24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered.
Comment: Many people groups don’t follow the British ‘stiff upper lip’ to face every situation without visible emotion. The Israelis in David’s time certainly weren’t like that – rather torn clothes, weeping in lament, ashes scattered over your head and body. David, in the custom of the day left Jerusalem. The ark wa never meant to be a talisman or a ‘god’ but a symbol of God’s reigning presence. David commanded Zadok and the priests to take the ark to where it belonged. For himself he looked forward to returning to Jerusalem but I love his statement of trust in God, ‘If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.‘ On the side he wanted the priests to spy for him! (v28)
Prayer: You don’t allow us to walk without trouble. Like Job before and David here let me worship you in every situation.
As I read it! 