them during the day as they set out from the camp. 35 When the ark moved forward, Moshe said, ‘Arise, Adonai! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!’ 36 When it stopped, he said, ‘Return, Adonai of the many, many thousands of Isra’el!'”
The Ark of the Covenant symbolized the Presence of GOD…
It is unfortunate to see that, in your case, it is your knowledge, your beauty, your intelligence, and the advice of others that go before you instead of GOD. In this context, you will ultimately reap nothing but problems. It is the Ark of the Covenant that must go before you! For it is the “resting place” of the LORD (Psalm 132:14).
At the same time, the Ark of the Covenant is our Strength (“Arise, Adonai! May your enemies be scattered!” – Numbers 10:35). When the Ark stood still, the people of Israel stopped moving. But we take great risks by moving forward on paths where the LORD’s Presence is not!
I remember someone who was very sick, with no hope of recovery. I prayed, and GOD told me that He would change that person’s situation if I prayed. So I went to that person with great confidence! As soon as I began to pray, the person also stood up, prayed, and was healed…
Let us read Deuteronomy 10:8: “At that time Adonai set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark for the covenant of Adonai and to stand before Adonai to serve him and to bless in his name, as they still do today”.
And Revelation 1:6 reveals that JESUS CHRIST “has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim [priests] for God, his Father”. This is so that we may bless the people and the land where we live!
Numbers 14:10-14 declares:
“10 But just as the whole community were saying they should be stoned to death, the glory of Adonai appeared in the tent of meeting to all the people of Isra’el. 11 Adonai said to Moshe, ‘How much longer is this people going to treat me with contempt? How much longer will they not trust me, especially considering all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I am going to strike them with sickness, destroy them and make from you a nation greater and stronger than they are!’ 13 However, Moshe replied to Adonai, ‘When the Egyptians hear about this — [and they will,] because it was from among them that you, by your strength, brought this people up — 14 they will tell the people living in this land. They have heard that you, Adonai, are with this people; that you, Adonai, are seen face to face; that your cloud stands over them; that you go ahead of them in a column of cloud by day and a column of fire by night.'”
Just as the Egyptians knew that the LORD was among His people, Israel, so too must those who see you know that the LORD is with you… if you are truly a child of the LORD. Why did the LORD appear “visibly” among His people? Because He wanted to glorify Himself!
In this passage from Numbers, Moses reminded GOD of the Manifestation of His Glory, of His Presence among the children of Israel. What proves that GOD is in your family, in your life? Does GOD appear visibly in your life?
For my part, I have the assurance that GOD is in my life. One day, I ran into a Brother who had embezzled my money. He said to me, “Pastor, ever since that act, my business has gone downhill.” I told him, “I know, because GOD is with me.” Does someone do you good, but you do them harm?
If GOD is with you, even if one day you face difficult situations that overwhelm you, He will resolve them for you. GOD’s Presence must be within you for Him to act on your behalf. His Ark must be there! And His Ark demands Holiness! GOD said: “Through those who are near me I will be consecrated, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3).
But you, when GOD blesses you, you come to curse others, and you prefer to go to dance clubs, etc. GOD has called you to separate yourself from sin so that you may stand in His Presence!
Let us read Revelation 11:18-19:
“18 ‘The Goyim [people, nations] raged. But now your rage has come, the time for the dead to be judged, the time for rewarding your servants the prophets and your holy people, those who stand in awe of your name, both small and great. It is also the time for destroying those who destroy the earth.’ 19 Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the Ark of the Covenant was seen in his Temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake and violent hail.”
The “holy people” are those who are sanctified in JESUS CHRIST. And there is no manifestation of GOD’s power without the Ark of the Covenant…
It is January 2026; it is up to you to decide to draw closer to GOD and live in sanctification…
Receive this Word in the Name of JESUS CHRIST.
| “The Heart and the Covenant”, translated into English from a sermon by Pastor Léonard Matchide Gonitoua on January 4, 2026 at the HOPFAN Church of Boy-Rabe (Bangui, Central African Republic – CAR). Unless otherwise stated, the Bible verses presented here are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net. |
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