When the ark of God was left at the home of Obed-edom, he and his family experienced great blessing (13:14). Now in 1 Chronicles 14, it’s emphasized that David’s kingdom was also experiencing great blessing. This was a direct consequence of how David was taking proper care of the ark. But the lesson of the chapter is timeless: blessing from God follows obedience to His Word. Three events from David’s life show that the LORD had blessed his kingdom. First, the surrounding nations paid tribute to him. Hiram, king of Tyre, sent building materials and skilled laborers to build a house for David. And David took this as a sign that the LORD was establishing and exalting his kingdom—not just for his own personal glory, but for the benefit of all Israel (v 1-2). Second, the LORD gave David “more sons and daughters.” Scripture sees children as a blessing from God, and the chronicler lists thirteen whom David fathered while living in Jerusalem. Nathan is of special significance, as he will be included in the family tree of Jesus (Luke 3:31). The taking of “many wives” was certainly a following of the cultural rather than divine pattern, but the record of this growing family is an echo of Genesis 1:28, where God “blessed” the first couple, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply” (v 3-7). The third sign of God’s blessing is David’s victory over the Philistines, who were the enemies of God’s people. Since defeating Saul at Gilboa (10:1-14), the Philistines had controlled the major lines of communication and trade throughout the land of Israel. But when they heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they knew they had to respond quickly. A united kingdom under David represented a major threat to Philistine power. So they engaged David in combat, sending out a raiding party against him in a valley southwest of Jerusalem. By the hand of the LORD, David was victorious, “and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations” (v 8-17). The site of Uzzah’s tragic death was re-named “Perez-uzza” (“the breaking out against Uzzah”) because the LORD broke out in judgment against him (13:11). The site of Israel’s triumph was re-named “Baal-perazim” (“Lord of breaking through”) because there God broke through the enemy forces (14:11). In both cases, God broke in upon the lives of His people—once in judgment and once in salvation. The God of the Bible is the living God. His presence is real, and when He acts, His presence is felt with all the power of a wall of water in the bursting of a dam. May we live in such a way that this powerful Presence will always be in our favor! Blessing from God follows obedience to His Word. For further meditation: