1 Chronicles 13:1

1 Chronicles 13:1 says, And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.  David then consulted with all the leaders of the people.  He didn't just start dictating to them, and neither should we just dictate to people if we are in a position of leadership in the church today.  We need to consult with others under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse two adds, And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us:  Once more, David didn't just tell them what they were going to do, but said if it seemed good to them and under God's direction, they should send for the Israelites everywhere to come gather with them.  He especially included the priests and Levites.  We need to reach out to all of God's people today and ask them to join us in the battle against sin and evil and we all need to do everything by God's guidance.  Verse three continues, And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.  David then said they needed to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Hebron or Jerusalem, since it had been ignored all of the days of Saul.  Matthew Henry says they were bringing it back to Jerusalem, but if this occurred soon after David assumed his place as king, then he was in Hebron at that time.  Either way, they were to return the Ark of the Covenant to its rightful place in the center of the government.  Though it was eventually returned to Jerusalem, there was the early attempt that failed. The Philistines may have no longer had it, but God's people were ignoring it, so they might as well have.  The people of the world may not control the things that are important to God, but if we have them and ignore them, then they might as weel have control of them for all the good they do us.  Verse four states, And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.  All the congregation said they would return the Ark to its rightful place in the kingdom because it seemed good to them.  We need to keep the things of God in their rightful place today, not because it seems good to us, but because it is what God calls on us to do.  Verse five adds, So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.  David gathered all of Israel for the purpose of returning the Ark from Kirjathjearim.  We as followers of Christ also need to be united in carrying the gospel into all the world.